Mayoral elections in Madison, Wisconsin
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nonpartisan elections are currently held every four years, in the year preceding a United States presidential election, to elect the mayor of Madison, Wisconsin.
1874
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, April 7, 1874 | |||||
| Democratic | Silas U. Pinney | 1,015 | 66.78 | ||
| Republican | Hiram Giles | 505 | 33.22 | ||
| Plurality | 510 | 33.55 | |||
| Total votes | 1,520 | 100 | |||
| Democratic hold | |||||
1875
Silas U. Pinney was re-elected in 1875.
1876
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, April 4, 1876 | |||||
| Democratic | John N. Jones | 879 | 50.84 | ||
| Independent Democrat | Silas U. Pinney (incumbent) | 850 | 49.16 | ||
| Plurality | 29 | 1.68 | |||
| Total votes | 1,729 | 100 | |||
| Democratic hold | |||||
1969 and 1971
William Dyke was elected in both 1969 and 1971
1973
Paul Soglin (a member of the Madison Common Council) won an upset victory over incumbent mayor William Dyke.[3]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Election, March 6, 1973 | |||||
| Nonpartisan | William Dyke (incumbent) | 16,243 | 36.16 | ||
| Nonpartisan | Paul Soglin | 11,485 | 25.56 | ||
| Nonpartisan | David Stewart | 10,350 | 23.04 | ||
| Nonpartisan | Leo Cooper | 6,150 | 13.69 | ||
| Nonpartisan | R. Whelan Burke | 283 | 0.63 | ||
| Nonpartisan | David Robb | 161 | 0.36 | ||
| Nonpartisan | Joseph Kraemer | 122 | 0.27 | ||
| Nonpartisan | Mark Gregersen | 27 | 0.06 | ||
| Scattering | 105 | 0.23 | |||
| Total votes | 44,926 | 100 | |||
| General Election, April 3, 1973 | |||||
| Nonpartisan | Paul Soglin | 37,548 | 52.35 | ||
| Nonpartisan | William Dyke (incumbent) | 34,179 | 47.65 | ||
| Plurality | 3,369 | 4.70 | |||
| Total votes | 71,727 | 100 | |||
1975 and 1977
Paul Soglin won re-election.
1979, 1981
1983
April 5, 1983
| ||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
The 1989 Madison mayoral election saw the election of Joseph Sensenbrenner.
Both Sensenbrenner and his general election opponent, Robert "Toby" Reynolds, were lawyers. Sensenbrenner was a deputy attorney general of Wisconsin, and also formerly worked as an aide to Patrick J. Lucey during Lucey's governorship. Both Sensenbrenner and Reynolds were considered to be liberal members of the Democratic Party. The election was considered the most major local election held in the state in 1983. It coincided on the ballot with the 1983 Wisconsin Supreme Court election.[5]
In December 1982, incumbent Madison Mayor Joel Skornicka announced he would not run for a third term. Two weeks later, Sensenbrenner announced his candidacy. Sensenbrenner quickly earned the endorsement of the outgoing Mayor and inherited many of his campaign supporters and staff.[6] Sensenbrenner's campaign emphasized his experience in state government and management skills, and, in the crowded 8-person nonpartisan primary, he came in a close second to former alderman and past mayoral candidate Robert Reynolds.[7] Reynolds and Sensenbrenner faced off in the April election, with both running on a liberal Democratic platform. Sensenbrenner continued to emphasize his managerial acumen, while Reynolds focused more on his desire to lead and motivate the city's various constituencies. Sensenbrenner prevailed with 53% of the vote in the April general election.[8]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan primary (February 15, 1983) | ||||
| Nonpartisan | Robert Reynolds | 7,394 | 37.66% | |
| Nonpartisan | Joseph Sensenbrenner | 6,961 | 35.45% | |
| Nonpartisan | Michael Briggs | 3,397 | 17.30% | |
| Nonpartisan | Michael Ducey | 1,018 | 5.18% | |
