David Cullen

David A. Cullen (born February 1, 1960) is an American lawyer and Democratic politician from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He is the current treasurer of Milwaukee County. Prior to his election as treasurer in 2014, he served 13 years as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly (1990–2013), two years on the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors (2012–2014), and 7 years on the Milwaukee Public Schools Board of Education (1983–1990).

Early life and education David Cullen was born on February 1, 1960, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His father died of a heart attack a when he was an infant. He graduated from Milwaukee's John Marshall High School, and went on to attend the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he earned his bachelor's degree in secondary education in 1981. He continued his education at Marquette University Law School, and obtained his J.D. in 1984.

In 1987, Cullen was chosen as president of the Milwaukee school board. His most significant contribution in this role came in the settlement of a years-old lawsuit, in which the Milwaukee school board had sued the state over racial segregation of Milwaukee-area schools. As school board president, Cullen participated in negotiations with then-governor Tommy Thompson, then-state superintendent Herbert J. Grover, and then-NAACP general counsel Grover Hankins. They reached a settlement with cooperation from the state and surrounding school districts, where minority students from Milwaukee would gain access to schools in Milwaukee's suburbs, as well as increased state financial assistance to Milwaukee schools.

State Assembly In the fall of 1989, Cullen's state representative, Tom Barrett, was elected to the Wisconsin Senate, creating a vacancy in what was then the 14th Assembly district. Cullen entered the special election to fill the vacancy. As in 1984, the Democratic primary attracted several other candidates, but Cullen prevailed this time, receiving 47% of the vote over his three opponents. He went on to win the May 1, 1990, special election with 58% of the vote. Cullen took office two weeks later and won a full term in the Assembly that fall.

In the 1992 election, Tom Barrett was elected to the United States House of Representatives and vacated his state senate seat. Cullen decided to jump into another special election to try to succeed Barrett again, this time in the 5th Senate district. Cullen narrowly defeated fellow incumbent state representative Jeannette Bell in the Democratic primary, Cullen was subsequently elected to four more terms in the Assembly on the 1992 maps.

Another redistricting occurred by federal court in 2002, and again radically transformed Cullen's district. The northern areas added in 1992 were all removed, the district instead stretched south through the eastern precincts of Wauwatosa, into the Bluemound Heights area and incorporating all of the territory of West Milwaukee. On the new map, Cullen won one of his closest elections of his career in 2002, when he defeated Republican Steve Adamczyk by just 517 votes. He increased his margin 2004, defeating newcomer Matt Adamczyk with 57% of the vote. He won handily in 2006 and 2010 and was unopposed in 2008.

County government Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors After the 2010 election, Republicans won full control of state government and implemented one of the most dramatic gerrymanders in the country. Cullen's district was eviscerated. Under the new map, he resided in the 14th Assembly district again, but nearly all of the Milwaukee wards had been removed, the district instead contained half of Wauwatosa and stretched west into the city of Brookfield, in Waukesha County. Cullen opted not to run in the new district, and instead ran for a seat on the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors in the Sprin 2012 election. He was elected with 58% of the vote.

Milwaukee County Treasurer In April 2014, Milwaukee County treasurer Daniel J. Diliberti announced he would retire effective May 12. His retirement necessitated a special election to fill the remaining years of his term. Cullen entered the race and faced former state treasurer Dawn Marie Sass in the Democratic Party primary election. Cullen narrowly prevailed with 53% of the vote, and faced no opponent in the general election. Cullen was sworn in shortly after the election, as the office was already vacant, and was subsequently elected to a full term in 2016, and re-elected in 2020, without facing opposition.

In 2024, Cullen turned back a Democratic primary challenge from former county official Ted Chisholm with over 66% of the vote and is unopposed in the general election.

Personal life and family David Cullen is one of six children born to Charles Edwin Cullen and his wife Beatrice June ( Chrisien).

Heart disease runs in the Cullen family, resulting in the deaths of Cullen's father and three brothers at relatively young ages. His father, Charles Cullen, died at age 40, in 1961. His older brother, Steve Cullen, was a member of the Milwaukee City Council from 1980 to 1992, and died at age 40 in 1995. Two other brothers, Paul G. Cullen, 53, and Timothy C. Cullen, 51, died on back-to-back days in December 2002.

David Cullen married Julie Kamerling; they reside in Milwaukee and have two adult children, Katie and Eddie. Eddie Cullen was elected to the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors, serving from 2015 to 2022, and now works as a spokesman for the board.

Electoral history Wisconsin Assembly, 15th district (1984) Year Election Date Elected Defeated Total Plurality 1984 Primary Democratic 2,390 52.77% Dem. 1,756 38.77% 4,529 634 Dem. 275 6.07% Dem. 108 2.38%

Wisconsin Assembly, 14th district (1990) Year Election Date Elected Defeated Total Plurality 1990 SpecialPrimary Democratic 2,904 47.48% Dem. 2,470 40.39% 6,116 434 Dem. 688 11.25% Dem. 54 0.88% Special Democratic 2,347 58.56% Rep. 1,661 41.44% 4,008 686 1990 Primary Democratic 2,648 81.25% Dem. 611 18.75% 3,259 2,037 General Democratic 11,120 100.0% --unopposed-- 11,120 11,120

Wisconsin Senate (1993) Year Election Date Elected Defeated Total Plurality 1993 Primary Democratic 9,321 51.01% Dem. 8,953 48.99% 18,274 368 Special Republican 18,713 52.01% Dem. 16,634 46.23% 35,978 2,079 Lib. 631 1.75%

Wisconsin Assembly, 13th district (1992–2010) Year Election Date Elected Defeated Total Plurality 1992 General Democratic 15,401 62.98% Rep. 9,054 37.02% 24,455 6,347 1994 General Democratic 10,079 56.27% Rep. 7,833 43.73% 17,912 2,246 1996 General Democratic 12,232 57.45% Rep. 9,058 42.55% 21,290 3,174 1998 General Democratic 11,864 71.41% Rep. 4,344 26.15% 16,615 7,520 Lib. 230 1.38% Ind. 177 1.07% 2000 General Democratic 18,080 98.85%--unopposed-- 18,290 17,870 2002 General Democratic 10,418 51.19% Rep. 9,901 48.65% 20,353 517 2004 General Democratic 17,765 56.84% Rep. 13,428 42.96% 31,256 4,337 2006 General Democratic 15,216 64.34% Rep. 8,402 35.53% 23,648 6,814 2008 General Democratic 21,963 98.42% --unopposed-- 22,316 21,610 2010 General Democratic 14,364 76.25% Rep. 4,409 23.41% 18,837 9,955

Milwaukee County treasurer (2014, 2016, 2020) Year Election Date Elected Defeated Total Plurality 2014 Primary Democratic 39,370 52.88% Dem. 34,641 46.53% 74,450 4,729 General Democratic 262,670 97.93% --Unopposed-- 268,223 257,117 2016 General Democratic 309,930 98.43% 314,879 304,981 2020 General Democratic 344,967 98.35% 350,753 339,181