Municipal elections in Madison, Wisconsin (2015)

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Madison, Wisconsin municipal elections, 2015

List of candidates
Mayor
Common Council: District 1District 2District 3District 4District 5District 6District 7District 8District 9District 10District 11District 12District 13District 14District 15District 16District 17District 18District 19District 20
Election results

Districts map

Issues

2015 Municipal Elections

Madison, Wisconsin

The city of Madison, Wisconsin, held nonpartisan elections for mayor and city council on April 7, 2015. In races with more than two candidates, a primary took place on February 17, 2015. These included the races for mayor and Districts 1 and 14. The top two vote-getters in these races advanced to the general election. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was January 6, 2015. All 20 city council seats were up for election. A map of Madison's 20 Common Council Districts can be found here.

In the mayoral race, incumbent Paul Soglin was elected to a second term. Four challengers filed to run against him, including two-term Madison Alder Scott J. Resnick, whom Soglin faced in the general election. In the Common Council races, 15 of 20 incumbents ran for re-election. Two of those incumbents were defeated. In District 14, Sheri Carter defeated John Strasser. In District 17, Samba Baldeh defeated Joseph R. Clausius. 14 seats were uncontested. Two of these uncontested seats—Districts 3 and 8—featured non-incumbents.[1][2]

Voter turnout in the primary election was 13%. In the general election, it was 29.6%.[3]

The results of Madison's 2015 elections marked a significant milestone in the city's political and racial history. Barbara McKinney in District 1 and Sheri Carter in District 14 became the first African-American women ever to be elected to the Madison Common Council.[4]

Madison's 2015 election cycle began with an emphasis on familiar municipal issues such as downtown development, affordable housing and city services. But after a Madison police officer shot and killed an unarmed black teen in March, racial inequality quickly became the defining feature of the city's 2015 elections. You can read more about these issues below.

The Capital Times created a series of podcasts dedicated to Madison's mayoral race. You can access them here.

Mayor

Candidate list

February 17 Primary election candidates:

April 7 General election candidates:

Election results

Madison Mayoral Primary Election, 2015
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngPaul Soglin Incumbent 52.8% 11,856
Green check mark transparent.pngScott J. Resnick 23.3% 5,223
Bridget Maniaci 14.7% 3,311
Christopher Daly 4.3% 973
Richard V. Brown Sr. 4.6% 1,034
Write-in 0.3% 63
Total Votes 22,397
Source: Dane County Clerk's Office, "Official primary election results," accessed July 30, 2015
Madison Mayoral General Election, 2015
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngPaul Soglin Incumbent 72% 37,734
Scott J. Resnick 27.1% 14,195
Write-in 1% 506
Total Votes 52,435
Source: Dane County Clerk's Office, "Official general election results," accessed July 30, 2015

Common council

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Candidate list

District 1

Note: Incumbent Lisa Subeck did not run for re-election.

February 17 Primary election candidates:

April 7 General election candidates:

District 2

April 7 General election candidates:

  • Ledell Zellers Green check mark transparent.png - Incumbent Zellers was elected to the council in 2013.
Note: Jefferson Carpenter was removed from the ballot in January 2015.

District 3

Note: Incumbent Lauren Cnare did not run for re-election.

April 7 General election candidates:

District 4

April 7 General election candidates:

District 5

April 7 General election candidates:

District 6

April 7 General election candidates:

District 7

April 7 General election candidates:

  • Steve King Green check mark transparent.png - Incumbent King was elected to the council in 2009.

District 8

Note: Incumbent Scott J. Resnick did not run for re-election.

April 7 General election candidates:

District 9

April 7 General election candidates:

  • Paul Skidmore Green check mark transparent.png - Incumbent Skidmore was elected to the council in 2001.

District 10

April 7 General election candidates:

District 11

April 7 General election candidates:

  • Chris Schmidt Green check mark transparent.png - Incumbent Schmidt was elected to the council in 2009.

District 12

April 7 General election candidates:

  • Larry Palm Green check mark transparent.png - Incumbent Palm was elected to the council in 2005.

District 13

Note: Incumbent Lucas Dailey did not run for re-election.

