Milwaukee, WI
Cost of living, economy key issues in Milwaukee as Republicans try to court black voters
WATERTOWN, Wis. — With VP Kamala Harris as its presidential nominee, the Democrat Party is expected to lock up the black vote — just like it’s been doing for 60 plus years.
But in Wisconsin’s key urban centers that could make or break a Democrat, some black voters say the Biden-Harris economy has brought pain to their pocketbooks.
Milwaukee conservative activist Chris Lawrence told The Post that when dealing with black voters, Donald Trump and Republicans need to focus on how people are faring financially after four years of the Biden-Harris administration.
“Have their lives improved the last four years under Joe Biden? What will change from Harris to Biden in the next four years?” he asked.
“If nothing will materially change–why would you continue to support that?”
Lawrence also said he hasn’t seen any on the ground engagement or contact with voters from either campaign.
His advice for the GOP and Donald Trump?
“Highlight what the Democrats haven’t done — the promises they made to black voters that haven’t come through,” Lawrence said.
A CBS News/YouGov national poll of likely black voters at the end of July found Harris has picked up about 8% more of the black vote than Biden had in July before he stepped down, 81% to Trump’s 18%.
The same poll found 74% of black registered voters say they will “definitely vote” this November, compared to 58% in July, also before Biden backed out of the race.
A higher black voter turnout in the majority minority City of Milwaukee could have a major impact on which candidate wins Wisconsin’s ten electoral votes this fall.
While liberal Dane County’s turnout helped push the state into Biden territory in 2020, Milwaukee also saw an uptick in turnout.
Will Harris as the nominee change the calculus for black voters this November?
“That remains to be seen,” Lawrence said.
Will Martin, a Racine businessman and Republican leader, has lived in Milwaukee for 25 years.
He says families of color have been hit disproportionately by double-digit rent increases in Milwaukee, and wages have not kept up with that kind of increase.
Out-of-state investors are buying up housing in predominantly black neighborhoods and boarding up some of the units to artificially increase rents, Martin added.
Voters like Sharon Gray are still feeling the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced her to shutter her small business in Milwaukee.
She now works at a warehouse, and is supporting Donald Trump this November.
Kalan Haywood Sr., a Milwaukee businessman and developer, told The Post that having black outreach events is a good thing, but that what’s more important is coming back to follow up with folks rather than simply pandering in an election year.
Charlene Abughrin is a Republican and a small business owner in Milwaukee.
She told The Post that the black community “hasn’t been inspired to vote in a long time,” a sentiment reflected in a decline in turnout in black majority wards in the city.
Describing the crime in her neighborhood — a fact of life for Milwaukee residents — Abughrin said it’s “4th of July every day and night,” adding: “I hear so much gunfire I think I have gotten desensitized to it.”
Abughrin has not seen much Republican voter outreach in her community and says the complaint she hears often is that Republicans only show up during voting season.
She did, however, mention Republican Senate candidate Eric Hovde’s visit to the Juneteenth celebration and several other events.
Black voter outreach has been a big priority for the Trump Campaign. Last month Martin took part in an RNC event with South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and Texas Rep. Wesley Hunt, an experience he called “empowering.”
“So often the media portrays black conservatives as being few in number,” said Martin, a GOP Executive Committee member. “It was really exciting to see so many conservatives coming together.”
Republican state Senator Julian Bradley represents a district containing several Milwaukee suburbs, and he believes the Democrats may face a political reckoning from black voters.
“Democrats have taken the black vote for granted for decades,” Bradley told The Post.
“Their years of overpromising and under delivering for the black community is catching up to them.”
“Republicans are reaching out and showing that not only do we care, but we have solutions to the high cost for gas and groceries, we have solutions for crime and underperforming schools that have kept kids from achieving the American Dream, and we have solutions for securing our border and stopping the flow of fentanyl into our streets,” Bradley continued.
