Cavalier Johnson (born November 5, 1986)[1] is an American politician and mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He recently served as Milwaukee Common Council president as well as Milwaukee's 2nd District alderman. In April 2022, Johnson won a special election, becoming the first African American to be elected mayor of Milwaukee.[2] He is the city’s second African-American mayor, following Marvin Pratt.[3]
Cavalier Johnson | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Johnson in 2022 | |
| 45th Mayor of Milwaukee | |
| Assumed office December 22, 2021 Acting: December 22, 2021 – April 13, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Tom Barrett |
| President of the Milwaukee Common Council | |
| In office April 21, 2020 – April 13, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Ashanti Hamilton |
| Succeeded by | José G. Pérez |
| Member of the Milwaukee Common Council from the 2nd district | |
| In office April 19, 2016 – April 13, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Joe Davis, Sr. |
| Succeeded by | Mark Chambers, Jr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 5, 1986 |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence(s) | Capitol Heights, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Education | University of Wisconsin, Madison (BA) |
Early life and education edit
Johnson's father worked as a custodian for more than 30 years, and his mother worked as a certified nursing assistant. He is one of 10 siblings. He grew up in Milwaukee's 53206 ZIP code, known for having the highest incarceration rate for African-American males out of any ZIP code in the country.[4]
At 14 years old, he was selected by the YMCA to participate in a pre-college program, Sponsor-A-Scholar, for low-income students in Milwaukee Public Schools. Johnson credits this for his commitment to community service.[5]
In 2005, Johnson graduated from Bay View High School.[6] As a junior, he was a cameraman for the Youth in Government press corps.[7] He continued his education after high school, attending the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he earned his bachelor's degree in political science in 2009.[5]
Johnson has served on boards at the Milwaukee YMCA, ACLU of Wisconsin, and Milwaukee Community Brainstorming.[5]
Career edit
After college, Johnson worked with the Milwaukee Area Workforce Investment Board assisting at-risk youth, youth entering the workforce for the first time, and adults retooling to enter the workforce.[5] Johnson worked as a community outreach liaison for the government of Milwaukee, where he interacted with community and faith leaders.[5]
Johnson ran for a seat on the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors in a five-way special election in 2011. He finished fifth, with 171 votes.[8] In 2012, Johnson ran for a different seat on the County Board, finishing sixth out of seven candidates, with 106 votes.[8]
In 2016, Johnson ran for 2nd District Alderman on the Milwaukee Common Council, winning a five-way primary with 38 percent of the vote and winning the general election with 4,307 votes (52 percent).[8] In 2018, Johnson was the lead sponsor to ban fee-based conversion therapy of minors in Milwaukee.[9]
Johnson was re-elected without opposition in 2020,[8] and he was also elected by his peers, in an 8–7 vote, to serve as the Milwaukee Common Council President.[4][10]
Johnson became acting mayor of Milwaukee upon the resignation of Tom Barrett—who was set to become Ambassador to Luxembourg—on December 22, 2021.[11] He served as acting mayor until the 2022 Milwaukee mayoral special election,[12] a race in which Johnson was a candidate.[13] The day before assuming the role, Johnson announced that his top priority would be combating reckless driving to create safe streets.[14][6] On April 5, 2022, Johnson won the special election, becoming the first elected African-American mayor of Milwaukee.[2] While Johnson is the first elected black mayor of Milwaukee, he is the city's second black mayor, after Marvin Pratt, who served as acting mayor in 2004.[15][3]
Personal life edit
Johnson lives in Milwaukee's Capitol Heights neighborhood. He is married and has three children.[8]
Electoral history edit
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan Special Primary, February 15, 2022[16] | |||||
| Nonpartisan | Cavalier Johnson (incumbent) | 25,779 | 41.79% | ||
| Nonpartisan | Bob Donovan | 13,742 | 22.28% | ||
| Nonpartisan | Lena Taylor | 7,877 | 12.77% | -17.92% | |
| Nonpartisan | Marina Dimitrijevic | 7,521 | 12.19% | ||
| Nonpartisan | Earnell Lucas | 5,886 | 9.53% | ||
| Nonpartisan | Michael Sampson | 514 | 0.83% | ||
| Nonpartisan | Ieshuh Griffin | 315 | 0.51% | ||
| Write-in | 56 | 0.09% | -0.68% | ||
| Total votes | 61,743 | 100.00% | -6.94% | ||
| Special Election, April 5, 2022[16][17][18] | |||||
| Nonpartisan | Cavalier Johnson (incumbent) | 62,143 | 71.51% | ||
| Nonpartisan | Bob Donovan | 24,543 | 28.24% | ||
| Write-in | 215 | 0.25% | -0.68% | ||
| Plurality | 37,600 | 43.27% | +17.24% | ||
| Total votes | 86,901 | 100.00% | -5.45% | ||
References edit
- ^ Rife, Adam (April 5, 2022). "Cavalier Johnson Elected 45th Mayor of Milwaukee". CBS 58. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
- ^ a b Dirr, Alison (April 5, 2022). "Cavalier Johnson becomes first African American elected mayor of Milwaukee, defeats Bob Donovan in the spring general election". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
- ^ a b "Cavalier Johnson makes history as first elected Black mayor". WISN. April 6, 2022. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
- ^ a b Torres, Alison Dirr and Ricardo. "A sharply divided Milwaukee Common Council votes Cavalier Johnson as president". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e "Meet the Alders". Milwaukee Magazine. April 21, 2016. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
- ^ a b Jannene, Jeramey (December 22, 2021). "The Incredible Rise of Cavalier Johnson". Urban Milwaukee. Archived from the original on December 23, 2021. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
- ^ Kampmeier, Susan (December 8, 2003). "Students get inside look at politics". Stevens Point Journal. p. 3. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e Jannene, Jeramey. "City Hall: The Rise of Cavalier Johnson". Urban Milwaukee. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
- ^ Spicuzza, Mary (March 27, 2018). "Therapy to change a child's sexual orientation will be banned in Milwaukee". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on November 14, 2018. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
- ^ "Cavalier Johnson: A day in photos during the pandemic with the Common Council President".
- ^ Atkins, Tony (December 22, 2021). "Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett resigns, hands power to Acting Mayor Cavalier Johnson". TMJ4. Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
- ^ Dirr, Alison (December 22, 2021). "With Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett's resignation Wednesday, Cavalier Johnson becomes acting mayor". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
- ^ Dirr, Alison. "Milwaukee mayoral candidate and Common Council President Cavalier Johnson sees better relationship with state ahead". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
- ^ Bachara, Gabriella (December 21, 2021). "Cavalier Johnson unveils plan to curb reckless driving in Milwaukee before taking on role of interim mayor". CBS58. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
- ^ Schumacher, Yuriko; Dirr, Alison (April 6, 2022). "Milwaukee was decades behind similar cities in electing a Black mayor". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
- ^ a b "Latest Election Results". city.milwaukee.gov. City of Milwaukee. Archived from the original on February 16, 2022. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
- ^ "Overview and Live Results: California Congressional District 22, Other Special Elections". Decision Desk HQ. 270toWin. April 5, 2022. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
- ^ Summary Report - Spring Election - April 5, 2022 (Report). Milwaukee County. April 5, 2022. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
External links edit
