Cavalier Johnson made history Tuesday — and brought a new generation to political power at City Hall — becoming the first African American elected as Milwaukee’s mayor.
Johnson, who was born, raised and still lives on the city’s north side, overwhelmed former south side Ald. Bob Donovan in a special election to an abbreviated two-year term.
Just 35, Johnson is Milwaukee’s first millennial mayor, his triumph confirming his swift six-year rise from Common Council freshman to the seat of power in Wisconsin’s largest city.
“This city for the first time in our 176-year history has elected its first Black mayor. We did it,” Johnson told supporters at the Hilton Milwaukee City Center.
Accompanied by his wife and their three children, Johnson said “we want our city to be loving, nurturing and stable. That’s why I ran for mayor.”
Johnson said “we’ve got a lot to do,” adding the city has to stem violence, restore its neighborhoods, create jobs and repair the broken relationship with state government.
In unofficial results, Johnson had 62,143 votes to Donovan’s 24,543. That works out to Johnson claiming 72% of the vote to 28% for Donovan.
Johnson and Donovan sought voters’ support to become Milwaukee’s first new mayor in 18 years, after the midterm departure of former Mayor Tom Barrett in December. He resigned to become U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg.
Johnson, who was Common Council president, automatically became acting mayor after Barrett left.
In 2004, Marvin Pratt followed a similar path after the resignation of then-Mayor John Norquist. Pratt rose from leading the Common Council to becoming the first Black person to serve as acting mayor. But after winning a 2004 primary, Pratt was unable to claim the top office, losing to Barrett in the general election.
In his victory remarks, Johnson saluted Pratt and other political trailblazers including Vel Phillips, Gwen Moore and Isaac and Marcia Coggs, declaring: “I stand on the shoulders of giants in this community.”
Johnson became Milwaukee’s acting mayor just before Christmas and methodically seized the opportunity to establish himself as the city’s leader.
He held a ceremonial swearing-in that featured every bit of pomp and circumstance expected of a post-election event.
And he maintained a steady public presence by holding regular news conferences. Technically, Johnson still held the role as 2nd District alderman and Common Council president. But as acting mayor, he always referred to those positions in the past tense.
He had the mayor’s office at City Hall and wasn’t about to relinquish it.
Less than an hour after polls closed, Donovan conceded during an election-night party at McKiernan’s Irish Pub on the city’s south side.
Donovan congratulated Johnson and said: “Well, we took it on the chin tonight, but boy oh boy, we’re not down.”
“There’s no shame in going after it and coming up short,” Donovan said. “We had a vision, a goal, a plan for Milwaukee that I still to this day believe in.”
Asked what’s next, Donovan said, “I’m going to have a beer!”
Donovan, the former alderman, faced daunting odds to win. He didn’t just trail in fundraising, he couldn’t match the citywide support Johnson piled up in a seven-way primary.
Overall, Johnson raised and spent more than four times as much money as Donovan did in the race. Since the start of the year, Johnson spent more than $650,000 compared with $160,000 for Donovan.
Johnson also received $100,000 from the state Democratic Party, an unusually large contribution in a local, nonpartisan race. Donovan did gain endorsements from two Republicans running for governor, Kevin Nicholson and former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch.
Donovan, a determined campaigner, also criticized Johnson for the support he received from Fair Future Action. The secretive group was widely believed to be funded by former Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele. And it pumped at least $150,000 into TV ads to help Johnson’s campaign.
This was Donovan’s second campaign for mayor. He failed to unseat Barrett in 2016.
Overall, Johnson raised and spent more than four times as much money as Donovan did in the race. Since the start of the year, Johnson spent more than $650,000 compared with $160,000 for Donovan.
The differences between Johnson and Donovan are many and stark: north side and south side, Black and white, Democrat and conservative, millennial and baby boomer, a half-dozen years in elected office and two decades.
But there was definitely a lack of energy at the polls, with many voters saying they cast ballots out of a sense of civic duty.
“I always participate in the electoral process because it makes a difference,” said Terry Eiland, 56, who cast his ballot at James Madison Academic Campus on the northwest side. “You don’t have nothing to say if you don’t vote.”
Eiland didn’t say whom he voted for but acknowledged it was a tough decision.
“Milwaukee has so many problems, so you do have to get the right person in there,” he said.
At Clinton Rose Senior Center on the city’s north side, Passion Terrell, 48, an educator with Milwaukee Public Schools, said she always votes and for years has cast ballots for Barrett.
This time, she went with Johnson, drawn to his youth and hopeful he can tackle issues of violence, crime, youth employment and the proposed breakup of MPS.
“You can have a few years or a lot of years, that doesn’t mean that you can’t bring something new and fresh, or different, to the table,” she said.
For Melissa DeBot, the major issue was simple: “That Cavalier Johnson wins.”
DeBot, who said she walks all over the city, said Johnson was a proponent of making Milwaukee more pedestrian friendly.
Colleen Richter, 50, said she voted for Donovan because she thinks he would “do good” for the city.
“I think he would help fight crime. I think he’d be good for the neighborhoods,” she said. “I think he’s a good guy.”
Johnson’s honeymoon will likely be short.
He comes into office as the city is confronting soaring homicides, reckless driving cutting short residents’ lives and questions of how the city should fund — and redefine — public safety.
Not to mention a fast-approaching spike in the annual pension contribution that threatens city services and, officials agree, will take the state’s help to address. That assistance, whether through an increased sales tax or a boost to shared revenue, has long been requested by Milwaukee leaders to no avail.
But Johnson is also becoming mayor at a moment when the city is poised to receive a historic sum — nearly $200 million more — in federal pandemic aid that could make significant headway possible on some of the most pressing problems. Key decisions on how to spend it will fall to him and the Common Council.
All the work ahead will have to happen on an expedited timeline. Johnson will have only the remaining two years on Barrett’s term instead of the typical four to convince voters he’s the right person to lead Milwaukee into the future.
Special election for District 2 Common Council seat
Johnson’s election leaves open the Common Council seat representing District 2 on the city’s northwest side.
The next council president will be elected at the April 19 meeting, after which a special election is expected to be ordered.
Milwaukee Election Commission Executive Director Claire Woodall-Vogg said she was hopeful the election will coincide with the fall cycle but that an election could be ordered in the summer.