MILWAUKEE – UPDATE: Milwaukee police said Ciara Crump, reported critically missing on Wednesday, has been found safe. The original missing person notice is available below.
The Milwaukee Police Department needs help to find 29-year-old Ciara Crump, a critically missing woman who was last seen near 80th and Marion just after 1 p.m. Wednesday, June 17.
What they’re saying:
Police described Crump as 5 feet, 2 inches tall and 180 pounds with brown eyes and long brown hair. She was last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and black pants while carrying a black bag.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android
What you can do:
Anyone with information on Crump’s whereabouts is asked to call Milwaukee Police District 7 at 414-935-7272.
As a daughter of Milwaukee, Koren Dennison has always been passionate about her community.
Looking out for others is the way she was raised.
But it wasn’t until she lost her job last November that she sat and started to think about what her role in the city was. That’s when she formed My Kousin’s House.
My Kousin’s House is an intergenerational community space, out of her Metcalfe Park home, focused on family literacy building. The community space is activated through a series of events meant to be fun, community-building and thought-provoking.
“I want people to leave My Kousin’s House having had a good time, their thoughts provoked and having some new community,” she said.
‘Made of Milwaukee’
Long before Dennison, 28, was hosting community spelling bees and movie discussions in her living room, she was learning what it meant to be surrounded by people who poured into her.
“Koren is a witty, bubbly, very enthusiastic, down-to-earth kind of girl,” said Domani Wose, a friend of Dennison’s. “She’s for the people.”
A storyteller, dancer, educator, evaluator, landlord and self-described “weirdo nerd,” Dennison traces the roots of her newest venture, My Kousin’s House, back to the people and neighborhoods that shaped her.
“I am made of Milwaukee,” she said.
Raised by a single mother in Hillside Terrace, Dennison said she grew up immersed in Black community, Black excellence and a belief that success was not something to hoard but something to share.
She attended Young Leaders Academy, later graduating from Milwaukee High School of the Arts, where dance became both a creative outlet and a lesson in defiance.
“Koren is defiant,” Dennison said. “Not in a cause of harm kind of way, but the kind that refuses to accept limitations placed on Black girls from working-class neighborhoods.”
That determination carried her to Marquette University, where she earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in corporate communication. And as college expanded her opportunities, it also deepened her understanding of herself.
“My baseline is Black,” Dennison said. “Going to a predominantly white institution challenged me in ways I didn’t expect.”
The experience sharpened her sense of identity and reinforced her commitment to community.
After graduation, she worked in youth programming at Highland Community School before moving into research and evaluation work, spending more than three years helping organizations measure impact and communicate results.
By many standards she had achieved what she once envisioned: the professional career, the office, the stability.
Before eventually leaving her job, Dennison began to build a different kind of foundation. She purchased her first duplex in 2021 and another in 2023, creating a measure of financial stability through real estate. Those investments would later give her the freedom to take a risk on herself.
When her position was eliminated in late 2025, Dennison spent months grieving, recalibrating and considering her next move. She applied for jobs and was rejected multiple times.
Eventually, she stopped seeing those rejections as setbacks and started viewing them as redirection.
“I’ve never felt so free,” she said. “I’ve never felt so autonomous. I’ve never felt so grounded.”
My Kousin’s House
Out of uncertainty came My Kousin’s House.
Part community gathering space, part learning hub and part social experiment. Dennison describes it as an “intergenerational third space focused on full-family literacy.”
The concept grew from observations she had made throughout her life.
She said she noticed how children often miss opportunities to learn from elders. She also noticed how adults frequently stop learning altogether and how conversations in modern life often stay on the surface.
Most importantly, she recognized her own role as a bridge.
At 28, childless, but deeply connected to both younger and older generations, Dennison often found herself translating between worlds.
“There is a bridge that is absolutely needed between young people and elders,” she said.
She wants My Kousin’s House to become that bridge.
