At 5 p.m. yesterday, Common Council President Cavalier Johnson became Mayor Cavalier Johnson. (He’s still the Common Council President, fyi, but now he can’t vote as a council member.) But the gig, thanks to a special mayoral election, won’t be a sure thing for long.
On Thursday morning, the Common Council officially approved that mayoral election for April 5, 2022. A primary is set for February 15, 2022. The move comes after yesterday’s resignation of Tom Barrett, who had served as mayor since 2004. Barrett will now ride off into the sunset to become the U.S. Ambassador to Luxembourg, as one does.
The post of Milwaukee mayor is nonpartisan. The top two vote-getters of the February primary will square off in the final April election.
The mayoral race will be doozy, and will include Johnson, Alderwoman Marina Dimitrijevic, Sheriff Earnell Lucas, State Assembly Representative Daniel Riemer, former alderman Bob “Sorry, This Stall Is Occupied” Donovan, local entrepreneur Michael Sampson, Nick McVey, and Sheila Conley-Patterson. Other candidates have until January 11 to submit nomination papers.
The winner will serve out the rest of Barrett’s fifth term, which ends in 2024.
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