Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee’s mayor is making sure Wisconsin voters know how much their vote counts: ‘The swingiest of states’ – Washington Examiner

Published

1 year ago

August 5, 2024

Milwaukee’s mayor is making sure Wisconsin voters know how much their vote counts: ‘The swingiest of states’ – Washington Examiner

Cavalier Johnson, the mayor of Milwaukee, is gearing up for another high-stakes election in which his state could be the deciding factor.

Milwaukee is the largest city in Wisconsin and Milwaukee County is one of the Democratic strongholds in the state. Wisconsin is a key swing state this election cycle and proves to be a state that could be a tipping point for a victory for Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump.

“That is rising in the consciousness here, that there’s only a handful of states that will decide the presidency, and chief among them is the state of Wisconsin. We’re the swingiest of swing states,” Johnson, a Democrat, told the Washington Examiner.

Wisconsin currently has a near-even split between voters registered as Democrats and Republicans. In 2020, President Joe Biden flipped the state blue by only 20,000 votes. In 2016, Trump flipped Wisconsin red for the first time since 1984 by a little more than 27,000 votes.

“Whether it’s Democrats or Republicans, Wisconsin, typically, is on the winning side of that equation, and whoever wins the state is, I believe, very likely to win the White House,” Johnson said.

Election integrity in Milwaukee County

In 2020, absentee ballots were a hot button issue in Milwaukee County and in other blue cities in swing states.

“The unfortunate thing from 2020 is that there was a false narrative that things were happening here that just were not,” Johnson said. “Unfortunately, what you had was a candidate who lost an election fair and square, and ultimately did not accept the results of those elections.”

The state of Wisconsin requires absentee ballots to be counted on election night and Democrats by and large utilized absentee ballots more than their Republican counterparts at the time due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Social media buzzed with conspiracy theories of large numbers of ballots being dumped in Milwaukee County, claiming voter fraud because so many ballots were counted in favor of Democrats that night. In reality, the sudden increase in ballots cast for Democrats were because the state requires all ballots to be counted on election night. In 2020, Milwaukee County reported 170,000 absentee ballots, most of which went to Biden.

Johnson was looking at a 2023 state bill, Assembly Bill 567, which would have allowed local municipalities to begin counting mail-in and early voting ballots before election day, in order to streamline the process and prevent these types of false claims.

Johnson said the bill had the support of Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, a Republican. Gov. Tony Evers (D-WI) was prepared to sign such legislation.

“Gov. Evers for years has proposed allowing county and municipal clerks to begin canvassing absentee ballots the day before an election and is glad to see this effort finally has bipartisan support,” a spokeswoman for the governor told WisPolitics. “If AB567 passes in its current form as amended by the committee and without any poison-pill additions, the governor will sign it.”

Despite bipartisan support in the Assembly, the bill failed in the state Senate, but Johnson said “if it had [passed], then there wouldn’t be a situation here where we would have to provide those numbers later in the evening on Election Day.”

“I don’t want to see that. There are a number of reasonable Republicans who also don’t want to see that. But unfortunately, there just were not the votes in the state senate to combat that,” Johnson added

Still, Johnson is confident in the county’s and city’s election integrity.

“However, given that our processes in Milwaukee are always free, they’re always fair, they’re always transparent, and they will remain to be so in this election as well,” Johnson said.

Mobilizing voters in Milwaukee

After Biden exited the race, Harris’s first campaign stop was in Wisconsin, in West Allis a suburb of Milwaukee. Harris’s campaign kickoff further highlighted the importance of the Badger State ahead of November.

Vice President Kamala Harris poses for a selfie with Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez as Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., right, and Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, watch, after Harris arrived in Milwaukee, Tuesday, July 23, 2024. (Kevin Mohatt/Pool via AP)

“It was electric. Incredibly exciting for the people here in Milwaukee, meeting thousands of people, jam packed to see the Vice President as she officially kicked off her presidential campaign here in Wisconsin,” Johnson said.

“When you look in that gymnasium where her campaign rally was held. I mean, you saw a cross section of America … folks on the ground here are really, really excited to see her and to support her,” Johnson said, adding “folks were saying that they haven’t seen this sort of energy on the Democratic side since Barack Obama launched his initial campaign back in 2008.”

Johnson was born and raised in Milwaukee and went to college at the state’s flagship university, UW-Madison. He became acting mayor after Tom Barrett, Milwaukee’s longtime mayor for nearly two decades, was appointed to serve as the U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg.

