2020 Milwaukee County Executive election

The 2020 Milwaukee County Executive election took place on April 7, 2020, following a primary election on February 18, 2020. Incumbent County Executive Chris Abele initially announced on May 14, 2019, that he would seek re-election to a third full term,^[1] but on October 16, announced that he would not do so.^[2]

A crowded field developed to succeed Abele, with State Senator Chris Larson, State Representative David Crowley, former State Senator Jim Sullivan, County Board of Supervisors Chairman Theodore Lipscomb, and Glendale Mayor Bryan Kennedy announcing their campaigns. Lipscomb challenged Kennedy's and Sullivan's nomination papers, arguing that they were legally insufficient.^[3] The Wisconsin Elections Commission agreed that their nomination papers were insufficient and ordered them removed from the ballot, a decision that was affirmed by the Milwaukee County Circuit Court^[4] and the Wisconsin Court of Appeals.^[5]

In the primary election, Larson and Crowley placed first and second, winning 36 and 34 percent of the vote, respectively, and advanced to the general election. Crowley ended up narrowly defeating Larson by a 1,026-vote margin, winning 50 percent of the vote. Larson ultimately declined to seek a recount and conceded to Crowley.^[6]