As the tributes poured in following the death of former Sen. Herb Kohl, it was clear the Wisconsin Democrat was much beloved as a legislator but perhaps more so for his work to keep the NBA’s Bucks in Milwaukee.
Kohl died Wednesday at age 88.
Kohl, who bought the Bucks in 1985, faced allegations that he was buying his way into politics in 1988 by tapping the personal wealth amassed from his family’s chain of department stores and self-fund his campaign. He responded with the campaign slogan, “Nobody’s senator but yours,” and won an open Senate seat by 4 percentage points. He went on to serve four terms — winning his last election in 2006 by nearly 38 points — and won praise from Republicans and Democrats alike.
