Cavalier Johnson

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Cavalier Johnson

| office = Mayor of Milwaukee

| term_start = December 22, 2021
Acting: December 22, 2021 – April 13, 2022

| term_end =

| predecessor = Tom Barrett

| successor =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1986|11|5}}

| birth_place = Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| party = Democratic

| spouse = {{marriage|Dominique Johnson|2016}}

| residence = Capitol Heights, Wisconsin, U.S.

| children = 3

| education = University of Wisconsin, Madison (BA)

| image = Cavalier Johnson 2022 (cropped).jpg

| caption = Johnson in 2022

| order = 45th

| office1 = President of the Milwaukee Common Council

| term_start1= April 21, 2020

| term_end1 = April 13, 2022

| predecessor1 = Ashanti Hamilton

| successor1 = José G. Pérez

| office2 = Member of the {{nowrap|Milwaukee Common Council}} {{nowrap|from the 2nd district}}

| term_start2 = April 19, 2016

| term_end2 = April 13, 2022

| successor2 = Mark Chambers, Jr.

| predecessor2 = Joe Davis, Sr.

}}

Cavalier "Chevy" Johnson (born November 5, 1986){{cite web |url=https://www.cbs58.com/news/cavalier-johnson-elected-45th-mayor-of-milwaukee |title=Cavalier Johnson Elected 45th Mayor of Milwaukee |date=April 5, 2022 |accessdate=April 6, 2022 |first=Adam |last=Rife |publisher=CBS 58}} is an American politician who has served as the 45th mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, since 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served on the Milwaukee Common Council from 2016 to 2022.

As president of the Common Council from 2020 to 2022, Johnson became acting mayor following the resignation of Tom Barrett. He was elected mayor in the 2022 special election, becoming the first African-American to be elected to that position. He is the city's second African-American mayor, following Marvin Pratt, who served as acting mayor in 2004.

Early life and education

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.{{Cite web|last=Torres|first=Alison Dirr and Ricardo|title=A sharply divided Milwaukee Common Council votes Cavalier Johnson as president|url=https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2020/04/21/ald-cavalier-johnson-elected-milwaukee-common-council-president-8-7-vote/5169429002/|access-date=December 30, 2020|website=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|language=en-US}}

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.{{Cite web|date=April 21, 2016|title=Meet the Alders|url=https://www.milwaukeemag.com/meet-the-alders-milwaukee-common-council/|access-date=January 4, 2021|website=Milwaukee Magazine|language=en-US}}

In 2005, Johnson graduated from Bay View High School.{{Cite web|last=Jannene|first=Jeramey|date=December 22, 2021|title=The Incredible Rise of Cavalier Johnson|url=https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2021/12/22/the-incredible-rise-of-cavalier-johnson/|url-status=live|access-date=December 23, 2021|website=Urban Milwaukee|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211223012949/https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2021/12/22/the-incredible-rise-of-cavalier-johnson/ |archive-date=December 23, 2021 }} As a junior, he was a cameraman for the Youth in Government press corps.{{Cite news |last=Kampmeier |first=Susan |date=December 8, 2003 |title=Students get inside look at politics |pages=3 |work=Stevens Point Journal |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/91008748/students-get-inside-look-at-politics/ |access-date=December 23, 2021}} 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.

Johnson has served on boards at the Milwaukee YMCA, ACLU of Wisconsin, and Milwaukee Community Brainstorming.

Career

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. Johnson worked as a community outreach liaison for the government of Milwaukee, where he interacted with community and faith leaders.

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.{{Cite web|last=Jannene|first=Jeramey|title=City Hall: The Rise of Cavalier Johnson|url=https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2020/04/21/city-hall-the-rise-of-cavalier-johnson/|access-date=December 30, 2020|website=Urban Milwaukee|language=en}} In 2012, Johnson ran for a different seat on the County Board, finishing sixth out of seven candidates, with 106 votes.

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). In 2018, Johnson was the lead sponsor to ban fee-based conversion therapy of minors in Milwaukee.{{Cite web|last=Spicuzza|first=Mary|date=March 27, 2018|title=Therapy to change a child's sexual orientation will be banned in Milwaukee|url=https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2018/03/27/milwaukee-common-council-approves-lgbt-conversion-therapy-ban/462222002/|url-status=live|access-date=December 23, 2021|website=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181114162226/https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2018/03/27/milwaukee-common-council-approves-lgbt-conversion-therapy-ban/462222002/|archive-date=November 14, 2018 }}

Johnson was re-elected without opposition in 2020, and he was also elected by his peers, in an 8–7 vote, to serve as the Milwaukee Common Council President.{{Cite web |title=Cavalier Johnson: A day in photos during the pandemic with the Common Council President |url=http://www.milwaukeeindependent.com/featured/cavalier-johnson-day-photos-pandemic-common-council-president/}}