“It’s an intergenerational space where there’s gonna be joy, fun and some type of education,” said Melody McCurtis, who attended an event. “So, whether that’s learning about animals, urban farming or like hydroponics or political education, we learn from these events about how we show up, not only as individuals, but how we interact with each other.”
McCurtis is the deputy director of Metcalfe Park Community Bridges, a group that serves Metcalfe Park residents through a series of events, services and campaigns.
Events blend entertainment with meaningful conversation. So far, participants have gathered for a “Grey’s Anatomy”-themed trivia night, a community spelling bee and a discussion and dance party inspired by “Black Is King,” a film by Beyonce.
Future events will explore topics ranging from natural hair care and gardening to Black history and food justice, she said.
“I don’t want to talk about the weather,” Dennison said. “I want to talk about how you carry grief.”
Wose has attended every event. He said each one was a fun learning experience that helped him meet new people.
He said the spelling bee had good vibes and a lot of laughter.
“I can’t spell that well, I add or miss a letter here and there, but it helped me see that everybody’s still learning because I wasn’t the only person who was messing up. But all adults, right?” Wose said.
Dennison’s vision extends beyond children. She believes that literacy and lifelong learning must include entire families, especially in a city where educational disparities have persisted for generations.
“If the babies can’t read, there are already adults outside the scope of the solutions,” she said. “How do we invite parents into those conversations without shame?”
The answer, she believes, is community.
“In a neighborhood like Metcalfe Park where we are seeing so many changes, it’s a great space to have,” said McCurtis.
Rejecting narratives about Milwaukee
While Dennison acknowledges many of the city’s challenges, she said she rejects narratives that paint Milwaukee solely through the lens of struggle. Instead, she sees a city filled with people who invested in her success and taught her the importance of returning the favor.
“I was raised on lift as we climb,” she said. “Each one teach one.”
It is not simply a series of events. It is an attempt to create the kind of community Dennison believes many people are searching for: a place where learning feels joyful, where generations learn from one another and where meaningful conversation becomes a form of care.
“It’s an inviting space with good vibes and great banana bread,” Wose said.
The project remains young. Attendance varies. Funding is pieced together through donations, side jobs, tutoring, dance coaching, evaluation contracts and even homemade banana bread sales.
Still, Dennison keeps going.
Every event, every conversation, every gathering feels like proof that people are hungry for connection.
“When I think about isolation or loneliness or individualism and safeguardness, those are all the things that intergenerational third spaces are combating,” McCurtis said. “It allows us to communicate and allow things to land in a way that feels safe and like home.”
Despite the positive feedback Dennison’s gotten about her efforts, fear remains, she admits. So does the uncertainty.
But so does the conviction.
“I just decided,” Dennison said. “Nobody gave me permission. Nobody handed me anything. I just decided.”
To learn more about My Kousin’s House, you can follow Dennison’s personal account or My Kousin’s House on Instagram.
Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.
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According to Ethan Skolnick of Five Reasons Sports, the Milwaukee Bucks are “not thrilled” about having to extend Tyler Herro in a potential trade package.
Because of this, there is belief that the Bucks are wanting the Heat to find teams that would be willing to take on Tyler Herro’s $33M expiring contract that would in return get Milwaukee more draft compensation.
This in theory makes sense, but it also seems shortsighted by the Bucks to believe they have to extend Herro if he is included in the deal. Sure, he might not fit their new timeline, but why not just take him in for the final year and flip him around the trade deadline for a team that is desperate for scoring?
It seems like Miami is the preferred destination for Giannis Antetokounmpo, but it looks like Milwaukee wants to make sure that they get the most out of this deal, refusing to settle for the package that Miami has had on the table for the past six months.
With that said, here are the top five teams that could make sense to trade for Tyler Herro in a Giannis Antetokounmpo blockbuster trade to Miami.
