Mayoral elections in Madison, Wisconsin explained

Nonpartisan elections are currently held every four years to elect the mayor of Madison, Wisconsin.

1997 (special)

Election Name:	Madison mayoral special election, 1997
Type:	Presidential
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	1995 Madison mayoral election
Previous Year:	1995
Next Election:	1999 Madison mayoral election
Next Year:	1999
Election Date:	February 17, 1997 (primary) April 1, 1997 (general)
Candidate1:	Susan J. M. Bauman
Party1:	Nonpartisan politician
Popular Vote1:	25,455
Percentage1:	49.23%
Candidate2:	Wayne Bigelow
Party2:	Nonpartisan politician
Popular Vote2:	25,389
Percentage2:	49.10%
Mayor
Before Election:	Paul Soglin
Before Party:	Democratic Party (United States)
After Party:	Democratic Party (United States)

The 1997 Madison mayoral special election was held February 17 and April 1, 1997, to elect the mayor of Madison, Wisconsin. It was held after the resignation of incumbent mayor Paul Soglin. It saw the election of Susan J. M. Bauman.

Candidates

• Ray Allen, Madison School Board member^[1]
• Richard H. Anderson
• Susan J. M. Bauman, alderperson on the Madison Common Council
• Wayne Bigelow, President of the Madison Common Council^[2]
• John Hendrick, Supervisor on the Dane County Board since 1994^[3]
• Mary Lang-Sollinger, community activist and political fundraiser^[4]
• Tom Neale
• David Travis, member of the Wisconsin State Assembly

Results

1999

Election Name:	Madison mayoral election, 1999
Type:	Presidential
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	1997 Madison mayoral special election
Previous Year:	1997 (special)
Next Election:	2003 Madison mayoral election
Next Year:	2003
Election Date:	April 9, 1999
Candidate1:	Susan J. M. Bauman
Party1:	Nonpartisan politician
Popular Vote1:	35,204
Percentage1:	80.04%
Candidate2:	Eugene Parks
Party2:	Nonpartisan politician
Popular Vote2:	8,294
Percentage2:	18.85%
Mayor
Before Election:	Susan J. M. Bauman
Before Party:	Democratic Party (United States)
After Party:	Democratic Party (United States)

The 1999 Madison mayoral election was held April 9, 1999, to elect the mayor of Madison, Wisconsin. It saw the reelection of incumbent mayor Susan J. M. Bauman.

Since only two candidates ran, no primary was held.

Results

2003

Election Name:	2003 Madison mayoral election
Type:	Presidential
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	1999 Madison mayoral election
Previous Year:	1999
Next Election:	2007 Madison mayoral election
Next Year:	2007
Election Date:	February 20, 2003 (primary)^[5] April 4, 2003 (general)
Image1:	File:Dave Cieslewicz (4077437123) (1).jpg
Candidate1:	Dave Cieslewicz
Party1:	Nonpartisan politician
Popular Vote1:	29,717
Percentage1:	50.76%
Candidate2:	Paul Soglin
Party2:	Nonpartisan politician
Popular Vote2:	28,528
Percentage2:	48.73%
Mayor
Before Election:	Susan J. M. Bauman
Before Party:	Democratic Party (United States)
After Party:	Democratic Party (United States)

The 2003 Madison mayoral election was held February 20 and April 4, 2003, to elect the mayor of Madison, Wisconsin. It saw the election of Dave Cieslewicz. Incumbent mayor Susan J. M. Bauman was eliminated in the primary.

Candidates

• Susan J. M. Bauman, incumbent mayor
• Dave Cieslewicz, former member of the Dane County Board of Supervisors
• Davy Mayer
• Will Sandstrom
• Paul R. Soglin, former mayor
• Bert G. Zipperer

Results

2007

Election Name:	2007 Madison mayoral election
Type:	Presidential
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	2003 Madison mayoral election
Previous Year:	2003
Next Election:	2011 Madison mayoral election
Next Year:	2011
Election Date:	February 22, 2007 (primary) April 5, 2007 (general)
Image1:	File:Dave Cieslewicz (4077437123) (1).jpg
Candidate1:	Dave Cieslewicz
Party1:	Nonpartisan politician
Popular Vote1:	30,812
Percentage1:	61.78%
Candidate2:	Ray Allen
Party2:	Nonpartisan politician
Popular Vote2:	18,816
Percentage2:	37.72%
Mayor
Before Election:	Dave Cieslewicz
Before Party:	Democratic Party (United States)
After Party:	Democratic Party (United States)

The 2007 Madison mayoral election was held February 22 and April 5, 2007, to elect the mayor of Madison, Wisconsin. It saw the reelection of incumbent mayor Dave Cieslewicz.

