Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson takes first steps to bridge the political divide

As the Democratic mayor of Wisconsin’s largest city, it may come as a surprise that one of Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson’s first political inspirations was former Republican President George W. Bush.

As a 14-year-old in Milwaukee, Johnson watched on TV as Bush gave a speech at Ground Zero in New York after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Even though his personal politics were starting to take shape as a Democrat, he admired Bush’s response, saying Bush put party aside to rally Americans together. It’s a moment that still guides Johnson today in his work as mayor, and something that, in an increasingly politically divisive world, he wishes more people practiced today.

“Being able to see a Republican president who cared about everybody, regardless of what party they were in, was really, really moving to me,” Johnson told the Wisconsin Independent. “And even today I wish that the camaraderie, the neighborliness, the patriotism, the sense of pride that we had in our country and ourselves as Americans after 9/11, I wish that was still present in, not just our discourse, but in our daily interactions with our fellow Americans, regardless of party today.”

Johnson, who became Milwaukee’s first Black mayor when he was elected in 2022, has built his reputation as a Democrat who is willing to work across the aisle to get things done. In July, Milwaukee hosted the Republican National Convention. He said he’s been able to make progress on things like keeping the Brewers in Milwaukee with the help of Republicans.

Being able to work with and listen to people he disagrees with is a skill Johnson has had to build. Relationships with long-term friends and mentors who are Republicans has helped.

“We can have these sort of conversations, understand the nuance and the difference, but not necessarily be disagreeable, and I learned those skills over time,” he said.

One of the moments of bipartisanship that stands out to Johnson is his work with Republicans in 2023 to pass Act 12, which overhauled the shared revenue local municipalities receive from the state, and allowed the city of Milwaukee, which was facing a perilous financial forecast, to raise its sales tax.

The first call Johnson made when he stepped into the mayor’s office after being elected was to Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, because he knew he needed the powerful Republican leader to help Milwaukee, given that Republicans controlled the state Legislature.

Johnson said this political reality “is what it is,” and that it’s his responsibility as a leader to work with the cards he was dealt, because it’s the only way to bring about change: “I take that seriously, so sometimes I have to work across the aisle, and when we can find a reasonable path forward, I do that.”

Johnson said while he doesn’t agree with every decision Vos makes, after working with him he respects him because he said Vos follows through on his promises, something that doesn’t always happen in politics. He called Vos “wicked smart.”

“We worked, I think, in pretty good faith, and were very upfront with each other about what the needs were and where the other side was coming from,” Johnson said.

Finding common ground doesn’t mean ditching your own beliefs, though, Johnson said. While he welcomed Republicans to Milwaukee with open arms for the RNC, he said, he didn’t kowtow to anyone. When former President Donald Trump reportedly called Milwaukee a horrible city, Johnson defended the city ahead of the convention.

“You don’t have to compromise your values to work with other people. You can have disagreements, just not be disagreeable in your response. Because at the end of the day, even though their decisions may not be the same decisions that I would make, all of us have the same sort of goal in mind, we just have different ways in order to get there,” he said.

He said he believes that goal is to make communities stronger, which helps him when he’s trying to work across the aisle.

“Maybe that outcome is a little further right to some or a little further left to some others. But I think everybody wants to work towards the end of progress for our communities,” Johnson said.

The relationship between Milwaukee and the rest of the state — which can often feel strained — is emblematic of this need to bridge differences between communities. As mayor, Johnson said, he wants to change the city’s reputation among other Wisconsinites, saying the two need each other.

“That’s really important, telling the story, showing them that Milwaukee isn’t this big scary place that you can’t visit, that you can’t come to, that you can’t have a good time in, that is not a part of the state of Wisconsin. We have to continue to tell the story, the positive story about Milwaukee and how this city interfaces with communities, interacts with other communities across the state. Because as goes Milwaukee, so goes the state of Wisconsin,” he said.