Rick Banks launches campaign for 11th Assembly District

This morning Rick Banks formally announced his candidacy for the Wisconsin State Assembly to represent the 11th District.  The seat will be open following the decision of Representative Dora Drake to run for State Senate.

Rick is the son of working class parents, his mother having worked as a housekeeper for over 30 years.  He grew up in the Franklin Heights, Lapham Park and Westlawn neighborhoods and is an alumnus of Milwaukee Public Schools, graduating from Riverside University High School in 2009.  He received a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science with a minor in Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and is also a graduate of the Associates in Commercial Real Estate (ACRE) Program.  He currently works as Senior Program Manager of African-American Affairs in the Milwaukee County Office of Equity.

“I will bring bold and innovative ideas to the State Assembly that will support local businesses, make homeownership more accessible and ensure that our communities are safe,”  Rick said.  “I look forward to connecting with my neighbors over the next few months and if they so choose, serving them in Madison.”

Rick has over a decade of experience as a leader who will work in the trenches with and for the community and stand up to whatever forces necessary to get things done.  In that time Rick has:

• Organized the Harambee Neighborhood Improvement District (NID) to provide home repair grants to homeowners in need of critical repairs and keep neighbors informed and in the know of what’s happening in their neighborhood.
• Advocated for and won government budgets that invest in vital community services such as quality, affordable housing, youth jobs and health care.
• Served as a leader in the St. Joseph’s Accountability Coalition (SJAC) advocating to keep and improve much needed healthcare services in our communities and hold multi-billion dollar corporations accountable for their actions.
• Co-founded MKE Black, a volunteer based non-profit dedicated to promoting Black-owned businesses and Black culture in the Milwaukee region.
• Gained four years of local government experience connecting small businesses to much needed financial resources and advancing racial equity.

About his decision to run Rick said, “We’re living in unprecedented times that require unprecedented ideas and the challenging of conventional leadership.  Our political and economic systems are not working for everyday people but instead continue to leave many of us behind.   We need to build a government that guarantees as human rights basic needs such as food, housing, healthcare and education and where workers and residents have real power in their workplaces and communities.”

Rick and his husband, Javon, live on the northside of Milwaukee and if elected he would make history as the first out, Black LGBT+ person elected to the Wisconsin State Legislature.

A primary election for the seat will be held on August 13, 2024 and the general election will be held on November 5, 2024.

To learn more about Rick and his platform visit www.RickBanksforWI.com

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.