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Biden campaign brings Maryland Gov. Wes Moore to Milwaukee to rally Black voters

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Biden campaign brings Maryland Gov. Wes Moore to Milwaukee to rally Black voters


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Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, seen as a rising star in the Democratic Party, campaigned for President Joe Biden in Milwaukee this weekend as part of a blitz to mobilize voters and, in Moore’s case, to boost enthusiasm for the president in the Black community.

Moore’s arrival came with a fresh challenge: addressing Biden’s shaky Thursday night debate performance that sent shockwaves through the party.

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Biden stumbled over his words during the event and at times gave meandering answers, leading some Democrats to call for Biden to be replaced at the top of the ticket. 

Moore said that though Biden didn’t have a great night during the debate, his support for the president “has not waned one bit.”

“I know that this is not about a debate performance. It’s about a presidential performance,” Moore said.

Moore seized on a moment in the debate when former President Donald Trump, when speaking about illegal immigration into the country, commented, “They’re taking Black jobs now and they’re taking Hispanic jobs.”

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Moore criticized Trump’s comments Saturday, arguing it provided a clear contrast for voters between Biden and Trump. Moore contended Biden’s administration has decreased the racial wealth gap by 60%, created more Black homeownership, created new pathways for entrepreneurship, and offered support for Black-owned businesses.

More: Was the fastest growth of Black-owned small businesses in 30 years under Biden?

“That’s the kind of economic support that the president is focusing on, and Donald Trump is talking about ‘Black jobs,’” Moore said. “This is a difference in the value system that these two people have.”

Moore’s visit to Wisconsin included a ’90s R&B cookout sponsored by the Black Coalition on Saturday at Milwaukee’s Carver Park. He also attended a Black men’s health roundtable in Madison and an office opening in Madison for the 48th Democratic field office in the state, alongside Gov. Tony Evers and party Chairman Ben Wikler.

Moore touted the Biden campaign’s Black Voters for Biden campaign that launched at the end of May to spotlight the administration’s efforts on behalf of underserved communities, specifically the allocation of $83 million to replace and repair contaminated lead pipes and reinvestment in infrastructure projects across the state.

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The Black Voters for Biden leaders contrast the economic investments by Biden with projects like an unfulfilled Foxconn development deal that was negotiated during Trump’s presidency.

“The lack of consistency we heard from the other side, the lack of honesty that we heard from the other side, the lack of vision that we heard from the other side. That should give everyone pause,” Moore said.

Enthusiasm for Biden’s re-election in the Black community, a key constituency that helped lift him to the presidency in 2020, has become a big concern for Biden’s re-election campaign. Grassroots organizers in Milwaukee have cited hurdles in generating an energized turnout this year.

Republicans, who are staging their national convention in Milwaukee, next month, say they see an opportunity to spread a message that can resonate with Black voters in Milwaukee.

In 2020, the state GOP opened an office in the Harambee neighborhood, on the corner of East North Avenue and North King Drive, to boost outreach to Black voters in Milwaukee.

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State GOP party chair Brian Schimming has told the Journal Sentinel polling shows Republicans could have a shot at winning over some Black voters.

Since 2020, the Democratic party has told voters that Joe Biden is the only candidate capable of beating former President Trump based on the president’s decades of public service experience and record voter turnout during the pandemic.

But, there is still work to be done to secure Wisconsin, a state where activist group Listen to Wisconsin rallied over 49,000 voters to cast an “uninstructed” ballot in April protesting the Biden administration’s military support of Israel.

Despite brewing discontentment with the president, Democrats like Moore hope voters set aside their frustrations to invest in the future of the party.

“Regardless of where you are on any one of these issues, we actually have a president who’s going to hear us and who’s going to incorporate that all that into the decision making,” Moore said. “I think if you look at, you know, the alternative, this is a binary choice.”

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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee airport sees holiday travel rush

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Milwaukee airport sees holiday travel rush


On the evening of Christmas Eve, Tuesday, Dec. 24, FOX6 News checked in with passengers at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport to find out what they’re experiencing ahead of Christmas and Hanukkah.