In 2022, Johnson made history in a special election, becoming the first elected black mayor of the city. Now, he’s making sure fellow Milwaukee residents understand the importance of their vote.

Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson talks on his phone after an Associated Press interview about the Republican National Convention coming to Milwaukee in his office Monday, July 1, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

“As I go out across the city, whether I’m going to festivals in Milwaukee or I go to a farmers market on Sunday, which I’ve been doing the past number of weeks, routinely, I run into somebody who is registering people to vote here in the city,” Johnson said.

“I’ve encouraged people to make sure that they interact with the people in their lives, who can vote, who should vote, but don’t vote in order to make sure that they know of the importance of the upcoming election,” Johnson continued.

He said Milwaukee residents are increasingly becoming more aware of their electoral standing compared to other parts of the country. During the 2000 presidential election, there were around 14 swing states. In 2024, there are only about seven swing states, heightening the stakes of a campaign losing even one state.

“Folks are starting to understand that their votes really, really count to determine who’s going to sit in the Oval Office,” Johnson said. “Milwaukeans are starting to understand that their participation in the electoral process determines who the President of the United States is going to be — the most powerful person, not just in our country, but on planet Earth.

Hosting the RNC

Following the Republican National Convention, which took place in Milwaukee last month, Johnson was thrown into the national political spotlight as the convention descended upon his city. Johnson was one of the leading voices originally pushing for the convention to be held there during the city selection process.

“Whether they were delegates or members of the media, everybody had a positive impression of Milwaukee and and therefore of Wisconsin, because for many of the people who came here, it was their first time ever in this state,” Johnson said.

Milwaukee doesn’t typically get the opportunity to host events that pique national interest like the Super Bowl or NCAA championships. In 2020, the Democratic National Convention was supposed to be held in Milwaukee, but was moved to a virtual format due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Johnson saw the RNC as a way to put Milwaukee on the map of cities capable of hosting large events.

“I think it’s a wonderful thing for Milwaukee and a wonderful thing for the state of Wisconsin,” Johnson said. “The RNC is not the end — it’s the beginning. It’s the beginning for us to host large scale events, whether be they political, business, sports, entertainment, trade shows, and the like to come to Milwaukee.”

The day the Washington Examiner spoke with Johnson, he was with one-time Midwest mayor Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, formerly known as Mayor Pete. The pair were highlighting rail expansion in the state on Amtrak’s Borealis line.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Johnson, like Buttigieg, seemingly has further ambitions in politics, but plans to stay in his home for now.

“I really value the opportunity to serve my community here in Milwaukee as mayor,” Johnson said. “When there’s an opportunity, when the time is right to run for governor, I certainly will take a look at that.”

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Milwaukee, WI

Snow, icy road conditions prompt winter weather advisory Jan. 14 for the Milwaukee area

Published

3 hours ago

January 14, 2026

Press Room

Snow, icy road conditions prompt winter weather advisory Jan. 14 for the Milwaukee area

A steep drop in temperatures overnight and snow has caused icy road conditions for much of southeastern Wisconsin for the morning commute Wednesday, Jan. 14.

The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory Jan. 14 across most of southern and southeast Wisconsin, as far north as Sheboygan County in the east and Sauk and Adams counties in the west. The advisory remains in effect until 10 a.m.

Cameron Miller, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Milwaukee/Sullivan, said there have been multiple reports of accidents around the area.

“It was kind of a perfect storm, honestly. The combination of the snow that we had in the roads, warm pavement temperature and then air temperatures quickly falling from the 30s into the low 20s, basically caused conditions that were conducive to icing on the road,” he said.

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s traveler information website, 511wi.gov, showed several reports of accidents in Milwaukee and surrounding areas as of 8 a.m. Jan. 14.

The snow should let up around mid-morning, Miller said. Snow accumulation in the Milwaukee area Wednesday, Jan. 14 is not expected to be more than a few tenths of an inch – just a dusting, Miller said.

Another round of snow is forecast to move in the night of Thursday, Jan. 15, and continue through Saturday, Jan. 17.

“It’s going to be a long-duration snow event. So it’s going to be basically white snow throughout that entire time, and really only going to be a couple of inches of accumulation,” Miller said.

