Milwaukee Councilman Jonathan Brostoff dies, colleagues remember legacy

MILWAUKEE – If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues, help is available. Call 988 – the suicide and crisis helpline. You can also call the provincial crisis line in your area phone numbers are available on the Prevent Suicide Wisconsin website.

A day after the sudden death of Milwaukee Ald. Jonathan BrostoffColleagues and friends said they miss his presence — especially on Election Day.

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The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office said Brostoff died by suicide. Much of his career has been advocating for mental health resources.

“He was the best of us. I mean, Jonathan was my hero,” Secretary of State Chris Larson said.

More than twenty years of stories, impossible to capture in a minute and a half. Larson looks back on his favorite memories with Brostoff, from meeting at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to stand up during his wedding.

“Worn it to his wedding, you know, with the chair,” he said. ‘We toasted him yesterday with a Sprecher. He wasn’t a drinker.’

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Brostoff, 41, was a husband and father of four children. He represented Milwaukee’s east side on the city’s Common Council. He previously served as a member of the Wisconsin Assembly.

“When he walked into a room, you could just feel his energy. It was contagious,” Larson said.

Larson said Brostoff was a staunch advocate for mental health and served on the suicide prevention task force. The councilor pushed for red flag laws that would keep guns away from people in crisis.

“Knowing that if the measures he advocated had been in place, he would still be with us,” Larson said.

Other Milwaukee leaders said Brostoff’s presence is already greatly missed.

“I know Jonathan would tell me today that he’s a lot bigger than he is, and make sure I get out here and do what I can to intervene and get people to the polls,” Milwaukee Executive David Crowley said County.

“He leaves behind an incredible legacy, and I am proud to have called him a friend,” said Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson.

A GoFundMe online fundraiser was created to help Brostoff’s family.