Supreme Moore Omokunde was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.[1] He has worked as an organizer for several Milwaukee organizations, most recently working as community organizer for the Sherman Park Community Association.[1]
Moore Omokunde made his first attempt at election to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2018. In May, Moore Omokunde informed incumbent Leon Young that he planned to make a primary challenge in the fall for his 16th assembly district seat. Young, who was in his 13th term in the Assembly, announced instead that he would not run for re-election.[5][6] The announcement of an open seat resulted in a five-person primary field. Moore Omokunde earned the endorsement of the Wisconsin Working Families Party, but ultimately finished 245 votes short in the Democratic primary, losing to Kalan Haywood, who went on to become the youngest state legislator in Wisconsin history.[7][8]
In 2020, following the resignation of Assemblyman David Crowley, who had been elected Milwaukee County Executive, Moore Omokunde announced his candidacy for the Assembly in Crowley's vacated 17th district seat. He won the Democratic primary with 48% of the vote, and soundly defeated Republican Abie Eisenbach in the general election. Following his election, Moore Omokunde announced he would resign his seat on the County Board effective December 18, 2020.[9]
2004 campaign vandalism incident
Following the heated 2004 presidential election, Moore Omokunde (then known as "Sowande Ajumoke Omokunde") was one of five young volunteers for the John Kerry campaign charged with felonydestruction of property in connection with an incident in the early morning hours of election day, November 2, 2004. Also charged was Michael Pratt, the son of former Milwaukee City Council President and one-time acting-Mayor Marvin Pratt.[10] The five were accused of slashing the tires of 25 cars and vans owned or rented by the Republican Party of Wisconsin in the parking lot of the party's offices in Milwaukee.
Four of the five, including Omokunde, eventually pleadedno contest to a lesser charge of misdemeanor damage to property. The fifth defendant refused the deal and was acquitted by the jury.[11] According to the terms of their plea deal, the district attorney recommended each receive probation and a fine of $5,317. Judge Michael B. Brennan, however, rejected the sentencing recommendation and instead sentenced the four men to six months in jail.[12] Moore Omokunde ultimately served four months and paid a $1,000 fine.[3] The incident, trial, and sentencing provoked intense emotion throughout the state on both sides of the issue, and was brought up again in the 2008 election, forcing the Obama campaign to publicly disavow Omokunde.[13]
