The senior Vice President of the Milwaukee Bucks, Alex Lasry, announced his candidacy for the United States Senate on February 17, challenging Republican incumbent and staunch Trump supporter Ron Johnson.
Lasry called on Washington to abandon the stale ideas of the past and usher in a new way of thinking about the American economy — to raise take-home pay for working and middle-class families and start getting real results and prosperity for Wisconsin.
“We’ve lived through three systemic shocks to the system over the last 20 years: 9/11, the Great Recession and now this pandemic, and Washington still hasn’t fixed things,” Lasry said. “We need to rethink everything and chart a new way forward. We can’t just continue with the same people and expect anything to change.”
Since joining the Milwaukee Bucks, Lasry served as the Senior Vice President, helping transform the team into one of the premier NBA franchises. He led the Bucks’ corporate citizenship and racial and social justice efforts, including the Bucks Vote initiative. Lasry has taken a leave of absence from the Bucks for the duration of the campaign.
“It’s time to elect leaders with a fresh perspective and a record of delivering real results for the people of Wisconsin,” Lasry continued. “I will bring a new way of thinking to the Senate and give Senator Tammy Baldwin a partner in Washington who will work for the people of this state, not for the special interests. That’s why I am running to be Wisconsin’s next senator.”
In his role with the Bucks, Lasry was instrumental in negotiating the historic Project Labor Agreement to build the Fiserv Forum. He led the efforts to ensure that the stadium was built with union workers from Wisconsin, that 30% of the contractors used on the stadium were minority owned businesses, and that 80% of the materials used to build the arena were sourced from Wisconsin. Lasry also played a key role in ensuring that all workers in Fiserv Forum and the surrounding Deer District are paid a minimum of $15 an hour.
“Through my work with the Milwaukee Bucks, I have shown that progressive values are good for business. Making sure that we are paying people family sustaining wages, providing workers with good union jobs, and investing in projects that respect our communities and our environment should be the new model for business across our state,” said Lasry. “Putting workers at the forefront of everything we do is the only way to ensure that when we recover from this pandemic, no Wisconsinite gets left behind.”
Lasry also led Milwaukee’s bid to host the 2020 Democratic National Convention. He served as Chair of the Bid Committee and Finance Chair for the Democratic Convention’s Host Committee, raising nearly $40 million. As a result of these efforts, Lasry was named Milwaukee Community Leader of the Year by BizTimes Milwaukee.
Prior to joining the Bucks, Lasry worked in the Obama White House. The Democratic Primary Election for the United States Senate will be held Tuesday, August 9, 2022.
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