MILWAUKEE (SPECTRUM NEWS) – As Republicans extend their majority by a historical margin in the state Senate, one new member of their caucus already made history in his own way on election night.
For businessman Julian Bradley, it has been a week he won't soon forget.
“It's hard to put into words how great it felt to get through this process and be able to head to Madison, to be able to talk and speak and advocate on behalf of the district, and then to hear you also made history,” Bradley said.
Bradley will become the first Black Republican to be elected to the state Senate in Wisconsin.
“And only the second Black Republican ever elected to the Legislature,” Bradley said. “The first was in 1906, so there's been quite a gap in between, you know our two elections but I know I'm not going to be the last.”
Bradley, who won his seat in the 28th district in southeastern Wisconsin said his campaign was about two issues.
“One of them is, obviously, COVID and the pandemic, and the other one is what people normally think of as public safety, which is anything that has to do with crime, police reform, things along those lines,” Bradley said.
The state Senate hasn't met since April—taking little action on the COVID-19 pandemic, but Bradley said he's more disappointed with the governor.
“The legislature gave the governor a lot of opportunities, including provisioning some money that he could spend,” Bradley said. “He just had to come back to the legislature and say how he was going to spend it and he failed to do so.”
When January comes and Bradley is sworn into office, he plans to reach across the aisle, on behalf of his new constituents, and work with Gov. Evers.
“I'm willing to work with him,” Bradley said. “I've spoken to many of my future colleagues, we're ready to get to work, but the governor has to be ready to come to the table as well, and we have to be able to talk in good faith.”