By: Associated Press//December 23, 2021//
By: Associated Press//December 23, 2021//
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett was sworn in as U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg on Thursday.
Barrett, a Democrat, resigned at 5 p.m. Wednesday after 17 years as mayor of Wisconsin’s largest city, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
He was sworn in as Luxembourg ambassador at the federal courthouse in Milwaukee on Thursday morning.
The resignation automatically elevates Common Council President Cavalier Johnson to mayor. Johnson will serve out the remainder of Barrett’s term, which ends in 2024, and plans to run for the position.
Barrett said at a news conference that being mayor was the hardest and most rewarding job he’s had ever had.
President Joe Biden nominated Barrett as ambassador in August after the previous ambassador, Republican Randy Evans, returned to private law practice. The U.S. Senate confirmed Barrett last week.
Barrett, 68, served five terms in the U.S. House of Representatives and was both a state senator and state representative. He ran unsuccessfully for governor three times.