Who Are You Voting For?

For the first time in 18 years, residents of Milwaukee County will vote for Bob Donovan or Cavalier Johnson in the mayoral election held on April 5, 2022. In the spring primary on Feb. 15, 20% of registered voters submitted a ballot. Local government election turnouts never sparkle as brightly as presidential elections– even congressional elections can be overlooked. However, mayoral elections can have lasting impacts that members of the community should be a part of.

“The earlier you get involved in the political process, the longer you’re going to have to be able to have an impact,” president of Greater Milwaukee Committee Joel Brennan told Media Milwaukee.

Cavalier Johnson won the spring primary with 42% of the votes, followed by Bob Donovan with 22%, narrowing the election candidates from 7 to 2. Johnson is currently acting mayor, as Tom Barret resigned in 2021, and is now U.S. ambassador in Luxembourg.

“I want to grow the city,” acting mayor Cavalier Johnson said to Media Milwaukee reporter when discussing the Milwaukee’s involvement in the mayoral election. “I’m 35-years-old, so I want to see young people here, and I hope they do engage.”

Bob Donovan told WUWM radio he is “not at all satisfied with the status quo in the city of Milwaukee and neither should anyone else,” especially in regards to police protection on the streets.

Now it is up to the voters to decide where they want to take the city of Milwaukee. The first step in this process is registering to vote, which can be done here, or at the voting site. To be a registered voter, you must have a driver’s license or government identification card with your complete name and current residential address.

Milwaukee county has 359 electoral districts, so it’s important to also check where you vote. Type in your address, and scroll down to “Where Do I Vote/Voting Location including Sample Ballot if available.” The address underneath is your designated voting center.

“Be present, be engaged, be informed,” Brennan said.

Understanding who you’re voting for is the most important (and most difficult) part of being a voting citizen. Johnson is liberal, Donovan is conservative. Both are active on social media, and they have interacted in debates and forums around the city. Think about issues that are important to you, and research the candidates to find out who you support. Topics covered in the debate on March 14 about fiscal spending covered:

• Police funding:
  • Johnson supports The Office of Violence Prevention to strategize how to reduce violence in Milwaukee.
  • Donovan stresses providing support to police departments to hold criminals accountable.
• COVID-19:
  • Johnson will provide more vaccination locations in communities that were disproportionally impacted by the pandemic.
  • Donovan aims to restore citizens’ trust in the government and public health.
• Milwaukee Public Schools:
  • Johnson wants to build relationship with the state to gain funding for the MPS.
  • Donovan want to split MPS into smaller districts.
• Downtown Street Car:
  • Johnson wants to develop the city by investing in the street car and growing its route to take riders to areas all around Milwaukee.
  • Donovan does not support the street car, worried that it will negatively affect the taxpayers’ wallets.

“No matter what you study, or what you do for a living,” MMAC president Tim Sheehy told Media Milwaukee reporter, “political involvement is like opening an aperture on a camera—you see a picture more clearly and you see it more broadly if you take time understanding the economy of a community, the culture of a community and how a city works, it will help you make better decisions in your life. All that is enlightened self-interest.”