Alderman Jonathan Brostoff, fierce advocate for social issues and his east side district, dead by suicide

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A fiercely passionate advocate for the city of Milwaukee has died. 41-year-old alderman Jonathan Brostoff was found dead in Greenfield Park Monday morning, November 4.

The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's office is investigating it as a suicide, and a police source confirms the death was by suicide.

Cade Gerlach, a friend of Brostoff's, told us, "He was a great man. He had a great vision for what the city could be and he believed fundamentally in the promise the city has."

Brostoff brought passion to everything he did and worked tirelessly to better his east side district and the city as a whole.

He also dealt with mental illness, and previously opened up about his struggles.

Now, people across the city are grieving his death.

Tyrone Randle is a Milwaukee artist who said he was mentored by Brostoff. Randle told us Monday, "You didn't need to be anyone important for him to care."

Randle described Brostoff as a bridge, who always tried to connect people who shared common passions.

Now, Randle says, there is a hole in the community where Brostoff once advocated for social justice, fighting against xenophobia, ableism, sexism, and other issues.

Randle said, "It's really sad the future generations won't get to know him."

US Congresswoman Gwen Moore, who represents Milwaukee, said, "He's always been so bright, always been so down for the people. He's a very popular politician because of that."

Moore said her heart was broken, one of many state and city leaders to share condolences.

After graduating from UWM, Brostoff first worked as a community organizer, where he befriended eventual-County Executive David Crowley.

Crowley said in a statement, "Jonathan consistently brought new ideas, contagious energy, and endless optimism to every room he entered."

In 2014, Brostoff won a seat in the State Assembly, where he served for more than seven years.

Brostoff's earned a lot of attention for an 18-month "haircut strike" in support of a bill that would provide more sign language interpreters for the deaf community.

The bill was eventually passed and signed into law.

Governor Evers said Monday, "There are few who advocate as zealously and tenaciously as Jonathan did for the people and causes he cared about."

In 2022, Brostoff returned to city government, winning a seat on the Milwaukee Common Council.

Gerlach said, "He fought to make this district a place for everyone. No matter your income, your race, your creed, or religion."

During his tenure, he met with countless constituents and hosted innumerable listening sessions as he worked to preserve his district's history and culture.

In a statement, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson called Brostoff a close friend, saying, "No elected official brought more enthusiasm to their work than Jonathan."

Brostoff focused particularly on increasing road safety and protecting pedestrians on Brady Street.

In April of this year, he won the general election for a second term.

His fellow alders released a statement Monday afternoon that said he "greeted everyone he met with empathy and kindness. He was also a passionate advocate for the betterment of our community and dedicated his professional life to the people he represented."

Back in 2019, while still serving in the State Assembly, Brostoff wrote an op-ed in the Wisconsin State Journal about suicide and access to guns.

In it, he revealed his own history with mental illness and previous attempts to take his own life.

"As a teenager," he wrote, "I had been diagnosed with ADD, ADHD, severe depression and bipolar disorder — and I was struggling."

He said the diagnoses, medications, hospital stays, and other measures were not enough to help.

He wrote, "All those years ago, staring down the darkness, I attempted to take my own life. More than once. "Brostoff added it was not having access to a gun that saved his life at the time.

An emotional Tyrone Randle said Brostoff was a "history maker, as well. He's a piece of Milwaukee's history, the fabric of who we are as a city."

No funeral arrangements have been announced yet.

When they are, Governor Evers said he will order flags lowered to half-staff in Brostoff's honor.

Jonathan Brostoff leaves behind his wife and four young children.