| Nonpartisan | Carol Gainer | 341 | 1.74% | |
| Nonpartisan | Thomas Byrne | 291 | 1.48% | |
| Nonpartisan | Douglas Wanberg | 126 | 0.64% | |
| Nonpartisan | Syed Ameen | 108 | 0.55% | |
| Plurality | 433 | 2.21% | ||
| Total votes | 19,636 | 100.0% | ||
| General election (April 5, 1983) | ||||
| Nonpartisan | Joseph Sensenbrenner (incumbent) | 22,025 | 52.94% | |
| Nonpartisan | Robert Reynolds | 19,575 | 47.06% | |
| Plurality | 2,450 | 5.89% | ||
| Total votes | 41,600 | 100.0% | ||
1985
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General election (April 2, 1985) | ||||
| Nonpartisan | Joseph Sensenbrenner (incumbent) | 24,536 | 73.49 | |
| Nonpartisan | Alex Cunningham | 8,852 | 26.51 | |
| Plurality | 15,684 | 46.97 | ||
| Total votes | 33,388 | 100.0 | ||
1987
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General election (April 7, 1987) | ||||
| Nonpartisan | Joseph Sensenbrenner (incumbent) | 36,341 | 67.48 | |
| Nonpartisan | Mary Kay Baum | 17,510 | 32.52 | |
| Plurality | 18,831 | 34.97 | ||
| Total votes | 53,851 | 100.0 | ||
1989
April 4, 1983
| ||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
In the 1989 Madison mayoral election, incumbent mayor Sensenbrenner sought reelection while advocating for a proposed convention center on Lake Monona. He was challenged by former mayor Soglin (who had served six years as mayor in the 1970s) and four other candidates. Sensenbrenner faced attacks throughout the race on the prioritization of the city's convention center project (seen as a luxury pavilion for the city's elites) over the interests and services for working class downtown and near-downtown districts. Sensenbrenner barely survived the February primary, with only 50 votes separating him from 3rd place finisher Rick Berg.[11] Also on the April election ballot was a city referendum for raising property taxes to pay for Sensenbrenner's proposed convention center. Sensenbrenner and the referendum were defeated by a similar margin.[12][13] Despite the setback for the convention center, it did eventually get built. New-Mayor Paul Soglin quickly reversed his position from the campaign and the convention center, now known as Monona Terrace, was opened in 1997.[14]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan primary (February 21, 1989) | ||||
| Nonpartisan | Paul Soglin | 15,600 | 39.31% | |
| Nonpartisan | Joseph Sensenbrenner (incumbent) | 10,575 | 26.65 | |
| Nonpartisan | Richard Berg | 10,526 | 26.52 | |
| Nonpartisan | Eugene Parks | 1,841 | 4.64 | |
| Nonpartisan | John Roussos | 892 | 2.25 | |
| Nonpartisan | Dennis DeNure | 251 | 0.63 | |
| Plurality | 5,025 | 12.66 | ||
| Total votes | 39,685 | 100.0 | ||
| General election (April 4, 1989) | ||||
| Nonpartisan | Paul Soglin | 34,537 | 56.79 | |
| Nonpartisan | Joseph Sensenbrenner (incumbent) | 26,280 | 43.21 | |
| Plurality | 8,257 | 13.58 | ||
| Total votes | 60,817 | 100.0 | ||
1991, 1993, 1995
Paul Soglin was re-elected
1997 (special)
| Turnout | 26% reg. voters[a] 32% reg. voters | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
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[17]
- Richard H. Anderson
- Susan J. M. Bauman, alderperson on the Madison Common Council
- Wayne Bigelow, President of the Madison Common Council[18]
- John Hendrick, Supervisor on the Dane County Board since 1994[19]
- Mary Lang-Sollinger, community activist and political fundraiser[20]
- Tom Neale
- David Travis, member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
Results
The February county and city primaries saw 42,483 ballots cast in Madison, reported as a turnout of 26%[21] (compared to election-eve voter registration).
