Christopher J. Larson (born November 12, 1980) is an
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
Democratic politician and a member of the
Wisconsin Senate
The Wisconsin Senate is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Together with the larger Wisconsin State Assembly they constitute the legislative branch of the state of Wisconsin. The powers of the Wisconsin Senate are modeled after t ...
, representing southeast
Milwaukee County
Milwaukee County is located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. At the 2020 census, the population was 939,489, down from 947,735 in 2010. It is both the most populous and most densely populated county in Wisconsin, and the 45th most populous coun ...
since 2011. He was Senate Minority Leader from 2013 through 2014,
and currently serves as Senate Democratic Caucus Chair.
Background
Larson was born and raised in
Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
Milwaukee County is located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. At the 2020 census, the population was 939,489, down from 947,735 in 2010. It is both the most populous and most densely populated county in Wisconsin, and the 45th most populous coun ...
. He graduated from
Thomas More High School in 1999 and earned a
bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...
in
finance
Finance is the study and discipline of money, currency and capital assets. It is related to, but not synonymous with economics, the study of production, distribution, and consumption of money, assets, goods and services (the discipline of fina ...
from the
University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
The University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (UW–Milwaukee, UWM, or Milwaukee) is a public urban research university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is the largest university in the Milwaukee metropolitan area and a member of the University of Wiscons ...
with a minor in
political science
Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...
. Before entering politics, Larson was a
business manager
The Oxford English Dictionary defines a business manager as "a person who manages the business affairs of an individual, institution, organization, or company".
Compare manager.
Business managers drive the work of others (if any) in order to oper ...
.
Milwaukee County Board
In April 2008, Larson was elected
Milwaukee
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...
County Supervisor
A board of supervisors is a governmental body that oversees the operation of county government in the U.S. states of Arizona, California, Iowa, Mississippi, Virginia, and Wisconsin, as well as 16 counties in New York. There are equivalent agenc ...
on a platform of improving public transportation, parks and education.
As supervisor, he supported economic development efforts near the Milwaukee airport, participated in a coalition to save the
Hoan Bridge
The Daniel Hoan Memorial Bridge is a tied-arch bridge that connects Interstate 794 in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to the Lake Freeway across the Milwaukee River inlet. Originally called the Harbor Bridge, it was renamed after Daniel Hoan, one ...
from destruction and authored legislation to enhance public parks.
Wisconsin Senate
On September 14, 2010, Larson defeated incumbent Senator
Jeffrey Plale
Jeffrey T. Plale (May 31, 1968 – July 2, 2022) was an American politician and stockbroker. Plale served as the Wisconsin Railroad Commissioner. Earlier in his career he represented South Milwaukee in the Wisconsin State Senate (2003–2011 ...
in the Wisconsin state senate
primary election
Primary elections, or direct primary are a voting process by which voters can indicate their preference for their party's candidate, or a candidate in general, in an upcoming general election, local election, or by-election. Depending on the ...
and defeated
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
Jesse Ripp in the general election on November 2, 2010, becoming the youngest member of the senate. In 2013, Larson was elected Senate Minority Leader.
Larson represents the
cities
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
of
Cudahy,
South Milwaukee
South Milwaukee is a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 20,795 at the 2020 census.
History
South Milwaukee was laid out in 1891 by the South Milwaukee company within the Town of Oak Creek, with the purpose o ...
,
St. Francis,
Franklin
Franklin may refer to:
People
* Franklin (given name)
* Franklin (surname)
* Franklin (class), a member of a historical English social class
Places Australia
* Franklin, Tasmania, a township
* Division of Franklin, federal electoral d ...
,
Oak Creek and
Milwaukee
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...
.
Following Democrats poor showing in 2014 elections, Larson resigned as Senate Minority Leader on November 11, 2014.
PolitiFact Wisconsin, a nonpartisan fact-checking group, has fact-checked 5 public statements from Chris Larson since August 2020, with each of the 5 being rated as "True" or "Mostly True."
Larson was elected to the
Wisconsin Senate
The Wisconsin Senate is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Together with the larger Wisconsin State Assembly they constitute the legislative branch of the state of Wisconsin. The powers of the Wisconsin Senate are modeled after t ...
for a fourth term in November 2022.
