Mahlon Mitchell

Mahlon Mitchell (born February 24, 1977)[1] is an American firefighter and current President of the Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin. Assuming the office on January 12, 2011, he became the youngest and first African American president of the organization.[2] In addition to serving as the President of the PFFW, Mitchell serves as president of the "Sable Flames," the African American firefighters of the City of Madison Fire Department. Mitchell unsuccessfully ran in the Democratic primary for Governor of Wisconsin in 2018, placing second.

Mahlon Mitchell
Personal details
Born (1977-02-24) February 24, 1977
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseApril Mitchell
EducationMount Senario College (BA)
Mitchell at a campaign rally

Early life and career

Mitchell was born in Milwaukee and grew up in Delavan, Wisconsin. Mitchell worked as a street outreach coordinator, linking at-risk youth with community services, and for six years as a real estate agent in the Madison area. Prior to his election as President of the Fire Fighter's Association, Mitchell served as a firefighter for more than fifteen years in Madison, Wisconsin.[3] Mitchell has served as a counselor at the Wisconsin Alliance for Fire Safety's Burn Camp, which he also directed for five years. This summer camp worked with burn-injured youth to help them cope with their unique situation and build a network of support. Mitchell was promoted to lieutenant in the Madison Fire Department in 2010.[4]

Mitchell worked to help pass two pieces of legislation that were seen as victories for fire fighters across the state, including the Infectious Disease Presumption Law to ensure that firefighters are covered if they contract a disease or disability on the job, and a law ensuring that families and spouses of fire fighters who die in the line of duty will have their health insurance premiums covered.

Mitchell was sought out by the national media as a critic of Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s collective bargaining changes, which prompted weeks of demonstrations in Madison.[5]

In late October 2011, a movement to draft him to run against Walker for the office of Governor of Wisconsin surfaced on the internet. In response, Mitchell stated he would consider running in a potential recall election.[6][7] On March 19, 2012, Mitchell announced his candidacy for the office of Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin in a recall election against Rebecca Kleefisch.[8] While victorious in the Democratic Primary, Mitchell was defeated in the June 5, 2012 election with 1,156,520 votes to Kleefisch's 1,301,739. In 2013, Mitchell received an honorary degree from the National Labor College Maritime Institute of Graduate Studies.[9]

In 2018, Mitchell sought the Democratic nomination for Governor, and came in second in the primary to Tony Evers.

Personal life

Mitchell is married with two children and lives in Madison, Wisconsin.[10]

Electoral history
Wisconsin lieutenant governor recall election, 2012 results[11]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Rebecca Kleefisch (Incumbent) 1,301,739 52.9
Democratic Mahlon Mitchell 1,156,520 47.1
Total votes 2,458,259 100.0
Republican hold
Wisconsin Democratic Gubernatorial Primary Election, 2018[12]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Tony Evers 224,502 41.8
Democratic Mahlon Mitchell 88,077 16.4
Democratic Kelda Roys 68,952 12.8
Democratic Kathleen Vinehout 43,975 8.2
Democratic Mike McCabe 39,745 7.4
Democratic Matt Flynn 31,539 5.9
Democratic Paul Soglin 28,128 5.2
Democratic Josh Pade 1,929 0.4
Democratic Others 10,872 2
Total votes 537,719 100%

References
  1. Mahlon Mitchell About. Mahlon Mitchell Resume. Retrieved March 19, 2012.
  2. Dahmer, A. David (Jan 12, 2011). "Madisonian becomes first Black president of the Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin". Madison Times. Retrieved 3 November 2011.
  3. About Mahlon MahlonMitchell.com Retrieved March 19, 2012.
  4. "Organizational Chart, Madison Fire Dept" (PDF). 2011-06-20. Retrieved 3 November 2011.
  5. "Potential recall candidate says Walker gave companies two years of no taxes". PolitiFact Wisconsin. November 3, 2011. Retrieved 3 November 2011.
  6. Walker, Don (28 October 2011). "Mahlon Mitchell for governor campaign launched". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 3 November 2011.
  7. "Another Possible Candidate Eyes Recall Run For Governor". Channel 3000 CBS News. Archived from the original on 30 April 2012. Retrieved 3 November 2011.
  8. Mux, Lisa. "Mahlon Mitchell to make announcement on 3/19". Blogging Blue. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  9. "National Labor College Names Honorary Degree Recipients". National Labor College. 2013. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  10. About Mahlon, MahlonMitchell.com; retrieved March 19, 2012.
  11. "Wisconsin Recall Election Results Map". Elections.huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2012-07-23.
  12. "Wisconsin Primary Election Results". The New York Times. August 15, 2018. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
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