Barrett endorses Abele for county exec

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett today announced that he is endorsing philanthropist Chris Abele for Milwaukee County executive.
Abele will face state Rep. Jeff Stone, R-Greendale, in the election to replace Scott Walker, who was elected governor in November.
Milwaukee County executive is a non-partisan office, but it is clear that Stone is a Republican and Abele will be considered a Democrat by many.
“As a Democrat I am proud that Chris is a Democrat,” Barrett said. “But I also know that Chris has worked well with Republicans and independents.”
Milwaukee County needs a leader focused on solving problems and not on partisanship, Barrett said.
“(Abele’s) involvement with the community has never been hands off,” Barrett said. “Active, engaged leadership is what we need right now to find solutions to problems. People want results. That’s what he’s focusing on.”
Abele pledged to improve cooperation between county government, city government and the suburban governments.
“The mayor and I know the city and county face shared challenges,” Abele said. “We need to work together to find solutions.”
For real-time coverage of the drama at the Capitol, monitor the WisPolitics Budget Blog
http://budget.wispolitics.com.
– BizTimes Milwaukee