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne Bigelow | 9,332 | 22.38 | |
| Susan J. M. Bauman | 9,100 | 21.82 | |
| Ray Allen | 7,954 | 19.07 | |
| John Hendrick | 6,875 | 16.49 | |
| David Travis | 4,588 | 11.00 | |
| Mary Lang-Sollinger | 3,513 | 8.42 | |
| Richard H. Anderson | 198 | 0.48 | |
| Tom Neale | 145 | 0.35 | |
| Total votes | 41,695 | 100 | |
| Undervotes | 788 | 1.85 | |
| Turnout | 42,483 | 25% | |
The April county and city general elections saw 52,619 ballots cast in Madison, reported as a turnout of 32%[21] (compared to election-eve voter registration).
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Susan J. M. Bauman | 25,455 | 49.23 | |
| Wayne Bigelow | 25,389 | 49.10 | |
| Denis Collins write-in | 462 | 0.89 | |
| Other write-ins | 398 | 0.76 | |
| Total votes | 51,704 | 100 | |
| Undervotes | 915 | 1.74 | |
| Turnout | 52,619 | 32% | |
1999
April 9, 1999[22]
| ||||||||||||||||
| Turnout | 31% reg. voters[a] | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
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
The April county and city general saw 45,248 ballots cast in Madison, reported as a turnout of 31%[21] (compared to election-eve voter registration).
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Susan J. M. Bauman (incumbent) | 35,204 | 80.04 | |
| Eugene Parks | 8,294 | 18.85 | |
| Write-ins | 483 | 1.09 | |
| Total votes | 43,981 | 100 | |
| Undervotes | 1,267 | 2.80 | |
| Turnout | 45,248 | 31% | |
2003
| Turnout | 26% reg. voters[a] 38% reg. voters | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
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
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dave Cieslewicz | 14,326 | 35.16 | |
| Paul R. Soglin | 14,144 | 34.72 | |
| Bert G. Zipperer | 6,610 | 16.22 | |
| Susan J. M. Bauman (incumbent) | 4,681 | 11.49 | |
| Will Sandstrom | 492 | 1.20 | |
| Davy Mayer | 389 | 0.95 | |
| Write-ins | 92 | 0.22 | |
| Total votes | 40,734 | 100 | |
| Undervotes | 245 | 0.60 | |
| Turnout | 40,979 | 26% | |
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dave Cieslewicz | 29,717 | 50.76 | |
| Paul R. Soglin | 28,528 | 48.73 | |
| Write-ins | 291 | 0.49 | |
| Total votes | 58,536 | 100 | |
| Undervotes | 555 | 1.35 | |
| Turnout | 40,979 | 38% | |
2007
| Turnout | 17% reg. voters[a] 30% reg. voters | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
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[17] and 1997 mayoral candidate
- Dave Cieslewicz, incumbent mayor
- Peter Munoz
- Will Sandstrom, 2003 mayoral candidate
Results
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dave Cieslewicz (incumbent) | 15,488 | 57.50 | |
| Ray Allen | 8,042 | 29.86 | |
| Peter Munoz | 2,661 | 9.88 | |
| Will Sandstrom | 641 | 2.38 | |
| Write-ins | 100 | 0.37 | |
| Total votes | 26,932 | 100 | |
| Undervotes | 300 | 1.10 | |
| Turnout | 27232 | 17% | |
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dave Cieslewicz (incumbent) | 30,812 | 61.78 | |
| Ray Allen | 18,816 | 37.72 | |
| Write-ins | 244 | 0.48 | |
| Total votes | 49,872 | 100 | |
| Undervotes | 1,519 | 3.14 | |
| Turnout | 48353 | 30% | |
2011
| Turnout | 22% reg. voters[a] 54% reg. voters | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
The 2011 Madison mayoral election was held 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.
The primary and general election both coincided with those for a high-profile state supreme court race.
