MILWAUKEE — Mayor Cavalier Johnson is heading to Washington, D.C. Wednesday, where he hopes to finally sit down with Vice President JD Vance following their public disagreement over Milwaukee’s 2020 election.
Johnson told WTMJ this week he has reached out to Vance twice and is leaving room in his schedule for a potential meeting.
“I sent letters to the Vice President — two, as a matter of fact,” Johnson told WTMJ. “I’m hopeful that he takes up the opportunity to meet with me. He said that he would when I’m in Washington, and so I’ll make the effort. We’ll see if he shows up.”
The potential meeting follows a back-and-forth between Johnson and Vance during the vice president’s visit to Milwaukee in July.
Ahead of that visit, Johnson invited Vance to meet with Milwaukee election officials amid a federal investigation into the city’s handling of the 2020 presidential election. Vance did not visit the city’s election operations but publicly offered to meet with Johnson in Washington instead.
Johnson has criticized the federal investigation and defended the city’s election system. Vance, during his July visit, questioned why Johnson was responding so strongly to the investigation. No findings of wrongdoing have been announced as part of that federal probe.
The mayor’s trip to Washington was already planned as part of the 36th annual Milwaukee Night in Washington, D.C., an event highlighting the Milwaukee region and connecting local leaders with federal officials.
The mayor also plans to meet with members of Wisconsin’s congressional delegation.
