A vacant Milwaukee Senate seat will have a primary as Rep. Dora Drake announces campaign

The race for a vacant Milwaukee state Senate seat will have a Democratic primary, though a special election date has not yet been set because of the active redistricting case before the state Supreme Court.

Rep. Dora Drake announced Tuesday she would seek election to the Senate district, which was left vacant when former state Sen. Lena Taylor became a Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge. Rep. LaKeshia Myers has also announced a campaign for the seat and has Taylor's support.

Drake has served in the Assembly since 2020 and is the chairwoman of the Wisconsin Legislative Black Caucus, of which Myers is also a member. Drake currently represents Assembly District 11 in the northern part of Milwaukee County, located just east of Myers' district. Both are included in Senate District 4, which was held by Taylor.

"It is time for the next generation of servant leadership who will build bridges and advocate for innovative solutions for the issues we face today. Due to my background in social work and track record of delivering results, I am committed to progress and serving people first," Drake said in her announcement.

Drake cited her work on health care coverage for postpartum women, investing in children, supporting workers and advocating for criminal justice initiatives.

Taylor has said Myers has her support to take over the seat but indicated she would not be engaging in the race any further after being sworn in as a judge.

More: Rep. LaKeshia Myers is running for vacant Milwaukee Senate seat, has Lena Taylor's support

Gov. Tony Evers has not yet announced a special election date, or primary date, for the vacant Senate district. It's possible the district's lines could change based on the maps the state Supreme Court is soon expected to put in place, but Myers has said she did not expect "it would change the trajectory of the entire district."

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Open Milwaukee Senate seat will have a primary, Rep. Dora Drake announces run