David King wants to go in new direction in race for Milwaukee mayor

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- One of the most impactful races on the ballot in terms of number of voters is the race for Milwaukee mayor.

Incumbent Cavalier Johnson is trying to win his first full term in office, but challenger David King wants to take the city in a new direction.

King said he is not impressed with what's happening in Milwaukee, or the direction he thinks the city is heading under Johnson.

Johnson's pitch to voters has been to continue building on the city's strengths, but King wants something different.

In a sit-down interview Monday, King told us, "Crime is high, you just raised the sales tax, the education system is bad. Who's going to bring their family to Milwaukee?"

King repeatedly pointed to a litany of problems he said is holding Milwaukee back. He claimed he can fix them in his final push for mayor on the eve of the election.

King was critical of Mayor Cavalier Johnson, saying the current mayor works for downtown, not Milwaukee's communities.

Johnson's team said he was unavailable Monday for an interview, but when he voted a few days earlier, he told us, "I'm thankful to the people of Milwaukee for entrusting me with their vote to continue serving in this position."

Johnson has long been expected to win Tuesday's election.

In February's primary he won nearly 87% of the vote in a three-person field. King survived the cut with less than 10% of the vote.

Johnson said Thursday, "I'm excited about having the opportunity to serve a full term and continuing to make sure we lay the foundation for a strong, safer, and prosperous Milwaukee for everybody."

But King said not everyone is feeling that prosperity or safety. He told us he would focus on areas where crime is high, and then, "I would take the police force and I would saturate that area."

When we asked if he had concerns about over-policing, King said, "The community that is not committing crime would welcome that because they want to feel safe."

King opposed the historic sales tax increase that bailed out Milwaukee's finances; he worries it will price people out.

Johnson has often talked about his frustration with being hamstrung by state lawmakers -particularly Republicans- who have controlled Milwaukee's purse strings.

But King said fiscal irresponsibility is to blame. He said when the city does something differently with its finances, it will get a different response from Madison. "You're not tightening the belt, you're growing jobs in government, but you're not growing jobs privately. So that's a problem right there."

Both Cavalier Johnson and David King will host watch parties on election night.