Politics & Government

Milwaukee Mayor Will Be Next Ambassador To Luxembourg After Senate Confirmation

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett was confirmed as the U.S. Ambassador to Luxembourg after the Senate gave a unanimous voice vote.

Barrett said he would transfer power to Common Council President Cavalier Johnson, who will be acting mayor until the next election.
Barrett said he would transfer power to Common Council President Cavalier Johnson, who will be acting mayor until the next election. (Greg Moore/AP)

MILWAUKEE, WI — The U.S. Senate Thursday voted to confirm that Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett as the next U.S. Ambassador to Luxembourg.

Barrett was unanimously confirmed in a voice vote for his new position, he said in a news conference on Thursday.

"I'm very honored and pleased, I'm extremely thankful to President Biden for having the confidence in me to serve him, to serve the State Department and to serve the United States in Luxembourg," he said.

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He also thanked Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Madison) and Ron Johnson (D-Oshkosh,) and the people of the City of Milwaukee.

The mayor said he would talk to Milwaukee Common Council President Cavalier Johnson on Friday to discuss transferring the power of his office. In a separate statement, Johnson said he was "ready to step up and lead" as Milwaukee's acting mayor until the next election.

Find out what's happening in Milwaukeefor free with the latest updates from Patch.

There hasn't been a concrete date set for Barrett's departure, but he said it would most likely happen before the end of the year.

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