Cavalier Johnson (born c. 1986) is an American politician and
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...
of
Milwaukee
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee ...
,
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
. He recently served as
Milwaukee Common Council
The municipal government of the U.S. city of Milwaukee, located in the state of Wisconsin, consists of a mayor and common council. Traditionally supporting liberal politicians and movements, this community has consistently proved to be a strongho ...
president as well as Milwaukee's 2nd District
alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members t ...
. In April 2022, Johnson won a
special election
A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India, or a Zimni election (Urdu: ضمنی انتخاب, supplementary election) in Pakistan, is an election used to f ...
, becoming the
first African American elected mayor of Milwaukee;
he is also the city's second African American Mayor.
Early life and education
Cavalier Johnson's father worked as a janitor for more than 30 years and his mother worked as a
certified nursing assistant
Unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) are paraprofessionals who assist individuals with physical disabilities, mental impairments, and other health care needs with their activities of daily living (ADLs). UAPs also provide bedside care—includ ...
. He is one of 10 siblings. He grew up in Milwaukee's 53206
zip code, known for having the highest incarceration rate of African American males out of any ZIP code in the country.
At 14 years old, he was selected by the
YMCA
YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams (philanthropist), Georg ...
to participate in a pre-college program, Sponsor-A-Scholar, for low-income students in
Milwaukee Public Schools
Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) is the largest school district in Wisconsin. As of the 2015–16 school year, MPS served 75,568 students in 154 schools and had 9,636 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff positions. The Milwaukee Public Schools system i ...
. Johnson credits this for his commitment to community service.
In 2005, Johnson graduated from
Bay View High School.
As a junior, he was a cameraman for the
Youth in Government press corps.
In 2009, Johnson graduated with a B.A. in
political science
Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...
from the
University of Wisconsin–Madison
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United Stat ...
.
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.
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
Conversion therapy is the pseudoscientific practice of attempting to change an individual's sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression to align with heterosexual and cisgender norms. In contrast to evidence-based medicine and cl ...
of minors in Milwaukee.
Johnson was re-elected without opposition in 2020
and was also elected by his peers in a 8–7 vote to serve as the
Milwaukee Common Council
The municipal government of the U.S. city of Milwaukee, located in the state of Wisconsin, consists of a mayor and common council. Traditionally supporting liberal politicians and movements, this community has consistently proved to be a strongho ...
President.
Johnson became acting
mayor of Milwaukee
This is a list of mayors of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
List
External linksJS Online
{{Mayors of the City of Milwaukee
Milwaukee
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Mayors
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal governmen ...
upon the resignation of
Tom Barrett to assume the
ambassadorship of Luxembourg, on December 22, 2021. He served as acting mayor until the
2022 Milwaukee mayoral special election, a race in which Johnson was a candidate. The day before assuming the role, Johnson announced his top priority would be combating
reckless driving to create
safe streets.
On April 5, 2022, Johnson won the special election, becoming the first elected African-American mayor of Milwaukee.
Johnson is also the first elected Black mayor of Milwaukee and second Black mayor after
Marvin Pratt
Marvin E. Pratt (born May 26, 1944) is an American politician who served as acting mayor of Milwaukee in 2004 and as interim Milwaukee County Executive in 2011. He was the first African-American to serve as mayor of Milwaukee.
Early life
Pratt ...
served as acting mayor in 2004.
Personal life
Johnson lives in Milwaukee's Capitol Heights neighborhood. He is married and has three children.
Electoral history
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Cavalier
1980s births
21st-century American politicians
African-American mayors in Wisconsin
Living people
Mayors of Milwaukee
Milwaukee Common Council members
Place of birth missing (living people)
University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni
Wisconsin Democrats
Year of birth uncertain