In less then 24 hours, the polls will open and the race for mayor will be thrust into actuality. This morning, WTMJ’s Steve Scaffidi spoke to both of the Milwaukee mayoral candidates about some last minute topics such as education and public safety.
Last Thursday, the brother of current acting mayor Cavalier Johnson’s was arrested on two felony charges just days before the election. However, Johnson did not condemn his brother’s alleged behavior and emphasized his family’s tumultuous background. “If those things are proven to be true then what I have said would ring true for him [Johnson’s brother] as well,” Johnson said “When people do harm and destruction to our community, if they shoot or harm or kill someone, then they need to be held to account. And the same thing is true for my brother.”
Public safety has been one of Johnson’s large talking points in his campaign as well. With the arrest of his brother, Johnson told Scaffidi how violence in Milwaukee disproportionately affects the black community. Johnson said “I want to address these issues at the root so that fewer young African American boys, or people of color generally, grow up in neighborhoods where half of them are resigned to go to prison or resigned to do something horrible in our community and end up in a situation like my own brother.”
Johnson argued that concerns of public safety are widespread throughout Milwaukee, regardless of location, and as a candidate he would be able to address said issues. He also mentioned he would like to bring the Republican National Convention (RNC) to Milwaukee despite it not aligning with his own political beliefs as a Democrat.
Contrastingly, former alderman Bob Donovan had differing opinions regarding Johnson and his brother’s arrest. Donovan did not blame Johnson for his brother’s alleged behavior, but he did express concern regarding the situation. Donovan argued that the probability of acting mayor Johnson not being aware of the alleged shooting charges is quite low. “I believe there has been a cover up here in an attempt to keep this under wraps,” Donovan said “I just strongly believe Cavalier Johnson was aware of what occurred. He tried to keep it under wraps, I don’t know if he was aware of where his brother was but certainly this was a home owned by the family so there certainly were connections there.”
Johnson’s campaign, when asked about the accusations made by former alderman Donovan, released the following statement, “You in the media should be asking him if he has any evidence other than the stories he makes up in his head. For what it’s worth, I think Bob Donovan is making up lies because his flailing campaign has nothing to offer voters, and he should be embarrassed his career will end on this sad and desperate note.”
Donovan’s main political concerns he hopes to address, if elected, are Milwaukee’s public safety crisis and it’s fiscal crisis. His take on the issues, is that one can not be solved to without the other. Donovan’s plans to address public safety consist of providing more man-power to MPD as well as partnering with the state to fix the criminal justice system, with an emphasis on consequences.
Both candidates also highlighted more hands-on approaches to the education system in Milwaukee and improving schools within Milwaukee.
Polls open Tuesday at 7 a.m. and will be open until 8 p.m. To hear the full interviews, click on the audio players above.