Candidates
- John Blotz
- Dave Cieslewicz, incumbent mayor
- Dennis Amadeus de Nure
- Nick Hart
- Paul R. Soglin, former mayor
Results
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul R. Soglin | 18,693 | 49.49 | |
| Dave Cieslewicz (incumbent) | 17,500 | 46.33 | |
| Nick Hart | 598 | 1.58 | |
| John Blotz | 569 | 1.50 | |
| Dennis Amadeus de Nure | 274 | 0.72 | |
| Write-ins | 137 | 0.36 | |
| Total votes | 37,771 | 100 | |
| Undervotes | 818 | 2.12 | |
| Turnout | 38589 | 22% | |
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul R. Soglin | 44,542 | 49.76 | |
| Dave Cieslewicz (incumbent) | 43,829 | 48.96 | |
| Write-ins | 1,133 | 1.26 | |
| Total votes | 89,504 | 100 | |
| Undervotes | 4,472 | 4.76 | |
| Turnout | 93976 | 54% | |
2015
| Turnout | 12% reg. voters[a] 30% reg. voters | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
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 (2009â2013)[30][31]
- Scott Resnick, 8th district member of the Madison Common Council since 2011 and tech executive
- Paul Soglin, incumbent mayor
Results
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul R. Soglin (incumbent) | 11,856 | 52.8 | |
| Scott Resnick | 5,223 | 23.3 | |
| Bridget Maniaci | 3,311 | 14.7 | |
| Richard V. Brown, Sr. | 1,034 | 4.6 | |
| Christopher Daly | 973 | 4.3 | |
| Write-ins | 63 | 0.3 | |
| Total votes | 22,460 | 100 | |
| Undervotes | |||
| Turnout | 12% | ||
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul R. Soglin (incumbent) | 37,734 | 72.0 | |
| Scott Resnick | 14,195 | 27.1 | |
| Write-ins | 506 | 1.0 | |
| Total votes | 52,435 | 100 | |
| Undervotes | 1,812 | 3.34 | |
| Turnout | 54247 | 30% | |
2019
| Turnout | 21% reg. voters[a] 44% reg. voters | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
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.[34][35]
Candidates
- Maurice "Mo" Cheeks, 10th district member of the Madison Common Council since 2013 and Vice President of Business Development at MIOsoft[36]
- Nick Hart
- Satya Rhodes-Conway, former 12th district member of the Madison Common Council
- Raj Shukla
- Paul Soglin, incumbent mayor
Results
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul R. Soglin (incumbent) | 10,771 | 28.6 | |
| Satya Rhodes-Conway | 10,448 | 27.7 | |
| Mo Cheeks | 8,801 | 23.3 | |
| Raj Shukla | 6,954 | 18.4 | |
| Nick Hart | 386 | 1.0 | |
| Write-ins | 346 | 0.9 | |
| Total votes | 37,706 | 100 | |
| Undervotes | 47 | 0.12 | |
| Turnout | 37,753 | 21% | |
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Satya Rhodes-Conway | 47,915 | 61.9 | |
| Paul R. Soglin (incumbent) | 29,150 | 37.7 | |
| Write-ins | 311 | 0.4 | |
| Total votes | 77,376 | 100 | |
| Undervotes | 2,077 | 2.61 | |
| Turnout | 79,453 | 44% | |
2023
February 21, 2023 (primary)
April 4, 2023 (general) | ||||||||||||||||
| Turnout | 21% reg. voters[a] 63% reg. voters | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||
Results by alderman district
| ||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||

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, planned on running as a write-in candidate for the general election in addition to the primary.[39]
Candidates
- Daniel Howell Jr., caseworker and former Wisconsin Badgers football player (write-in)[40]
- Scott Kerr, traffic engineer[41] (endorsed Reyes in the runoff)[42][43]
- Gloria Reyes, former deputy mayor and president of the Madison Board of Education[44]
- Satya Rhodes-Conway, incumbent mayor
Forums
| No. | Date | Host | Link | Nonpartisan | Nonpartisan | Nonpartisan | Nonpartisan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key:
P Participant A Absent N Not invited I Invited O Out of race |
|||||||
| Daniel Howell Jr. | Scott Kerr | Gloria Reyes | Satya Rhodes-Conway | ||||
| 1 | January 30, 2023 | Community associations[b] | YouTube | N | P | P | P |
| 2 | January 31, 2023 | Urban League of Greater Madison[c] | YouTube | N | P | P | P |
| 3 | February 27, 2023 | Wisconsin Policy Forum[d] | YouTube | N | O | P | P |
Endorsements
U.S. Representatives
- Mark Pocan, WI-2 (2013âpresent)[46]
County officials
- Richard Kilmer, former Dane County supervisor from the 4th district (2016â2020)[47]
- Patrick Miles, chair of the Dane County Board of Supervisors from the 34th district (2006âpresent)[46]
- Joe Parisi, Dane County executive (2011âpresent) and former Wisconsin state assemblyman from the 48th district (2005â2011)[46]
Madison alders
- Juliana Bennett, 8th ward (2021âpresent)[47]
- Patrick Heck, 2nd ward (2019âpresent)[47]
- Sabrina Madison, 17th ward (2022âpresent)[46]
- Erik Paulson, 3rd ward (2022âpresent)[47]
- Mike Verveer, 4th ward (1995âpresent)[47]
Madison school board members
- Savion Castro, 2nd ward (2019âpresent)[46]
- Ali Muldrow, 4th ward (2019âpresent)[46]
- Nicki Vander Meulen, 7th ward (2017âpresent)[46]
Editorial boards
Labor unions
- American Federation of Teachers Wisconsin[50]
- Madison Teachers Incorporated[51]
- Wisconsin AFL-CIO[52]
Organizations
- 314 Action[53]
- Citizen Action of Wisconsin - affiliate of People's Action[54]
- EMILY's List[55]
- Fair Wisconsin PAC[56]
- LGBTQ Victory Fund[57]
- LPAC[47][58]
- Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin - affiliate of Planned Parenthood Action Fund[59]
- Progressive Change Campaign Committee[60]
- Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters[61]
Political Parties
- Dane County Democratic Party (co-endorsement with Reyes)[62]
County officials
- Kalvin Barrett, Dane County Sheriff (2021âpresent)[46]
Local officials
- David Couper, former Chief of the Madison Police Department (1972â1993)[46]
- Christina Gomez Schmidt, Madison school board member from the 6th ward (2004â2023)[46]
- Barbara Harrington-McKinney, Madison alder from the 1st ward (2015â2023)[58]
- Ananda Mirilli, former Madison school board member from the 5th ward (2019â2022)[46]
- Paul Soglin, former mayor of Madison (1973â1979, 1989â1997, and 2011â2019)[46]
- Noble Wray, former Chief of the Madison Police Department (2004â2013)[46]
Editorial boards
Labor unions
- Madison Professional Police Officers Association[63]
Political parties
- Dane County Democratic Party (co-endorsement with Rhodes-Conway)[62]
Results
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Satya Rhodes-Conway (incumbent) | 63,066 | 55.2 | |
| Gloria Reyes | 50,402 | 44.1 | |
| Write-ins | 755 | 0.7 | |
| Total votes | 114,223 | 100 | |
| Undervotes | 6,170 | 5.12 | |
| Turnout | 120,393 | 63% | |
Notes
- Wisconsin allows same-day voter registration. "Registered voters" election turnout is calculated by dividing the ballots cast (a figure that includes ballots cast voters who registered day-of on Election Day) by the voter registration as it stood on the eve of Election Day (a total which excludes day-of voters).
- Hosted by Midvale Heights Community Association, Sunset Village Community Association, Regent Neighborhood Association, Westmorland Neighborhood Association, Summit Woods Neighborhood Association, University Hill Farms Association, and Crawford Marlborough Nakoma Neighborhood.
- Co-hosted by Downtown Madison, Inc.
- Includes Daniel Howell Jr., who ran as a write-in candidate.