April 7 General election candidates:

District 14

February 17 Primary election candidates:

April 7 General election candidates:

District 15

April 7 General election candidates:

  • David Ahrens Green check mark transparent.png - Incumbent Ahrens was elected to the council in 2013.

District 16

April 7 General election candidates:

District 17

April 7 General election candidates:

District 18

Note: Incumbent Anita Weier did not run for re-election.

April 7 General election candidates:

District 19

April 7 General election candidates:

  • Mark Clear Green check mark transparent.png - Incumbent Clear was elected to the council in 2007.

District 20

April 7 General election candidates:

Election results

Primary

Madison Common Council District 1 Primary Election, 2015
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngBarbara McKinney 57.1% 284
Green check mark transparent.pngMatt Brink 35.4% 176
Sandra Dickman 6.4% 32
Write-in 1% 5
Total Votes 497
Source: Dane County Clerk's Office, "Official primary election results," accessed July 30, 2015
Madison Common Council District 14 Primary Election, 2015
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngJohn Strasser Incumbent 51.5% 377
Green check mark transparent.pngSheri Carter 30.7% 225
Linda Franklin 16.8% 123
Write-in 1% 7
Total Votes 732
Source: Dane County Clerk's Office, "Official primary election results," accessed July 30, 2015

General

Madison Common Council, District 1, 2015
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngBarbara McKinney 64.1% 999
Matt Brink 35.7% 557
Write-in 0.2% 3
Total Votes 1,559
Source: Dane County Clerk's Office, "Official general election results," accessed July 30, 2015
Madison Common Council, District 13, 2015
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngSara Eskrich 56.8% 1,847
Zach Madden 43% 1,399
Write-in 0.2% 6
Total Votes 3,252
Source: Dane County Clerk's Office, "Official general election results," accessed July 30, 2015
Madison Common Council, District 14, 2015
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngSheri Carter 51.4% 813
John Strasser Incumbent 48.5% 767
Write-in 0.2% 3
Total Votes 1,583
Source: Dane County Clerk's Office, "Official general election results," accessed July 30, 2015
Madison Common Council, District 16, 2015
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngDenise DeMarb Incumbent 70.2% 1,846
Tiffany Tobias 29.6% 778
Write-in 0.3% 7
Total Votes 2,631
Source: Dane County Clerk's Office, "Official general election results," accessed July 30, 2015
Madison Common Council, District 17, 2015
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngSamba Baldeh 50.6% 1,004
Joseph R. Clausius Incumbent 49% 972
Write-in 0.5% 9
Total Votes 1,985
Source: Dane County Clerk's Office, "Official general election results," accessed July 30, 2015
Madison Common Council, District 18, 2015
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngRebecca Kemble 55.5% 1,710
Peng Her 44.4% 1,367
Write-in 0.2% 5
Total Votes 3,082
Source: Dane County Clerk's Office, "Official general election results," accessed July 30, 2015

Districts map

Below is a map of Madison's Common Council Districts at the time of the 2015 general election. The Districts are numbered 1-20. Shown within the 20 Districts are 126 voting wards. The voting wards with the highest voter turnout in the general election were Ward 79 in District 10 with 1,487 votes, Ward 40 in District 6 with 1,353 votes, Ward 38 in District 18 with 1,320 votes, Ward 65 in District 13 with 1,306 votes and Ward 5 in District 16 with 1,244 votes.[5]

Madison Districts.jpg

Issues

Racial inequality

High school students in Madison marching along E. Washington Ave. with a "Black Lives Matter" banner following the death of Tony Robinson.

