MILWAUKEE – Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke has a challenger for the 2018 election: Earnell Lucas. Lucas, 58, is a former Milwaukee Police Captain and currently serves as vice president of security & facility management for Major League Baseball. He plans on challenging Clarke as a Democrat. Lucas has 25 years of law enforcement experience.
This news comes amid a contentious time for Clarke, who has been asked to resign by legislators, as he continues to face serious criticism over the number of deaths in the jail he runs, and threats he’s made to citizens.
It’s not yet clear if Clarke will run again. For several months, dark money groups have been raising money to draft Clarke for a possible run against Senator Tammy Baldwin. In addition, Clarke has been spending more and more time outside of Milwaukee County, racking up speaking fees for giving speeches, often to very right-wing audiences.
Milwaukee political insiders have been waiting for a challenger to step-up against Clarke, whose approval ratings locally have dipped, as his national profile as a staunch supporter of the President continues to soar.
Recently, the group Renew Milwaukee funded a billboard to remind Milwaukeeans that Clarke hasn’t been doing his job.
For more information on the sheriff’s race, visit Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
