MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee County Deputy District Attorney Kent Lovern is set to assume the county’s top prosecutor role next year, running unopposed in the election to replace retiring DA John Chisholm.
After 26 years as a prosecutor, Lovern says he is prepared to tackle the county’s ongoing issues with crime, particularly reckless driving, which has plagued Milwaukee’s streets.
“Cases that can be prosecuted are going to be prosecuted,” Lovern said in an interview.
He added that his office has increasingly issued felony charges of recklessly endangering safety for drivers whose actions put the public at serious risk.
Lovern acknowledged the significance of the role he will soon assume but expressed optimism about Milwaukee’s potential for improvement.
“We are a community that has the ability to move the needle on things if we want to. If we can summon the collective will, our potential here is enormous,” he said.
One area where Milwaukee has already seen policy shifts is in cash bail.
While neighboring Illinois has eliminated cash bail, Wisconsin voters amended the state constitution in 2023, allowing judges to consider an individual's criminal history when setting bail.
Lovern said he supports high cash bail for the most severe offenses.
“The law now gives us more deference for those who have committed violent offenses," he said
Watch: Milwaukee County’s Deputy DA Kent Lovern running unopposed for top job
However, he believes a different standard should apply for non-violent offenses, although judges make final decisions on bail.
Lovern also expressed concerns about staffing in the DA’s office.
Wisconsin prosecutors are employed at the county level but funded by the state.
As a result, Lovern’s budget depends on lawmakers in Madison, where Republicans currently control funding.
Lovern said his office is projected to lose 10 percent of its legal staff by next summer, around 12.5 prosecutor positions.
“We’re facing an extraordinarily high level of crime, and losing that much of our legal team is significant,” he said.
The Milwaukee DA’s office has long been criticized by Republicans, including former Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke, who earlier this year published an op-ed titled “Just Say No to Kent Lovern.”
Despite this criticism, no Republican candidate has emerged to challenge him.
“There just might not be too many people who want this job,” Lovern said. “I was prepared for a race and ready to run a rigorous campaign, but that’s not how it played out. The expectations are high, and I look forward to meeting them.”
Milwaukee County’s GOP did not respond why it lacks a candidate on the ballot for this race.
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