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Former state representative Tom Seery is weighing a run against Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker, one that he admits would be an “uphill challenge.”

Seery, who served in the legislature as a Democrat, said in a recent letter to friends that he is "fairly seriously" considering running against Walker. His candidacy was first reported on the Story Hill Neighborhood Web site

“Running and winning against Walker is at best an uphill challenge, if not straight up the side of a cliff,” Seery wrote. “Walker has an organization (principally the Republican Party and its clone Citizen for Responsible Government group), he has a credible issue position (he is the one who saved the county from the pension scandal) and he has the money (Last I heard about $600,000).”

Seery said several people have told him he would need to raise between $500,000 and $1 million to challenge Walker, with $300,000 being the lowest limit to run an aggressive campaign. Seery has been discussing his possible run with political people who worked on Hales Corners Village President Jim Ryan’s run for county executive in 2002.

In terms of a platform, Seery said he want to run more than just a negative campaign.

“There is plenty of Walker criticism, but it needs to be specific,” he said. “But I think of greater value would be to start to shape out a vision of where Milwaukee County should be going. Walker has done a lot of short term negative things and it seems not much long range planning.”

Seery is program director of Peace Action Wisconsin, a Milwaukee-based peace and social justice organization. He was elected to the Assembly in 1983 and served until State Rep. Shirley Krug defeated him after the 1990 redistricting.

In his letter, Seery sought help in three areas: organization, platform development and money.

“I am still talking and considering I would say fairly seriously on running, but not committed 100 percent yet,” he wrote.

Walker was elected in a special election in April 2002 beating out Ryan after former Milwaukee County Executive F. Thomas Ament resigned in the midst of a major pension scandal.

He remains popular despite continued tough financial times at Milwaukee County and cuts he was forced to make in the Parks Department in August because of a projected budget shortfall.

State Rep. Sheldon Wasserman, a River Hills Democrat, had considered a run against Walker earlier this year, but decided against it. One of the many candidates in the Milwaukee mayor’s race has already taken some shots at Milwaukee Police Chief Art Jones, even though he has not officially entered the campaign.

Milwaukee businesswoman Sandy Folaron issued a critical news release shortly after Jones told reporters that he would enter the race to replace Milwaukee Mayor John Norquist, who is not running for reelection. Jones recently filed a campaign statement with the City Elections Committee, which allows him to raise money for a mayoral campaign.

“Another candidate in this race is fine as long as the Chief has honest intentions.” Folaron said.

Folaron went on to question Jones’ performance as chief for the past seven years and his rocky relationship with Norquist.

“We also have to look at the full record of Chief Jones,” Folaron said. “While the number of homicides is slightly lower than last year, the number of violent crimes is as bad as or worse than it has been. As part of his Area Specific Policing initiative, the Chief removed foot patrols from many Milwaukee neighborhoods. The outcome for many neighborhoods was increased crime, not the promised quality of life improvement.

“We also should examine how much the Chief’s well-publicized lack of cooperation with the Mayor and Fire & Police Commission has cost the City. How much can a mayor accomplish for Milwaukee’s citizen’s, if there is no will to cooperate with all the personalities and entities that comprise city government?”

It was the first time in the race that a candidate had attacked one of the competitors, leaving political observers to say that the race had finally started.

“It looks like the knifes may finally be starting to come out,” said a political observer. “You can expect more of this as we get closer to the election and the candidates start to see where they are in the race.”

The possible entry of Jones into the race to replace Norquist, who is not running for reelection, came just days after Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. threw his hat into the ring. Clarke joined a long list of candidates that want to replace Norquist, including former Milwaukee Congressman Thomas Barrett, Common Council President Marvin Pratt, Alderman Thomas Nardelli and Folaron.

Most political observers see Barrett and Clarke as the frontrunners, with Nardelli, Pratt and Folaron in the second tier of competitors. U.S. Senator Russ Feingold took on President George Bush’s top advisor in his recent fundraising letter to supporters.

Feingold, who is being challenged by three Republicans in the November 2004 election, wrote that White House Political Director Karl Rover is “poking his nose around our state.” Feingold cites a Rove quote from a Dallas Morning News story that says he has targeted Wisconsin as one of four key states the White House is looking to pick up in the 2004 elections.

“I don’t believe we need Mr. Rove telling us how to vote in Wisconsin,” Feingold wrote. “That means a lot of money – a probably a lot of out-of-state Republicans – will pour into Wisconsin over the next 14 months. And it means I’ll probably be outspent in this campaign, as I was in 1992 and 1998.” Even though Paul Henningsen is now a former alderman and on his way to federal prison, that didn’t stop him from attending the City of Milwaukee’s Zoning, Neighborhood & Development Committee, the committee which he use to chair, on Oct. 7.

Henningsen was recently sentenced to 33 months in federal prison as a result of being found guilty of four counts of illegally using campaign funds for personal purposes. As a result of his sentencing, he was forced to leave the Common Council after more than two decades of service.

At the committee meeting, Henningsen sat in the back of room and greeted people as they entered and left the room. He was seen huddling with Common Council President Marvin Pratt several times during the contentious debate on an effort to stall the rezoning of a $75 million condominium tower that has been proposed for the University Club on Prospect Avenue and Wells Street.