County Executive Election
In November 2019, Larson announced he would run for
Milwaukee County Executive
The Milwaukee County Executive serves as the chief executive officer of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. Vested with veto power and appointing authority over department heads, the county executive oversees the administrative functions of county gover ...
after incumbent
Chris Abele
Christopher Seton Abele (born January 28, 1967) is an American businessman and Democratic Party politician. He served as the 6th Milwaukee County Executive from 2011 to 2020. Abele is the son of American businessman John Abele, the co-founder of ...
announced he would not seek re-election.
Larson came in first in the
non-partisan primary
Primary elections, or direct primary are a voting process by which voters can indicate their preference for their party's candidate, or a candidate in general, in an upcoming general election, local election, or by-election. Depending on the c ...
and was defeated in the April 13
general election
A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...
.
Legislative positions
For the 2021-2022 legislative session, Senator Larson's priorities include COVID-19, public education, cannabis legalization, fair legislative maps, voting rights, environmental protection, healthcare expansion, and criminal justice reform.
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, funding for local public schools was cut by $1.6 billion, and during the 2013-2014 session 50% of Wisconsin school districts received less state money than they did under the previous session. Larson supported initiatives to fully restore funding for local public schools.
In February 2013, Democrats introduced a package of six jobs bills, which included funding for technical colleges and required state agencies, as well as state and local governments, to buy from Wisconsin businesses.
Larson fought to accept federal health care money through the
Affordable Care Act
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and colloquially known as Obamacare, is a landmark U.S. federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by Presid ...
to strengthen Wisconsin's BadgerCare program since, according to Wisconsin's nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau, strengthening BadgerCare would expand health care coverage to 85,000 more Wisconsinites, save the state $119 million over the biennium, and create over 10,000 Wisconsin jobs.
Larson and his Democratic colleagues all signed on to a proposed constitutional amendment (2013 SJR 74) to reverse Wisconsin's ban on
same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same Legal sex and gender, sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being ...
. Larson co-sponsored legislation to reinstate laws to prevent workplace discrimination against women, which had been removed from Wisconsin statutes during the 2011-12 legislative session.
Larson introduced legislative proposals during the 2013-2014 Legislative Session to reform Wisconsin's jobs agency, the
Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation
The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) is a public-private agency in the state of Wisconsin designed to assist business development and innovation through loans, grants, tax credits, and technical assistance programs.
History
WED ...
, which has seen numerous scandals since it was created in 2011, including losing track of $56 million in loans, misuse of taxpayer funds, exaggerated jobs claims, and lack of basic oversight, according to a national report by Good Jobs First.
During the 2015-16 legislative session, Larson introduced numerous proposals aimed at improving public schools. For instance, Larson co-authored a proposal to implement and invest in the community schools model, which provides wraparound services for students, such as providing access to health care and a healthy diet. He introduced legislation to give schools support to provide services for students with disabilities.
In early 2016, Larson and a group of environmental advocates and organizations led a fight against a bill that would have made it easier for Wisconsin water utility systems to be taken over by non-Wisconsin, for-profit companies and corporations. After intense public outrage, the bill was not scheduled for a vote in the Senate and failed to become law. The lead poisoning of families in Flint Michigan galvanized opposition to water privatization in Wisconsin.
For 2020, some of Larson's main legislative issues include public education in Milwaukee, addressing climate change issues, tackling lawmaker corruption, improving access to senior care, and improving infrastructure in areas such as childcare and public transportation. In 2019, Larson has also called for increased regulation of trampoline parks and other amusement parks, which have seen an increase in the number of children injured.
2011 Wisconsin protests
During the protests in Wisconsin, Larson, along with the 13 other Democratic state senators, left the state to deny the state senate a quorum on
Governor Scott Walker's controversial "Budget Repair" legislation. All 14 state senators returned on March 12.
Legislative committee membership
Senator Larson's committee assignments for the 2021-2022 session are as follows:
* Committee on Administrative Rules
* Committee on Agriculture, Revenue and Financial Institutions
* Committee on Education
* Committee on Universities, Technical Colleges, Children and Families
* Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules
* Joint Survey Committee on Tax Exemptions
During the 2011-2012 legislative session, Larson served as co-chair of the
Joint Committee on Review of
Administrative Rules, and as a member of the Joint Committees on
Finance
Finance is the study and discipline of money, currency and capital assets. It is related to, but not synonymous with economics, the study of production, distribution, and consumption of money, assets, goods and services (the discipline of fina ...
,
Audit
An audit is an "independent examination of financial information of any entity, whether profit oriented or not, irrespective of its size or legal form when such an examination is conducted with a view to express an opinion thereon.” Auditing ...