Candidates

• Ray Allen, Madison School Board member^[1] and 1997 mayoral candidate
• Dave Cieslewicz, incumbent mayor
• Peter Munoz
• Will Sandstrom, 2003 mayoral candidate

Results

2011

Election Name:	2011 Madison mayoral election
Type:	Presidential
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	2007 Madison mayoral election
Previous Year:	2007
Next Election:	2015 Madison mayoral election
Next Year:	2015
Election Date:	February 15, 2011 (primary) April 5, 2011 (general)
Image1:	Mayor Soglin (16213420123) (1).jpg
Candidate1:	Paul Soglin
Party1:	Nonpartisan politician
Popular Vote1:	44,542
Percentage1:	49.76%
Candidate2:	Dave Cieslewicz
Party2:	Nonpartisan politician
Popular Vote2:	43,829
Percentage2:	48.96%
Mayor
Before Election:	Dave Cieslewicz
Before Party:	Democratic Party (United States)
After Party:	Democratic Party (United States)

The 2011 Madison mayoral election was held February 20 and April 4, 2003, to elect the mayor of Madison, Wisconsin. It saw former mayor Paul Soglin return to the mayoralty by unseating incumbent mayor Dave Cieslewicz.

Candidates

• John Blotz
• Dave Cieslewicz, incumbent mayor
• Dennis Amadeus de Nure
• Nick Hart
• Paul R. Soglin, former mayor

Results

2015

Election Name:	2015 Madison mayoral election
Type:	Presidential
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	2011 Madison mayoral election
Previous Year:	2011
Next Election:	2019 Madison mayoral election
Next Year:	2019
Election Date:	February 17, 2015 (primary) April 7, 2015 (general)
Image1:	Mayor Soglin (16213420123) (1).jpg
Candidate1:	Paul Soglin
Party1:	Nonpartisan politician
Popular Vote1:	37,734
Percentage1:	72.0%
Candidate2:	Scott Resnick
Party2:	Nonpartisan politician
Popular Vote2:	14,195
Percentage2:	27.1%
Mayor
Before Election:	Paul Soglin
Before Party:	Democratic Party (United States)
After Party:	Democratic Party (United States)

The 2015 Madison mayoral election was held February 17 and April 7, 2015, to elect the mayor of Madison, Wisconsin. It saw the reelection of incumbent mayor Paul Soglin.

Candidates

• Richard V. Brown, Sr.
• Christopher Daly
• Bridget Maniaci, former 2nd district member of the Madison Common Council (2009–2013)^{[6] [7]}
• Scott Resnick, 8th district member of the Madison Common Council since 2011 and tech executive
• Paul Soglin, incumbent mayor

Results

2019

Election Name:	2019 Madison mayoral election
Type:	Presidential
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	2015 Madison mayoral election
Previous Year:	2015
Next Election:	2023 Madison mayoral election
Next Year:	2023
Election Date:	February 19, 2019 (primary) April 2, 2019 (general)
Image1:	Satya Rhodes-Conway 191109-Z-HD478-979 (1).jpg
Candidate1:	Satya Rhodes-Conway
Party1:	Nonpartisan politician
Popular Vote1:	47,915
Percentage1:	61.9%
Candidate2:	Paul Soglin
Party2:	Nonpartisan politician
Popular Vote2:	29,150
Percentage2:	37.7%
Mayor
Before Election:	Paul Soglin
Before Party:	Democratic Party (United States)
After Party:	Democratic Party (United States)

The 2019 Madison mayoral election was held February 19 and April 2, 2019, to elect the mayor of Madison, Wisconsin. It saw the election of Satya Rhodes-Conway, who unseated incumbent mayor Paul Soglin. Conway became the second woman and the first openly-gay individual elected mayor in the city's history.^{[8] [9]}

Candidates

• Maurice "Mo" Cheeks, 10th district member of the Madison Common Council since 2013 and Vice President of Business Development at MIOsoft^[10]
• Nick Hart
• Satya Rhodes-Conway, former 12th district member of the Madison Common Council
• Raj Shukla
• Paul Soglin, incumbent mayor

Results

2023

Election Name:	2023 Madison mayoral election
Flag Image:	File:Flag of Madison, Wisconsin (2018).svg
Type:	Presidential
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	2019 Madison mayoral election
Previous Year:	2019
Next Election:	2027 Madison mayoral election
Election Date:	February 21, 2023 (primary) April 4, 2023 (general)
Image1:	Satya Rhodes-Conway (53470603876) (1).jpg
Candidate1:	Satya Rhodes-Conway
Party1:	Nonpartisan politician
Popular Vote1:	63,066
Percentage1:	55.2%
Candidate2:	Gloria Reyes
Party2:	Nonpartisan politician
Popular Vote2:	50,402
Percentage2:	44.1%
Mayor
Before Election:	Satya Rhodes-Conway
Before Party:	Nonpartisan politician
After Election:	Satya Rhodes-Conway
After Party:	Nonpartisan politician

The 2023 Madison mayoral election was held on April 4, 2023, to elect the mayor of Madison, Wisconsin.