On the evening of March 6, 2015, a Madison police officer shot and killed an unarmed black 19-year-old named Tony Robinson. As of March 10, 2015, details on the shooting remained murky. In accordance with Wisconsin state law, the state’s Department of Justice holds responsibility for investigating the incident.[6]

The shooting came in the wake of a larger national conversation about race, violence and police in the United States as well as growing concerns about racial disparities in Madison itself. In 2013, the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families released a report that detailed several key differences between the lives of black and white residents of Dane County, the county that includes and surrounds the city of Madison. The report found that African-American residents in Dane County are 5.5 times more likely to be unemployed than white residents. Similarly, black youths are six times more likely to be arrested than white youths.[7]

Robinson’s death put a spotlight on these issues; and amidst large-scale demonstrations throughout the city and national media attention, racial inequality has moved to the forefront of Madison’s 2015 general election.[6] Mayor Paul Soglin and mayoral challenger Scott J. Resnick have both commented on Robinson’s death and the larger issue of racial inequality in official statements, at public demonstrations and in interviews with the media. Soglin released an official statement in the Wisconsin Gazette on March 9, saying:[8]

We all deserve to know the facts in this case. Tony Robinson’s family deserves that, our community deserves that, and the Madison Police deserve that. When the answers come, we will be open and transparent in communicating them … The City of Madison, our police officers, our community, and I must and will keep moving forward with compassion, with understanding, with a commitment to facing the facts, finding the truth, and making necessary changes to ensure this great City is always more equitable and just.[9]

After a community meeting on March 7, Resnick struck a similar tone, telling reporters:[10][11]

We rested on our laurels. We said the city of Madison was not New York City. We said that we were not Ferguson … City Council members were talking about issues like this last night, about what we can do as a City Council to take the first steps. The reality is, there are structural issues with the entire system. You take a look at the racial inequalities that are in the city of Madison, we need to change.[9]

On March 27, state authorities leading the investigation turned their files over to District Attorney Ismael Ozanne, so he could decide whether or not to charge Officer Matt Kenny in the shooting. [12] Ozanne announced on May 12, 2015, that Kenny would not be charged with a crime.[13]

Judge Doyle Square Project

Judge Doyle Square.jpg

An issue that proved particularly divisive in the lead-up to the primary election in February was the city's "Judge Doyle Square Project." This is a development project in downtown Madison that includes the rebuilding of a parking garage and the construction of a new hotel in addition to several other possible developments such as office buildings, apartments or retail space and renovating the Madison Municipal Building (see image on the right).

The debate over the project centered largely on how much financial support the city should offer potential developers, though some 2015 candidates also expressed concerns over the project's long-term goals and past expenses.

Incumbent Mayor Paul Soglin was a vocal supporter of the project, writing in The Capital Times, "The Judge Doyle project offers some great opportunities for Madison. It solves a problem of replacing an aging parking ramp, of building a new hotel that will serve Madison and Monona Terrace, and encourages the construction of a new private office building downtown. Unfortunately, the City Council chose to ignore Ald. Mike Verveer and my recommendations for the project two years ago. Only now are we are issuing a new RFP, which calls for a more moderate-priced hotel that does not require TIF, office space to bring new businesses downtown, and a balanced transportation center."[14]

Soglin's opponents—both in the primary and in the general election—were openly critical of his handling of the project. Scott J. Resnick, who became Soglin's chief rival after the primary, argued that city funds designated for Judge Doyle Square should be reallocated to the Madison Metropolitan School District, saying:

I opposed the mayor's support for continuing negotiations on a plan calling for $47.2 million of tax incremental financing for the Judge Doyle Square project. The mayor failed to show leadership, doubling down on the original plan after wasting hundreds of thousands of dollars on this ill-fated project. Now there is a new RFP, but I am leery that the mayor will get better results the second time. I believe that it is our duty to immediately close the TIF district that includes Judge Doyle Square and give $7 million to the Madison Metropolitan School District.[9]

Resnick also advocated new city funding for child-care.[15]

Bridget Maniaci, a primary mayoral candidate, echoed several of Resnick's suggestions—especially finding funding for the Madison Metropolitan School District—but argued for a solution that still includes a new hotel complex, saying, "We can break through the political impasse, close the Wilson Street TIF (tax incremental financing) district, help our schoolchildren and still get a hotel built."[16] Similarly, Christopher Daly suggested reallocating Judge Doyle Square funds for educational purposes as well, but also pushed for creating a public bank: "If we want to avoid the privatization scheme, then we must find our way to a self-determining financial model. The Public Banking Institute has laid out how municipalities and states may endeavor to do this, and I am proposing that Madison establish a public bank to safeguard our commercial mortgages and give our city a greater degree of economic freedom."[17] Richard Brown, on the other hand, was critical of the funds already invested in Judge Doyle Square: "the process was not handled using sound fiscal policies and the resourceful use of city residents’ tax dollars and staff. The city spent more than $1 million in consultant fees, thousands of hours of work time of senior staff, and today we are still asking the same questions." Brown suggested that the creation of an "Office of Performance Analysis" would help the city plan similar projects in the future.[18]