, and
Information Policy
Information policy is the set of all public laws, regulations and policies that encourage, discourage, or regulate the creation, use, storage, access, and communication and dissemination of information. It thus encompasses any other decision-makin ...
and
Technology
Technology is the application of knowledge to reach practical goals in a specifiable and reproducible way. The word ''technology'' may also mean the product of such an endeavor. The use of technology is widely prevalent in medicine, science, ...
; on the Senate
Committees
A committee or commission is a body of one or more persons subordinate to a deliberative assembly. A committee is not itself considered to be a form of assembly. Usually, the assembly sends matters into a committee as a way to explore them more ...
on
Education
Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Va ...
; Education and
Corrections
In criminal justice, particularly in North America, correction, corrections, and correctional, are umbrella terms describing a variety of functions typically carried out by government agencies, and involving the punishment, treatment, and su ...
;
Natural Resources
Natural resources are resources that are drawn from nature and used with few modifications. This includes the sources of valued characteristics such as commercial and industrial use, aesthetic value, scientific interest and cultural value. O ...
and
Environment
Environment most often refers to:
__NOTOC__
* Natural environment, all living and non-living things occurring naturally
* Biophysical environment, the physical and biological factors along with their chemical interactions that affect an organism or ...
;
Housing
Housing, or more generally, living spaces, refers to the construction and assigned usage of houses or buildings individually or collectively, for the purpose of shelter. Housing ensures that members of society have a place to live, whether it ...
and
Insurance
Insurance is a means of protection from financial loss in which, in exchange for a fee, a party agrees to compensate another party in the event of a certain loss, damage, or injury. It is a form of risk management, primarily used to hedge ...
; and Environment, Natural Resources and
Tourism
Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...
. He also served on the Governor's Commission on Waste, Fraud, and Abuse; and the Special
Task Force on
University of Wisconsin
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
Restructuring and Operational Flexibilities.
During the 2013-2014 legislative session, Larson served on the Committee on Senate Organization, the Joint Legislative Council, and the Joint Committees on Employment Relations, and on Legislative Organization.
2022 U.S. Senate campaign
Larson was briefly a candidate for
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
in 2021. He announced his candidacy on May 26, 2021, but withdrew from the Democratic primary on August 3, 2021, endorsing fellow Milwaukeean
Mandela Barnes
J. Mandela Barnes (born December 1, 1986) is an American politician who has been the 45th lieutenant governor of Wisconsin since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the state representative for the 11th district from 2013 to 2017. B ...
.
Personal life
Larson lives in
Bay View with his wife, Jessica, and their two children.
Larson is a member of the
League of Conservation Voters
The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) is an American environmental advocacy group. LCV says that it "advocates for sound environmental laws and policies, holds elected officials accountable for their votes and actions, and elects pro-environmen ...
,
Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is an environmental organization with chapters in all 50 United States, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico. The club was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by Scottish-American preservationist John Muir, who be ...
,
Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin,
Bay View Historical Society, Bay View
Lions Club
The International Association of Lions Clubs, more commonly known as Lions Clubs International, is an international non-political service organization established originally in 1916 in Chicago, Illinois
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, ...
, and
Arbor Day Foundation
The Arbor Day Foundation is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees. The Arbor Day Foundation has more than one million members and has planted more than 350 million trees in neighborhoods, communities ...
.
Brushes with the law
When Larson was a 19-year-old freshman at UWM, he was arrested for shoplifting from a supermarket and received a $331 municipal citation, which was later dropped after Larson took a court-ordered class.
Four years later, he was illegally parked in a tow-away zone on Milwaukee's east side. When a tow truck arrived and the driver attached Larson's car to it. Larson sprinted out of a nearby house, "yelling and screaming" wildly at the driver. When that driver refused to release his car, Larson climbed inside and then "rode along all the way to the tow yard" while beeping "the car horn continuously." Once they arrived, he refused to get out of his car until lot employees called police. He was cited for disorderly conduct, but that ticket was eventually dropped.
References
External links
Profileat the
Wisconsin Senate
The Wisconsin Senate is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Together with the larger Wisconsin State Assembly they constitute the legislative branch of the state of Wisconsin. The powers of the Wisconsin Senate are modeled after t ...
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Larson, Chris
1980 births
21st-century American politicians
County supervisors in Wisconsin
Living people
Politicians from Milwaukee
University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee alumni
Democratic Party Wisconsin state senators