27 Facts About Bob Donovan

Robert G "Bob" Donovan was born on May 4,1956 and is an American Republican politician from Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.

Bob Donovan previously served 20 years on the Milwaukee Common Council and was an unsuccessful candidate for mayor of Milwaukee in 2016 and 2022.

Bob Donovan was born and raised in the Jackson Park neighborhood of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and graduated from Saint Thomas More High School.

Bob Donovan entered Saint Francis de Sales Seminary but left after a year.

Milwaukee Solvay Coke went out of business in 1983 and Bob Donovan worked a number of jobs in the years after, including security officer at Southridge Mall and later for a pest control company.

Bob Donovan first entered politics as a Republican candidate in 1982, challenging incumbent Democratic state representative Joseph Czarnezki in what was then the 17th Assembly district.

Bob Donovan says he was drawn to the Republican Party by Ronald Reagan, but later admitted that this experience taught him that he didn't want to be labeled as a Republican if he wanted to be successful in Milwaukee politics.

Bob Donovan therefore described himself as nonpartisan for most of the next forty years.

Bob Donovan decided to challenge Frank for his seat on the city council, but his 1996 campaign failed to make the ballot due to invalid nomination forms.

Bob Donovan ran as a write-in candidate and came close to winning.

Four years later, Frank chose not to run for an 8th term, and Bob Donovan won the election to succeed him.

Bob Donovan founded a nonprofit, the Milwaukee Alliance, which launched the south side's community prosecution unit to address neighborhood issues like absentee landlords or nuisance properties.

Ultimately, Bob Donovan was indicted for fraud and making false statements to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Ultimately, Biskupic agreed to drop the charges after Bob Donovan paid a fee to the city.

Bob Donovan was ultimately re-elected four times as alderman for the 8th district.

Bob Donovan has frequently been at-odds with his mostly Democratic colleagues in the Milwaukee Common Council, and was described as having a "large ego" and "pandering".

Bob Donovan announced in March 2019 that he would retire in 2020.

Bob Donovan subsequently moved to the neighboring suburban city of Greenfield, Wisconsin.

Bob Donovan launched his first bid for mayor of Milwaukee in 2015, challenging three-term incumbent mayor Tom Barrett in the 2016 election.

Bob Donovan ran on an anti-crime platform with the endorsement of Milwaukee's police and firefighters' unions.

Bob Donovan was a long-time opponent of the planned Milwaukee Streetcar.

Bob Donovan again chose to enter the race, despite Milwaukee no longer being his primary residence.

Bob Donovan stood out in a crowded primary field as the only conservative candidate, and again ran on an anti-crime platform, calling for more police and tougher penalties for criminals.

Bob Donovan faced Democrat Lu Ann Bird in the general election, a former Whitnall School District board member from Hales Corners, Wisconsin.

The 84th district race was one of the closest elections in the state in 2022, and Bob Donovan ultimately prevailed by a margin of 526 votes.

Bob Donovan subsequently announced he would relocate to run instead in the redrawn 61st Assembly district.

Bob Donovan has an "F" rating from the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws for his voting history regarding cannabis-related causes.