Herb Kohl, a former U.S. senator and ex-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks franchise in the NBA, has passed away, according to an announcement Wednesday from his philanthropic organization. He was 88.
From Wisconsin, Kohl was a senator representing the Democrat Party and held his position from 1989-2013. In 1985, he bought the Bucks for $18 million, eventually selling it in 2014 for $550 million to Marc Lasry and Wes Edens. (RELATED: NFL Legend Ed Budde Dead At 89)
“More than anything, Herb loved Milwaukee and Wisconsin, and that is where he chose to live out his days,” said Herb Kohl Philanthropies in a statement, per Fox News. “He touched an incalculable number of lives, and those who love him would remark that he is among the most decent people to ever walk the earth.”
Thankful that Herb Kohl was able to see the team he loved so much win a title — and the Bucks surprising him on ring night with a ring of his own was a fitting and beautiful tribute to a man who gave so much to the city and state. Rest in peace, Sen. Kohl pic.twitter.com/scISltj79b
— Frank Madden (@fmaddenNBA) December 28, 2023
Kohl originally got into politics back in the 1970s, serving as Wisconsin’s state Democratic Party chair from 1975-77. He also served as the Special Committee on Aging chair, as well as the Committee on the Judiciary vice chairman. During his run as a politician, he was victorious in four elections.