Sen. LaTonya Johnson calls fellow Milwaukee Democrat Lena Taylor 'toxic' after facing primary challenge

Fresh off a primary victory, state Sen. LaTonya Johnson ripped into fellow Democratic Sen. Lena Taylor late Tuesday, calling her a toxic colleague who rarely gets along with others.

"There’s no way that I’m going back to that Capitol and face the same treatment and the same just disrespect that I faced from her for the last four years," Johnson said hours after winning her primary. "I’m not doing that anymore."

Johnson on Tuesday defeated Taylor’s chief of staff, Michelle Bryant.

Johnson, whose Milwaukee district abuts Taylor's, called the primary challenge retaliation by Taylor for long-simmering disputes between the two.

Johnson in 2018 took Taylor’s seat on the Legislature’s budget committee after Taylor was bounced from it by then-Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling, D-La Crosse.

Johnson said the two recently sparred when Taylor tried to place her district office in Johnson’s district. And this spring, Johnson endorsed Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett when Taylor challenged him.

"I supported Mayor Barrett because I see Lena’s reputation in that (Capitol) building and the fact that nobody wants to work with her. She’s toxic," Johnson said.

"And Milwaukee is at a place where we can’t afford to lose any more support than what we already have. And if Lena would have become mayor, she wouldn’t have gotten any cooperation from anybody in that building to help Milwaukee. And Milwaukee couldn’t afford that."

Taylor dismissed Johnson’s comments.

"Anybody that finds me toxic, they should probably check themselves because they probably haven’t been standing with the people," she said.

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Johnson said she was pleased when she learned Bryant was running against her because the public would see how Taylor has been acting. Many in the Statehouse have been frustrated when trying to work with Taylor, she argued.

"There are so many people in that state Capitol that just live in misery because of Sen. Taylor and because of her behavior," Johnson said.

Johnson said Taylor lost her seat on the budget-writing Joint Finance Committee because “something had to be done” after the Legislature’s office for human resources found she had bullied staff and retaliated against an aide for using family and medical leave. The report emerged soon after Taylor used a racial insult during a disagreement with a bank employee.

"I took over that position because Lena failed to do her job," Johnson said. "And, you know, no thank yous from her for that. Instead, she decides to just make me enemy No. 1 because of her behavior."

Johnson said Taylor had treated her badly as soon as she was elected to the Assembly in 2012. The treatment worsened when she joined the Senate four years later, she said.

Taylor traced their disagreement to legislation that Johnson helped pass in 2015 that established mandatory minimum sentences for violent offenders caught with guns.

"I don’t think she’s liked me since then," Taylor said. "I’m not really sure. It’s not personal. Criminal justice reform is something that I’ve spent my entire life doing."

Taylor downplayed Johnson’s criticism, saying she has a strong track record in the Legislature.

"My work speaks for me," Taylor said.

Contact Patrick Marley at patrick.marley@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @patrickdmarley.