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FOX6 photojournalist Collin Schemenauer shows what some had to say.

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Milwaukee, WI

Two killed in shooting in Milwaukee on Monday

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Two killed in shooting in Milwaukee on Monday


Two people were killed in Milwaukee on Monday in a double shooting.

A 24-year-old and a 42-year-old were shot and killed on the 3800 block of West Nash Street, Milwaukee police said in a media release. Police said the incident happened at about 1:35 p.m.

Little is known about the shooting. Police said the circumstances leading up to it are still being investigated and authorities continue to seek any suspects.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the department at 414-935-7360 or, to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 414-224-Tips or P3 Tips.

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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee getting new dock for growing cruise ship visits. Some alders say city shouldn’t fund it

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Milwaukee getting new dock for growing cruise ship visits. Some alders say city shouldn’t fund it


Milwaukee is getting a new publicly funded dock to accommodate its growing cruise ship business — despite an attempt by some Common Council members to use $5 million in city cash for other programs.

That dock funding was included in Mayor Cavalier Johnson’s 2025 budget approved by the council.

Work on that new dock, which will better handle large Viking cruise ships, begins in 2025. It’s to be operating by spring 2026.

Here’s what to know.

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Viking cruises spur the project

Viking in 2022 began using Milwaukee as a turnaround site for its Great Lakes cruises — with trips starting or ending here. That means more spending by visitors at hotels, restaurants and other businesses, Port Director Jackie Carter says.

But other Great Lakes cities are eyeing that business and Port Milwaukee faces the prospect of increased competition, according to Carter.

That led the port to plan a $17 million project to create a new cruise dock. It will be built on vacant land just east of the Lake Express Ferry Terminal, 2320 S. Lincoln Memorial Drive.

The Viking ships now dock at Port Milwaukee’s heavy lift dock — which mainly serves cargo ships. It’s within an industrial area off South Carferry Drive on Jones Island and “isn’t the most welcoming place” for tourists, according to Ald. Marina Dimitrijevic.

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Smaller cruise ships, which can maneuver through shallower waters, dock at Pier Wisconsin, 530 N. Harbor Drive.

Dock funding includes federal, state grants

The project will be funded with $4 million in federal and state grants, $7.64 million in port cash reserves, and $5 million from city taxpayers.

That $17 million tab includes spending on road, sewer and water improvements to make the site available for other development.

Cruise ship passengers visiting Milwaukee generated a $7.2 million regional economic impact from 2022 through 2024, according to a study commissioned by Port Milwaukee.

Ald. Bauman sought to divert funding

Ald. Robert Bauman, who chairs the council’s Public Works Committee, opposed the $5 million funding request that was part of Johnson’s 2025 budget proposal.

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He said the cost was too high, and was skeptical of the economic impact study.

Bauman offered an amendment that would have diverted the funding to street reconstruction and paving projects, and a city fund that helps first-time homebuyers with down payments.

Dimitrijevic, whose district includes the dock site, supported the dock funding. She said it would help attract more visitors who spend money in Milwaukee while also setting the stage for additional development at the site.

That amendment was rejected by the council on a 12-2 vote in November. Bauman was joined by Ald. DiAndre Jackson in supporting it.

Other port projects

Meanwhile, a $45 million agricultural maritime export terminal, opened in 2023 on the west side of Jones Island at 1711 S. Carferry Drive.

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Clinton-based DeLong Co. uses it to ship dried distillers grain, an animal feed supplement, and other products aimed at international markets.

The terminal is being expanded, with that work likely to start in 2025.

Also, PCB-polluted sediment being removed from the Milwaukee River Estuary will be stored at the port’s Dredged Material Management Facility. It’s being built east of South Lincoln Memorial Drive and north of the Lake Express Ferry Terminal.

Tom Daykin can be emailed at tdaykin@jrn.com and followed on Instagram, BlueskyX and Facebook.





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