For more information on the Judge Doyle Square Project, visit the city of Madison's website. Editorials on the project written by each of Madison's five 2015 mayoral candidates in The Capital Times can be read by clicking the links below.

Affordable housing

A third major issue in Madison concerned affordable housing - specifically affordable rental properties. A series of reports issued by the city's Housing Strategy Committee in 2013 and 2014 found that a majority of Madison residents are renters and that over 50 percent of these renters spend more than 30 percent of their annual income on rent. As Isthmus.com reported, 30 percent marks "the maximum percentage of rent that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development defines as affordable housing."[19] Consequently, many municipal candidates in Madison made affordable housing a key issue in their campaign platforms.

City services

City services, such as trash pick-up, parking and snow removal, offered another point of contention for Madison's 2015 municipal candidates. Both Incumbent Mayor Paul Soglin and mayoral challenger Scott J. Resnick - the winners of the February 17 primary election - outlined their views on these issues. Soglin noted, "For basic services like police, fire, sanitation, garbage collection and snow removal, those are areas we've received very few complaints about in recent years. One of the things that was very critical when I came into office was to be sure that, despite the fiscal pressures on the city, we'd be able to provide quality services to everyone." Resnick, on the other hand, described his approach to city services with an emphasis on technology: "We can have technological innovations that happen not just in our downtown, on the isthmus, but in neighborhoods in our entire city. There are new, technological innovations that produce efficiencies through all of our city services. I think we can take advantage of those innovations and make sure we're providing the highest quality level of services."[20]

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Madison Wisconsin Election. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. City of Madison, "Election Schedule," accessed September 19, 2014
  2. City of Madison, "Campaign Finance and Candidate Information for 2015," accessed October 17, 2014
  3. City of Madison, "Elections," accessed April 13, 2015
  4. Wisconsin State Journal, "Blacks gain historic presence on Madison City Council," April 9, 2015
  5. Wisconsin News, "Just Ask Us: Which wards turned out the most voters in Madison’s spring election?" April 12, 2015
  6. 6.0 6.1 Vox, "What we know about the police shooting of unarmed 19-year-old Tony Robinson in Madison, WI," March 9, 2015
  7. Race to Equity: A Baseline Report on the State of Racial Disparities in Dane County, October 2, 2013
  8. Wisconsin Gazette, "Madison Mayor Soglin statement on death of Tony Robinson," March 9, 2015
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  10. Capital Times, "Community meeting on death of Tony Robinson draws hundreds," March 7, 2015
  11. WKOW, "Protesters stage march at shooting scene, vow continued activism," March 7, 2015
  12. Wisconsin State Journal, "Tony Robinson shooting investigation will be turned over to district attorney on Friday," March 24, 2015
  13. BET, "No Charges for Officer Who Killed Tony Robinson Jr.," May 12, 2015
  14. The Capital Times, "Paul Soglin: Madison is better, but there's more work to do," February 11, 2015
  15. The Capital Times, "Scott Resnick: Judge Doyle Square hotel a want, not a need," November 30, 2014
  16. The Capital Times, "Bridget Maniaci: Put politics aside to solve Judge Doyle Square issue," December 8, 2014
  17. The Capital Times, "Christopher Daly: City needs a public bank, not a Doyle Square hotel," February 11, 2015
  18. The Capital Times, "Richard Brown: Doyle Square project shows need for better leader," February 11, 2015
  19. Isthmus, "City of Renters," February 11, 2015
  20. WKOW, "City services a key issue in Tuesday's Madison mayoral primary," February 16, 2015