1. Detroit Pistons
Detroit is looking for shooting guard help and they have the assets to make a deal happen. However, this deal would have to be a three-for-one, where the Bucks would acquire Caris LeVert, Ron Holland and Marcus Sasser.
There have been reports that the Pistons have interst in sharpshooting small forward, Trey Murphy III, who makes around $5.5M less than Tyler Herro. A deal for Murphy will cost significantly more than Herro and this is a solid backup plan to get the Pistons more scoring and shooting next to Cade.
Trade Idea
Bucks: Caris LeVert, Ron Holland II, Marcus Sasser, Nikola Jovic, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware, and three first-round picks from Miami (No. 13 in 2026, 2030 and 2032) unprotected.
Heat: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Pistons: Tyler Herro
2. Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies are entering a rebuild, but they have expiring contracts that they could turn into better assets. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is on an expiring deal for $22M, Ty Jerome is on a cheaper deal for a little over $9M per year, Taylor Hendricks is on an expiring also.
Since 2005 the Heat and Grizzlies have made six trades, showing a willingness to work together. The Grizzlies have three picks in the top 32 of the NBA Draft this year, but they could use a veteran scorer to help lead the young players.
Trade Idea
Bucks: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Taylor Hendricks, Nikola Jovic, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware, 2027 first-round pick from Memphis (via LAL/Utah) and three first-round picks from Miami (No. 13 in 2026, 2030 and 2032) unprotected.
Heat: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Grizzlies: Tyler Herro
3. New Orleans Pelicans
It appears that every team will be looking to make deals with the Pelicans this offseason, but this one makes sense for all sides. Jordan Poole is on an expiring contract and Tyler Herro would be a massive upgrade over the former Warrior and Wizard. Milwaukee gets the Pelicans to add draft compensation for taking Poole’s contract, and they don’t have the pressure of extending Poole like they would Herro.
Trade Idea
Bucks: Jordan Poole, Nikola Jovic, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware, 2028 first-round pick from New Orleans (protected Top 8) and three first-round picks from Miami (No. 13 in 2026, 2030 and 2032) unprotected.
Heat: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Pelicans: Tyler Herro
4. Minnesota Timberwolves
While the goal for Minnesota to improve is bigger than acquiring Tyler Herro, with the Achilles injury to Donte Divincenzo there is a desperate need for a shooting guard who can also play the one. Minnesota is ready to make moves to improve their roster and would be willing to shake up their core to do so.
Trade Idea
Bucks: Julius Randle, Nikola Jovic, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware, 2026 first-round pick from Minnesota (No. 28), 2029 first-round pick swap, and three first-round picks from Miami (No. 13 in 2026, 2030) unprotected.
Heat: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Timberwolves: Tyler Herro, 2026 second-round pck from Miami (No. 41)
5. Toronto Raptors
Toronto is a bit of a sleeper for a third team to acquire Herro, but I like the fit with Herro and a bunch of wings. For Milwaukee, they are going to look at a couple of players who they can take a flier on while entering into a lengthy rebuild.
Trade Idea
Bucks: Immanuel Quickley, Gradey Dick, Nikola Jovic, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware, 2026 first-round pick (No. 19) from Toronto, 2026 first-round pick (No. 13) from Miami, 2030 and 2032 unprotected first-round picks from Miami.
Heat: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Raptors: Tyler Herro, Kevin Porter Jr., and Jericho Simms
Final Thoughts
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and that is what it will take for the Heat to find a third team to help them land Giannis Antetokounmpo in a blockbuster deal with Milwaukee. It is still puzzling why the Bucks would not want to take back Herro in a deal, but if they can force the Heat to get more draft capital in addition to the three first-round picks they have to send out, it’s a great move for the Bucks.
Milwaukee has positioned themselves for a busy summer. Getting a handful of young players from Miami with multiple first-round picks is solid business. There are other teams that might have better packages, but the Heat have several young players who could benefit from being traded to a new team with a new opportunity.
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