Mark Cuban to Visit UW-Milwaukee with Kamala Harris

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Mark Cuban will accompany Vice President Kamala Harris on her visit to UW-Milwaukee on Thursday, Oct. 17, according to the UWM College Democrats.

This is the first campaign event that will feature the Texas-based billionaire at Harris’s side.

The exact start time of the event is unknown, but the event is expected to take place in the late morning. The event, called a meet-and-greet only open to certain UWM students who RSVP in advance, will occur at the Lubar Entrepreneurship Center at 2100 East Kenwood Blvd.

Media Milwaukee earlier broke the news that Harris will be on campus Thursday and multiple students have received text message invites to the invitation-only event.

Cuban, 66, is the former principal owner of the Dallas Mavericks, co-owner of 2929 Entertainment, and was a star on the ABC show Shark Tank.

Cuban has endorsed Harris for president. Cuban recently told CNBC’s Andrew Ross Sorkin that he has interest in heading the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission if Harris is elected.

“The feedback I’m getting… is that she will be far more open to business, [artificial intelligence], crypto, and government as a service,” billionaire investor Mark Cuban told POLITICO. 

After Media Milwaukee learned that Harris is coming to campus, some details on affected areas were released by UWM, although the email to the campus community did not mention Harris’s name – or Cuban’s.

Parts of Kenwood Boulevard and Maryland Avenue will be blocked off due to the event, the university said.

“Expect delays along Kenwood Boulevard and Maryland Avenue throughout Thursday morning and early afternoon,” the university said in an email announcement.

The university described it as a “special event on campus.”

The university also said that public forms of transportation will be affected.

“Students who rely on shuttles from residence halls should plan on delays and rerouting. Milwaukee County Transit System buses also will experience delays and rerouting for part of Thursday,” the email stated. “The Union shuttle stop may be offline for a portion of the day. The Sandburg shuttle stop will still be available.”

Parking will be limited near the event and the university suggested people check their parking app for assistance.

“For alternative parking options, use the new UWM Parking Finder to check the number of spaces available in garages and surface lots across campus,” the university suggested.

“I think it’s exciting that a presidential candidate might be visiting UWM,” says Ethan Ainley, junior at UWM, a journalism major and president of the Minority Media Association, which focuses on diversity in the media. “It shows that Harris is interested in hearing our opinion.”

Ainley added, “From an objective point, I think it is very smart for the Harris campaign to go after the young vote, especially in a swing state like Wisconsin.”

This will be the Vice President’s sixth visit to Wisconsin since the start of her campaigning.

Ainley says, “I am looking forward to hearing the message Harris will try to get across if she makes it to our campus.”