Miller said the precipitation later in the week will likely not bring any more winter weather advisories. Icing should be less of a problem, as temperatures are expected to stay below freezing in the coming days.

Wisconsin weather radar

Contact Kelli Arseneau at (920) 213-3721 or karseneau@gannett.com. Follow her on X at @ArseneauKelli.

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Milwaukee, WI

TMJ4, Milwaukee school transform book fair into free reading celebration

Published

15 hours ago

January 13, 2026

Press Room

MILWAUKEE — Students at Dr. George Washington Carver Academy of Mathematics and Science in Milwaukee experienced something special recently when a traditional school book fair became a celebration of free reading, thanks to a partnership between TMJ4, the Scripps Howard Fund, Milwaukee Public Schools and Scholastic’s “If You Give a Child a Book” campaign.

TMJ4

“If You Give a Child a Book…” Campaign.

Each student was able to choose five free books of their own, removing the financial barrier that often comes with book fairs and giving children the freedom to select books they truly wanted to read.

“For them to have the chance to come in and literally pick whatever five books they want from the current up-to-date books that they’re raving over in class is awesome for them,” said Hayley Awe, a kindergarten teacher at Carver Academy.

Hayley Awe, a kindergarten teacher at Dr. George Washington Carver Academy of Mathematics and Science.

The impact was immediate and visible. Student Lamar Allen described the experience as feeling “like a dream” and said it felt “amazing.”

Awe emphasized the importance of students having books at home, noting how meaningful it is to see children build their own personal libraries.

Each student was able to choose five free books of their own. — Each student was able to choose five free books of their own

“I’m happy for them. It’s great that they are given that chance to just have books at home,” Awe said.

Parent volunteer Cheynile Johnson believes the initiative levels the playing field for students by providing access to books they’re genuinely interested in reading.

“I think it’s going to be beneficial for a lot of the kids, allowing them to have access to things that they’re interested in,” Johnson said.

Johnson also noted how refreshing it was to see children excited about physical books in an increasingly digital world.

“I noticed a lot of kids aren’t reading anymore. Everybody’s on tablets and on laptops, so this has been refreshing to see them actually excited to see books,” Johnson said.

Parent volunteer Cheynile Johnson helps students find the perfect book.

The “If You Give a Child a Book” campaign has distributed more than one million books nationwide, working toward the goal of ensuring every child has the opportunity to develop a love of reading.

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Milwaukee, WI

Subcompact Power: New Milwaukee M12 Fuel Impact Wrenches

Published

1 day ago

January 13, 2026

Press Room

Subcompact Power: New Milwaukee M12 Fuel Impact Wrenches

Milwaukee Introduces M12 Lineup’s Most Compact Impact Wrenches

Recently, Milwaukee announced the addition of two new subcompact impact wrenches for the M12 Fuel lineup: a 1/4-inch model and a 3/8-inch model. Separate from the 2024 launch of the Gen-2 stubby models, these are designed to be the most compact tools in their class. But what’s beyond the buzz? I decided to dig deeper into the claims to help you decide which one is a good fit for your automotive tool roster.

Milwaukee M12 Fuel Subcompact Impact Wrench Performance

Model: Milwaukee 3049 (3/8-inch)
Max Breakaway Torque: 225 ft-lbs
Max Fastening Torque: 200 ft-lbs
Max Speed: 3400 RPM
Max Impact Rate: 3600 IPM
Anvil: Friction Ring
Four Modes
Brushless Motor
Auto Shut-Off Mode

The Milwaukee 3048 and 3049 impact wrenches are part of the M12 Fuel lineup. As subcompact tools, Milwaukee tells us they’re ideal for light-duty automotive applications, such as installing bumpers and fenders, under-hood fastening, suspension work, and more.

The 3049 reaches torque levels of up to 225 ft-lbs during breakaway applications and 200 ft-lbs while fastening. For the 1/4-inch 3048, you get up to 70 ft-lbs of fastening torque and 100 ft-lbs of breakaway torque. Those are clearly very different performance levels, so choosing the right one is more than just your preferred drive size.

Both models feature four speed modes to select from, including an Auto Shut-Off mode.

