MILWAUKEE — Voters in Milwaukee will head to the polls Tuesday, and those casting a ballot will choose who will be mayor of the state’s largest city for the next four years.
Incumbent Mayor Cavalier Johnson is being challenged by businessman and nonprofit leader David King.
Cavalier Johnson has been mayor since late 2021, when former Mayor Tom Barrett was named Ambassador to Luxembourg. Johnson went on to win a special mayoral election in 2022.
Mayor Johnson spoke to Spectrum News 1 ahead of Tuesday’s election, saying he feels ready to continue leading the city.
“I feel really good about my position and what I have been able to learn. I feel like I have grown more confident and have learned a lot as I have served in this job over the course of the last two years,” Johnson said.
Meanwhile, challenger David King told Spectrum News 1 that he wants to bring a different kind of leadership to the city. King has worked in the city’s business community and founded the nonprofit Wisconsin God Squad, a service organization that addresses needs in the community. King said there needs to be more focused investment on the entire city of Milwaukee, rather than prioritizing downtown.
“Even though downtown looks beautiful, you start to drive in the city, that is when you see the cancer,” King said. “That is when you see the high crime and all the social despairs. I decided to become mayor to help fix the problem. We have a beautiful city, but if the outside is good, which is downtown, but the inside is full of cancer, it is going to die and going to die quick.”
Mayor Johnson said that downtown is a major economic driver for the city, but also said the focus needs to be on all corners of Milwaukee. It is something he feels he is already doing as mayor.
“When you look at what is happening in Bronzeville, when you look at what is happening in Walkers Point, when you look at what is happening further northwest or further south, like I want those things to be built up. I want those successes to translate into opportunities for people who live here in the city of Milwaukee,” said Johnson.
Spectrum News 1 asked both candidates about their priorities if elected. Mayor Johnson said when looking ahead to a new term, crime reduction and infrastructure growth are key.
“Fortunately, with our partnerships with law enforcement, nonprofit organizations, youth-serving organizations and the like, we have been able to see crime dropping in Milwaukee which is a great thing for people in the city, the region, and really all across the state of Wisconsin. We will continue to focus in on reckless driving and continue to focus on building a protected bike lane network,” said Johnson.
Meanwhile, David King said as Milwaukee’s population continues to decrease, boosting quality of life for city residents will be a top priority. He said it includes make sure access to basic necessities are met, including addressing so-called food deserts, neighborhoods that have little to no access to fresh food nearby.
“We need to flirt with Festival Foods and other food chains to get them to come into those areas,” said King. “We have got Walgreens closing up, we need to flirt with CVS and other pharmacies so the people at that residence can get their medication. So, we are coming in with solutions. We are not coming in crying about the problem.”