Former Racine Alderman Trevor Jung Launches Campaign for Wisconsin State Senate in the 21st District

RACINE, WI – This morning, on Racine’s picturesque lake-front, Former Racine Alderman Trevor Jung announced his candidacy for the 21st District’s State Senate seat. Launching a campaign focusing on cutting costs, investing in south-eastern Wisconsin, and bringing together the hardworking men and women of Racine and Southwest Milwaukee County.

Under Wisconsin’s fair maps the 21st Senate District will be one of the state’s most competitive during next years’ election and Trevor Jung is running to win and to help democrats win a majority for the first time in over 10 years. Trevor knows the people of the 21st, knows the issues they face and the values they share, and he is ready to deliver for them in the State Senate.

Trevor Jung was joined by; State Senators Kelda Roys (SD-26) and Dora Drake (SD-4), State Representative Angela Cruz (AD-62), Former 21st District State Senators Kim Plache and John Lehman, and Former City of Racine Police Chief Art Howell, who spoke in support of Trevor’s campaign. Making it clear that he is the strongest candidate to win this seat, to help win a democratic majority, and to deliver real solutions for Wisconsinites.

Trevor Jung is starting strong, earning the support of Senate Dem Leader Dianne Hesselbein and Assembly Dem Leader Greta Neubauer:

“Trevor Jung has tirelessly and faithfully served the people of Racine, as a city Alderman and as their director of public transportation, and I know he will make a fantastic Senator for everyone in Wisconsin’s 21st district,” said Senate Democratic Leader Dianne Hesselbein. “With hardworking and qualified candidates like Trevor, Senate Democrats will win a majority in the State Senate for the first time in over a decade. Establishing a Democratic majority will deliver lower costs, better schools, and a stronger Wisconsin for generations to come.”

“Trevor Jung is deeply connected to our community, and he brings a thoughtful, grounded approach to public service. He understands the challenges our neighbors and working families are facing, and he’s committed to practical problem-solving that puts people first,” said Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer. “Trevor will fight for this community in the State Senate, just as he has in City Hall.”

Read below for Trevor Jung’s full prepared remarks announcing his candidacy for the State Senate in the 21st district:

Friends,

I want to start with something very simple. I love my hometown. I love this city-its people, its pride, its diversity. This is a city of spirit. This is a city of kindness. This city has heart.

I know this because this community, and the people in it,made me who I am today. Adopted from an orphanage half way across the world at two years old, brought here by my dad, Scott, who built a small business and a life in Racine. I grew up in our public schools, hearing different languages in the hallways and welcoming all children into its classrooms.

I grew up watching people who worked hard, who cared deeply, who never gave up: my teachers taking the extra time, my dad closing up the shop after a long day, members of the family leaving the seat of a truck or the dispatch center to celebrate the holidays together.

This is what shaped me. This is why I am running for State Senate. To give back to the place and people that gave me everything.

But here is the truth we must face: Racine, and communities like ours, my hometown and yours, are not getting what they deserve. We send our money to Madison. We play by the rules. We work harder than ever. But what comes back? Less for our schools. Less for our neighborhoods. Less for our families.

• Fifteen years ago, Wisconsin schools had more resources than they do today-after inflation. Wisconsin now ranks 27th in the nation in per-pupil spending, down from the top 10 a generation ago.
• Twenty years of flat funding for local government while costs rise higher and higher. In fact, state “shared revenue” to communities like Racine has dropped over 20% since 2010, causing us to do more with less, jeopardizing vital community services and safety.
• Families across Wisconsin are squeezed: childcare costs here are among the highest in the Midwest, with an average of over $12,000 a year per child. Rent in Racine and Milwaukee County has climbed by nearly 30% in the last decade, while wages have stayed flat for too many.

This is not right. This is not fair.

But I want you to hear me when I say this:: it does not have to be this way.

We have a choice. The old way – or a new way. The way where Southeast Wisconsin is told to wait its turn – or a new way where Racine, Milwaukee and the 21st Senate District takes its future in its own hands. The way where we are starved of opportunity-or a way where we invest in our own people, our own potential, our own future.

Here is my vision:

Good jobs and skills. No young person should feel they have to leave their hometown to find opportunity. But right now, Wisconsin ranks in the bottom third of states for retaining college graduates. We must build an economy here, with training and industries that create family-supporting jobs.

Affordability. No family should need to work two jobs just to stay afloat. The cost of childcare, of housing, of healthcare-it is squeezing people dry. We must bring costs down, and wages up.

A fair share back. We contribute. We give more than our share. It is time Racine and communities like ours got back what they put in. Our schools, our streets, our neighborhoods deserve investment.

And how do we achieve this? I call it the Five T’s:

Talent. We have it. Every year, 1,200 young people graduate from Racine Unified. That’s 1,200 futures. We either nurture them here, or we watch them leave.

Training. Gateway Technical College was the first technical college in the country. The first in the country. That’s Racine. That’s Wisconsin. Bold. Innovative. Pioneering. Let’s lead again with apprenticeships, skills, and partnerships that keep us competitive.

Transportation. As Director of RYDE Racine, I’ve seen the difference transit service makes. If transit stops, opportunity stops. Roads, rail, and buses don’t just move people. They move economies.

Technology. This region has always built things. From the machine shops of yesterday to the startups of tomorrow. Robotics. Green energy. Advanced manufacturing. Let’s make Wisconsin the place where the next economy is born.

Tourism. From North Beach to Kringle, from Botanical gardens to world class architecture-people already come here. Let’s seize it. Let’s grow it. Let’s make Southeast Wisconsin a true destination where visitors fuel a quality of life for residents.

This is the new way. This is the better way.

Because I know Racine. I know Wisconsin. I have seen its resilience. I have seen its creativity. I have seen its fight. And I know we are ready. Ready for renewal. Ready for opportunity. Ready for a new way forward.

So let us be clear: no more scraps from Madison. No more being told to wait. No more choosing anger over solutions. No more exclusion and excuses. No more making do with less.

Instead: Funding for our schools. Investment in our neighborhoods. Affordability for our families.

Rooted in community. Committed to our future. That is not just a slogan. That is our mission. That is our cause. That is the 21st Senate District’s campaign.

Now, let’s get to work.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.