Lena Taylor

Infobox State Senator


imagesize = 150px
honorific-prefix =
name =Lena Taylor
honorific-suffix =
state =Wisconsin
state_senate =Wisconsin
district =4th
term_start =2004
term_end =present
preceded =
succeeded =Incumbent
party =Democratic
date of birth =birth date and age|1966|07|25
place of birth =Milwaukee, Wisconsin
residence =
profession =attorney
religion =
spouse =
website =

Lena Taylor (born July 25, 1966) is an American politician and a member of the Wisconsin State Senate, representing Wisconsin's 4th Senate district. She is the first vice chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, a member of the advisory board for the Milwaukee Boy Scouts, a member of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Alumni Association, and a member of the Democratic National Committee. Taylor is also involved with the Milwaukee Unity Caucus, the Milawukee Child Welfare Partnership Council, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Milwaukee, the Milwaukee AIDS Resource Center, the NAACP, and the Milwaukee Urban League, among others.

Taylor is a life-long resident of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and a graduate of Rufus King High School in 1984. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1990, and a law degree from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale in 1993. As an undergraduate, she joined Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.

After law school, Taylor worked as a public defender for more than two years, representing indigent citizens in need of legal services. In 1996, she opened Taylor and Associates Law Office, a general practice firm on the north side of Milwaukee.

Taylor was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in a special election in 2003 and was subsequently elected to the Wisconsin State Senate in 2004. When Democrats were elected to the majority in the Wisconsin State Senate in November 2006, Taylor was chosen to Chair the Committee on Judiciary and Corrections, on which she had served for the preceding two years. In January 2007, Taylor was selected by the Majority Leader to serve on the powerful Joint Committee on Finance for the second time. In addition to the Committee on Judiciary and Corrections and the Joint Committee on Finance, Taylor currently serves on the Joint Committee on Retirement Systems, the Legislative Council Committee on Affirmative Action, the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA), the Marquette Interchange Labor Development Committee, the Legislative Council Committee on Sex Offender Placement, Judicial Council, Sentencing Commission, and the Senate Committee on Health, Human Services, Insurance, and Job Creation.

During her first term in the Senate, Taylor focused intently on improving education in Milwaukee, working to create equity in school funding and to promote a positive learning environment for children.

In 2008, she ran for County Executive of Milwaukee County. She lost to incumbent Scott Walker.

Taylor and her son live on Milwaukee's northwest side.

Electoral history

2004 State Senate Primary
Lena C. Taylor - 10,042
Johnnie E. Morris** - 7,735
James White - 3, 633
2004 Race for State Senate
Lena Taylor - 99% (No Challenger)

2008 Race for Milwaukee County Executive
Scott Walker - 59%
Lena Taylor - 41%

References

External links

* [http://www.legis.state.wi.us/senate/sen04/ Wisconsin State Legislature - Senator Lena Taylor] official WI Senate website
* [http://www.lena2008.com Lena Taylor] official campaign website
* [http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=51747 Project Vote Smart - Senator Lena Taylor (WI)] profile
*"Follow the Money" - Lena C Taylor
** [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?si=200648&c=415850 2006] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?si=200448&c=403179 2004] campaign contributions
* [http://www.wisdc.org/pro08-104170.php Campaign 2008] campaign contributions at "Wisconsin Democracy Campaign"