Here’s a look at the speed and impact rate specs for both impact wrenches in each of the four settings:

3048 (1/4-inch)

Mode 1: 0-1500 RPM; 0-1350 IPM
Mode 2: 0-2900 RPM; 0-3700 IPM
Mode 3: 0-3800 RPM; 0-4400 IPM
Mode 4 (Auto Shut-Off): 0-2200 RPM (forward)/ 0-3800 RPM – 0-1500 RPM (reverse); 0-4400 IPM

3049 (3/8-inch)

Mode 1: 0-1150 RPM; 0-1100 IPM
Mode 2: 0-2400 RPM; 0-3400 IPM
Mode 3: 0-3400 RPM; 0-3600 IPM
Mode 4 (Auto Shut-Off): 0-1600 RPM (forward) / 0-3400 RPM – 0-1500 RPM (reverse); 0-3600 IPM

In Auto Shut-Off mode, the forward torque is limited to 15 ft-lbs in the 3049 and 7 ft-lbs in the 3048 to prevent over-tightening. In reverse, the RPMs slow to a top speed of 1500 RPM automatically once the bolt is free, for fewer fastener drops.

The Auto Shut-Off feature is not unique to this model; it’s included in several Milwaukee impact wrenches on both the M18 and M12 platforms. However, we appreciate its inclusion in this subcompact model to address common fastening and breakaway pain points.

The 3049 is kitted with two 2.5Ah batteries, and I recommend sticking to that size if you want to take full advantage of the lightweight and compact design. However, if you prioritize runtime and you can sacrifice a bit of heft, swapping in a larger-capacity battery would still be fine.

Milwaukee M12 Fuel Subcompact Impact Wrench Design

Length: 4.4 in (3048); 4.5 in (3049)
Weight: 1.5 lb (3048); 1.6 lb (3049)

The 1/4-inch 3048 impact wrench is the most compact and lightweight model in its class, at just 4.4 inches in length and 1.5 pounds bare. The 3/8-inch 3049 is just barely larger, at 4.5 inches long and 1.6 pounds.

This size of impact wrench excels in small areas, providing better underhood access in automotive applications. While some models, like Milwaukee’s Gen-II M12 stubby impact wrenches, deliver higher performance, these subcompact tools are ideal for lighter-duty fastening within tight spaces.

Additional Features

Tri-Beam LED Light: Illuminates dark engine bays while you work.
Single-Hand Mode Change: Toggle through speed settings with minimal interruption to your workflow.

How Does it Compare?

Here’s how the Milwaukee 3049 impact wrench stacks up against other 12V subcompact models from Makita and DeWalt.

	Milwaukee 3049 (this model)	Makita XWT12ZB	DeWalt DCF902B
Max Breakaway Torque:	225 ft-lbs	230 ft-lbs	200 ft-lbs
Max Fastening Torque:	200 ft-lbs	130 ft-lbs	125 ft-lbs
No-Load Speed:	3400 RPM	2400 RPM	2850 RPM
Max Impact Rate:	3600 IPM	3600 IPM	3600 IPM
Length:	4.5 in	5.6 in	5.1 in
Weight:	1.6 lbs	2.7 lbs (w/ battery)	2.2 lbs (w/ battery)
Price:	$229 bare	$199 bare	$159 bare

The big takeaways here are how much more fastening power Milwaukee offers to go with its impressively compact and lightweight design. Considering how many automotive and trade-specific tools the M12 system has compared to Makita and DeWalt, it’s an even more compelling proposition.

Milwaukee M12 Fuel Subcompact Impact Wrench Price

The 3/8-inch 3049 retails for $229 bare and $349 as a kit, including two M12 2.5Ah batteries, a charger, and a contractor bag. At the time of writing, the 1/4-inch model (3048) is only available as a bare tool, also for $229.

Milwaukee backs both versions with a 5-year tool warranty and a 2-year warranty on the batteries.

If you’d like some added protection for your tool, Milwaukee also offers a protective boot compatible with both the 3/8-inch and 1/4-inch models, which runs $35.

Should You Buy It?

Milwaukee released its Gen-II stubby impact wrenches in 2024, and they were a huge hit for heavy-duty Pro-grade automotive applications. However, for lighter-duty auto jobs, the 3048 and 3049 impact wrenches provide a nice update to the M12 platform, especially for users who don’t need the top-shelf performance of the stubby models.

If you usually work on larger fasteners, these models likely won’t be your main tool. However, for light-duty fastening jobs and tight engine bay access, the 3048 and 3049 provide unmatched M12 compactness. If you prioritize a small form factor over top-shelf power, they’re a compelling option.

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