Johnson became acting mayor of Milwaukee upon the resignation of Tom Barrett—who was set to become Ambassador to Luxembourg—on December 22, 2021.{{Cite web|last=Atkins|first=Tony|date=December 22, 2021|title=Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett resigns, hands power to Acting Mayor Cavalier Johnson|url=https://www.tmj4.com/news/local-news/milwaukee-mayor-barrett-to-formalize-transition-of-authority-to-cavalier-johnson-as-acting-mayor|url-status=live|access-date=December 23, 2021|website=TMJ4|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222033023/https://www.tmj4.com/news/local-news/milwaukee-mayor-barrett-to-formalize-transition-of-authority-to-cavalier-johnson-as-acting-mayor |archive-date=December 22, 2021 }} He served as acting mayor until the 2022 Milwaukee mayoral special election,{{Cite web|last=Dirr|first=Alison|date=December 22, 2021|title=With Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett's resignation Wednesday, Cavalier Johnson becomes acting mayor|url=https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2021/12/22/milwaukee-mayor-tom-barrett-announce-timing-resignation/8989301002/|url-status=live|access-date=December 23, 2021|website=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222214933/https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2021/12/22/milwaukee-mayor-tom-barrett-announce-timing-resignation/8989301002/ |archive-date=December 22, 2021 }} a race in which Johnson was a candidate.{{Cite web|last=Dirr|first=Alison|title=Milwaukee mayoral candidate and Common Council President Cavalier Johnson sees better relationship with state ahead|url=https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2021/09/22/milwaukee-mayor-candidate-and-common-council-president-cavalier-johnson-eyes-better-state-relations/5818489001/|access-date=December 28, 2021|website=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|language=en-US}} The day before assuming the role, Johnson announced that his top priority would be combating reckless driving to create safe streets.{{Cite web|last=Bachara|first=Gabriella|date=December 21, 2021|title=Cavalier Johnson unveils plan to curb reckless driving in Milwaukee before taking on role of interim mayor|url=https://cbs58.com/news/cavalier-johnson-unveils-plan-to-curb-reckless-driving-in-milwaukee-ahead-of-taking-on-role-of-interim-mayor|url-status=live|access-date=December 23, 2021|website=CBS58|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211221162252/https://www.cbs58.com/news/cavalier-johnson-unveils-plan-to-curb-reckless-driving-in-milwaukee-ahead-of-taking-on-role-of-interim-mayor |archive-date=December 21, 2021 }} On April 5, 2022, Johnson won the special election, becoming the first elected African-American mayor of Milwaukee.{{Cite web|last=Dirr|first=Alison|date=April 5, 2022|title=Cavalier Johnson becomes first African American elected mayor of Milwaukee, defeats Bob Donovan in the spring general election|url=https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/04/05/cavalier-johnson-wins-milwaukee-mayoral-spring-general-election-defeats-bob-donovan-april-5-2022/7233501001/|access-date=April 6, 2022|website=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|language=en-US}} 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.{{cite news|url=https://www.jsonline.com/in-depth/news/politics/2022/04/06/milwaukee-elects-first-black-mayor-decades-after-similar-cities/9470604002/|title=Milwaukee was decades behind similar cities in electing a Black mayor|first1=Yuriko|last1=Schumacher|first2=Alison|last2=Dirr|publisher=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|date=April 6, 2022|accessdate=April 7, 2022}}{{cite news|url=https://www.wisn.com/article/cavalier-johnson-makes-history-as-first-elected-black-mayor/39654671#|title=Cavalier Johnson makes history as first elected Black mayor|publisher=WISN|date=April 6, 2022|accessdate=April 7, 2022}}

Personal life

Johnson lives in Milwaukee's Concordia neighborhood.{{Cite web |date=2022-10-03 |title=Mayor Johnson Moved to Concordia |url=https://www.milwaukeemag.com/why-mayor-johnson-moved-to-milwaukees-concordia-neighborhood/ |access-date=2024-07-09 |website=Milwaukee Magazine |language=en-US}} He is married and has three children.

Electoral data

{{Election box begin|title=Milwaukee Mayoral Special Election, 2022 }}

| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| Nonpartisan Special Primary, February 15, 2022{{cite web |title=Latest Election Results |url=https://city.milwaukee.gov/election/ElectionInformation/ElectionResults |website=city.milwaukee.gov |publisher=City of Milwaukee |access-date=February 16, 2022 |archive-date=February 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220216133536/https://city.milwaukee.gov/election/ElectionInformation/ElectionResults |url-status=live}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link

|party = Nonpartisan politician

|candidate = Cavalier Johnson (incumbent)

|votes = 25,779

|percentage = 41.79%

|change =

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link

|party = Nonpartisan politician

|candidate = Bob Donovan

|votes = 13,742

|percentage = 22.28%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Nonpartisan politician

|candidate = Lena Taylor

|votes = 7,877

|percentage = 12.77%

|change = -17.92%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Nonpartisan politician

|candidate = Marina Dimitrijevic

|votes = 7,521

|percentage = 12.19%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Nonpartisan politician

|candidate = Earnell Lucas

|votes = 5,886

|percentage = 9.53%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Nonpartisan politician

|candidate = Michael Sampson

|votes = 514

|percentage = 0.83%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Nonpartisan politician

|candidate = Ieshuh Griffin

|votes = 315

|percentage = 0.51%

|change =

}}

{{Election box write-in with party link

|votes = 56

|percentage = 0.09%

|change = -0.68%

}}

{{Election box total

|votes = 61,743

|percentage = 100.00%

|change = -6.94%

}}

| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| Special Election, April 5, 2022{{cite web |title=Overview and Live Results: California Congressional District 22, Other Special Elections |publisher=270toWin |work=Decision Desk HQ |date=April 5, 2022 |access-date=April 5, 2022 |url=https://www.270towin.com/news/2022/04/05/overview-live-results-california-congressional-district-22-other-special-elections_1349.html}}{{cite report|url= https://county.milwaukee.gov/files/county/county-clerk/Election-Commission/ElectionResultsCopy-1/2022/4-5-2022SpringElection-Summary-UnofficialReport.txt |title= Summary Report - Spring Election - April 5, 2022 |date= April 5, 2022 |accessdate= March 14, 2023 |publisher= Milwaukee County }}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link

|party = Nonpartisan politician

|candidate = Cavalier Johnson (incumbent)

|votes = 62,143

|percentage = 71.51%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Nonpartisan politician

|candidate = Bob Donovan

|votes = 24,543

|percentage = 28.24%