A primary election was held on February 21, 2023, to narrow down the candidates to two. It saw record turnout due to the concurrent primary for the 2023 Wisconsin Supreme Court election. Satya Rhodes-Conway and Gloria Reyes qualified for the general election, while Scott Kerr was eliminated. Daniel Howell Jr., a write-in candidate, plans on running as a write-in candidate for the general election in addition to the primary.^[11]

Candidates

• Daniel Howell Jr., caseworker and former Wisconsin Badgers football player (write-in)^[12]
• Scott Kerr, traffic engineer^[13] (endorsed Reyes in the runoff)^{[14] [15]}
• Gloria Reyes, former deputy mayor and president of the Madison Board of Education^[16]
• Satya Rhodes-Conway, incumbent mayor

Forums

! scope="col"

Date	Host	Link	Nonpartisan	Nonpartisan	Nonpartisan	Nonpartisan
Key: Participant  Absent  Not invited  Invited Out of race
				Daniel Howell Jr.	Scott Kerr	Gloria Reyes	Satya Rhodes-Conway
1	January 30, 2023	Community associations	YouTube
2	January 31, 2023	Urban League of Greater Madison	YouTube
3	February 27, 2023	Wisconsin Policy Forum	YouTube

Results

External links

Official campaign websites

• Satya Rhodes-Conway for Mayor
• Gloria Reyes for Mayor

Notes and References

1. Web site: Lueders . Bill . Did he or didn't he? . Isthmus . 9 November 2019 . 15 February 2007.
2. Web site: Scherling . Matt . Wayne Bigelow no longer mayoral gigolo . The Badger Herald . 9 November 2019 . 1 October 2002.
3. Web site: Becker . Abigail . Dane County Board Supervisor John Hendrick will not seek re-election in 2018 . The Cap Times . 9 November 2019 . 14 August 2017.
4. Web site: Nichols . John . FRIEND OF BARACK MADISON'S MARY LANG SOLLINGER, AN EARLY SUPPORTER OF OBAMA, HELPED RAISE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOR THE PRESIDENT-ELECT . Madison.com . 9 November 2019 . 14 January 2009.
5. Web site: Past Elections . Dane County Clerk's Office . 8 November 2019.
6. Web site: Tarr . Joe . Bridget Maniaci criticizes Paul Soglin's style and agenda in her run for mayor of Madison . Isthmus . 8 November 2019 . 15 July 2014.
7. Web site: Maniaci . Bridget . Bridget Maniaci: Madison deserves a real race for mayor, not a candidate picked by the elite . The Capital Times . 8 November 2019 . 24 July 2018.
8. News: Rhodes-Conway ousts longtime Madison Mayor Soglin . April 9, 2019 . Star Tribune . Associated Press . April 2, 2019 . Journal Times . April 2, 2019 . https://journaltimes.com/news/local/rhodes-conway-ousts-longtime-madison-mayor-soglin/article_7d400d88-d2eb-55c8-9007-639247470a6f.html .
9. News: Mosiman . Dean . Satya Rhodes-Conway trounces Paul Soglin to become Madison's mayor . April 9, 2019 . Wisconsin State Journal . April 3, 2019.
10. Web site: Madison Alder Mo Cheeks running for mayor . Channel 3000 . 8 November 2019 . 12 July 2018.
11. Web site: Garfield . Allison . Madison primary results: Rhodes-Conway, Reyes advance to April mayoral election . 2023-02-22 . The Cap Times . February 22, 2023 . en.
12. Web site: Journal . Dean Mosiman Wisconsin State . Former Badger football player running for Madison mayor as write-in candidate . 2023-02-22 . Wisconsin State Journal . February 2, 2023 . en.
13. Web site: Affair . A. Public . 2023-01-11 . Scott Kerr is Running for Madison Mayor . 2023-01-14 . WORT-FM 89.9 . en-US.
14. Web site: Gloria Reyes is wrong about BRT, Madison Metro leader says . Garfield . Allison . 2023-03-21 . 2023-03-23 . . en.
15. Web site: OUR VIEW: Give Gloria Reyes a chance to lead Madison . 2023-03-12 . 2023-03-23 . . en.
16. Web site: Girard . Allison Garfield and Scott . Former school board president Gloria Reyes will run for Madison mayor . 2023-01-14 . The Cap Times . November 10, 2022 . en.