What to know about new Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson

Cavalier Johnson is the new mayor of Milwaukee.

Johnson, who has served as the acting mayor since Tom Barrett departed late last year to become U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg, defeated Bob Donovan in Tuesday's general election.

Johnson, 35, has moved up quickly through the ranks at City Hall. He was first elected to the Common Council in 2016 and was elected council president by his peers on a split vote in 2020.

Johnson became acting mayor after Barrett's resignation while also retaining his position as Common Council president.

Here's a bit more about Johnson, who is the first African American mayor in Milwaukee's history:

Where did Cavalier Johnson grow up?

Johnson has said his family moved around within Milwaukee quite a bit when he was growing up, and he ultimately graduated from Bay View High School.

Where did he go to college?

Johnson attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, graduating in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in political science.

What's Cavalier Johnson's age?

Johnson is 35 years old.

What jobs did Cavalier Johnson hold before he was elected to the Common Council?

Johnson held a series of jobs and volunteer positions before he was elected to the Common Council in April 2016, according to his résumé.

Most recently, he served in the Mayor's Office in Barrett's administration as a staff assistant, where his duties included coordinating outreach efforts and contributing to the city's violence prevention strategy. He held that position from Nov. 4, 2013, until July 7, 2015, according to city records.

Before that, he worked at the Milwaukee Area Workforce Investment Board, today known as Employ Milwaukee, in addition to monthslong positions at the YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee, the North Avenue Community Development Corporation and MAXIMUS Inc., his résumé states.

Johnson also held volunteer positions at the YMCA, including as a study abroad intern in London in 2008, and for various political efforts, according to his résumé.

What is Cavalier Johnson's political party?

Johnson is a Democrat.

Where does he live in Milwaukee?

Johnson and his family live in the area of North 63rd Street and West Capitol Drive in the Capitol Heights neighborhood on the city's northwest side.

Who is Cavalier Johnson's family, wife and children?

Johnson and his wife, Dominique, have three children: Son Oliver, 11, and twin daughters Bella and Madison, 3 years old.

At Johnson's primary election night party on Feb. 15, Dominique Johnson recounted their first encounter at the downtown YMCA, where they became coworkers, friends and eventually began dating in 2014.

They were married in October 2016.

She continues to work part time at the YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee, according to the campaign.

Contact Alison Dirr at 414-224-2383 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @AlisonDirr.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Cavalier Johnson is Milwaukee's new mayor: political party, family