Acting mayor Cavalier Johnson and former alderman Bob Donovan will advance to the Milwaukee mayoral general election, after the individuals gathered the highest support in the Tuesday primary election.
Johnson collected 42 percent of the vote in the low-turnout contest, compared to Donovan’s 22 percent.
Furthermore, Johnson has served in the position since December, when former Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett was confirmed to a position in the Biden administration.
“Even though we were outspent by several of the candidates who finished out of the race last night, we prevailed. Grassroots supporters all over Milwaukee made this possible, and we couldn’t have done it without them. Now the hard work begins,” Donovan said after the election.
“I am urging Milwaukee voters across the city to join our grassroots movement focused on fixing Milwaukee. This election should not be about left versus right. There are real and immediate problems facing our city: crime, reckless driving, underperforming schools, crumbling infrastructure, wasteful spending and lack of leadership in the mayor’s office.”
The primary contest was crowded and involved seven different candidates, including State Senator Lena Taylor (D-Milwaukee) who ended her campaign for Lieutenant Governor to enter the race.
After the contest, the Wisconsin Democratic Party endorsed Johnson for the general election.
“The Democratic Party of Wisconsin is proud to endorse Mayor Cavalier Johnson for Mayor of Milwaukee. Cavalier represents a new generation of leadership, and brings the vision and solutions necessary to build a more prosperous, more just Milwaukee. While Republican politicians seek to score political points through fear and division, Cavalier remains focused on the priorities that matter to Milwaukeeans: safe streets, good jobs, and a strong middle class,” the group said in a statement.
The winner of the contest will serve until 2024, when Barrett’s original term is set to expire.
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Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Wisconsin Daily Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Bob Donovan” by Alderman Bob Donovan. Photo “Cavalier Johnson” by Cavalier Johnson.
