County Treasurer Dave Cullen Announces Reelection Bid

David Cullen. Photo from Milwaukee County.

Milwaukee County Treasurer David Cullen announced that he plans to seek re-election this year to the post he has held since 2014.

Cullen will face-off against Ted Chisholm in the Democratic partisan primary for the office. Chisholm is the son of Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm and until recently worked as a senior staffer in the office of the Clerk of Circuit Courts.

Chisholm announced his campaign in January. Cullen told Urban Milwaukee at the time that he had not made a decision, adding, “Ted Chisholm entering the race doesn’t have any impact on my decision whether or not to seek reelection.”

The Office of Treasurer manages the daily cash flow of county government, overseeing the county’s accounts and fund balances and investing public funds. The election for treasurer will occur on Nov. 5. The partisan primary will be held Aug. 13

The treasurer is elected to a four-year term and earns an annual salary of $91,483.

Cullen is a long-serving Democratic politician who has held both state and local office. He began his political career serving on the Milwaukee Public School Board, then in the state Assembly from 1990 to 2010. After the infamous 2011 redistricting of legislative maps, Cullen was drawn out of a competitive district like many Democratic legislators. He ran successfully for a seat on the Milwaukee County Board in 2012. Two years later he ran for treasurer following the retirement of Daniel Diliberti.

“It is important that we have someone who is experienced in financial matters and educated on investment policies making these decisions,” Cullen said in a statement announcing his campaign Monday. “This is taxpayer money that must be invested wisely and prudently.”

Cullen told Urban Milwaukee that, if reelected, he looks forward to continuing to work with other county departments on the county’s strategic plan to achieve racial equity. ” We’ve made Milwaukee County the healthiest county in the state a priority and so we’re all working together to do that and we’re all working to make that happen,” he said.

Cullen is a native Milwaukeean and Milwaukee Public Schools graduate. He has a bachelors degree from UW-Madison and earned a law degree at Marquette University Law School.

Cullen has racked up a long list of endorsements from Milwaukee County officials including Supervisors Juan Miguel Martinez, Shawn Rolland, Tony Staskunas and Sheldon Wasserman; Register of Deeds Israel Ramón; County Clerk George Christenson; former clerk of courts John Barrett; and former county clerk and supervisor Joseph Czarnezki.

George Christensen lost the 2022 race for Clerk of Courts to Anna Maria Hodges. Chisholm worked both on Hodges campaign and for her in the clerk’s office.

Cullen was also endorsed by Alderpersons Jonathan Brostoff and Marina Dimitrijevic; State Representatives Evan Goyke, Supreme Moore Omokunde; and State Senators Tim Carpenter and Chris Larson. He also received the endorsement of State Rep. Christine Sinicki, who is chair of the Milwaukee County Democratic Party.