Cavalier Johnson made history on Tuesday, becoming the first Black mayor in Milwaukee’s history.

“This city for the first time in our 176-year history has elected its first Black mayor. We did it,” Johnson told his supporters on Tuesday, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The 35-year-old Democrat received 62,143 votes while his opponent Bob Donovan earned 24,543, according to unofficial results. Former mayor Tom Barrett left the position open after stepping down in December to become the U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg.

Johnson, who was serving as Common Council president, took over as acting mayor after Barrett resigned. As he now takes his new position, Johnson said there is a lot of work ahead. The new mayor highlighted the need to stem violence, restore neighborhoods and mend the city’s fractured relationship with the state government.

“We want our city to be loving, nurturing and stable. That’s why I ran for mayor,” he said.

The Milwaukee native spent more than $650,000 during his campaign. His opponent spent $160,000. Additionally, Johnson received $100,000 from the state Democratic Party.

According to the Milwaukee Journal, the city is grappling with an increasing number of homicides, deadly reckless driving incidents and concerns about public safety. The city recorded more homicides in 2021 than in any other year on record, CNN reports. Milwaukee is also expected to receive about $200 million in federal pandemic aid to address some of the city’s significant challenges.

Johnson is expected to finish out the remaining two years on Barrett’s term, then run for reelection.