Joe Rocco
The six candidates running for mayor all say building affordable housing, combating climate change and creating a better transit system are top priorities for Madison. And, they all agree that intertwined with nearly every issue is the city’s greatest challenge: Eliminating stark disparities and inequalities between the haves and the have nots — which too often fall along racial lines.
Who will make Madison great for everyone?
Mayor Paul Soglin — who has occupied the office longer than anyone in history — pledges to build an even “stronger Madison” if given a ninth term. He’s being challenged by Satya Rhodes-Conway, Ald. Maurice Cheeks, Raj Shukla, Nick Hart and write-in candidate Toriana Pettaway.
In this Democratic stronghold, it’s no surprise that the candidates don’t disagree much on policy. Nobody is pledging to cut taxes, calling for less government, or attributing the flooding crisis last summer to sunspots. Instead, they promise to expand services with calls to launch a regional bus rapid transit system (as well as 24/7 access for existing routes), double the affordable housing fund, and convert city operations to run on 100 percent renewable energy by 2030 — all while closing achievement gaps across the socioeconomic spectrum. How these candidates deliver on these ambitious goals is largely a matter of faith; all say efficiencies and smarter budgeting will do it.
The mayoral hopefuls promote their leadership styles, skill sets, lived experience and visions to lead city government at what might be a critical juncture. The voters will decide on Tuesday, Feb. 19 which two candidates will move on to the general election on April 2.
So who’s it going to be, Madison?
Bobbie Harte
The policy wonk: Satya Rhodes-Conway
47 years old
Managing director of the Mayors Innovation Project based at UW-Madison
Former three-term alder on the north side
Chair of the Oscar Mayer Strategic Assessment Committee
Funds raised, spent and on-hand: $63,902, $38,805, $25,097
It’s 8 a.m. at the Colectivo on the Square. The coffee shop is packed with tired faces slouched over laptops, but Satya Rhodes-Conway is wide awake as she sits down with a hot cup of tea. The former alder says she’s ready to be mayor on day one.
“For the past 13 years, my day job has been working with cities across the country on an incredibly broad range of local policy issues. I research. I write. I have planned, I can’t even tell you, how many conferences on city issues,” says Rhodes-Conway. “Mayors literally call me up and ask me how to solve problems. Nobody else on the ballot has that kind of experience. It gives me a perspective to compare cities and see different approaches. To see what is working, what isn’t working, and to think about why that is so.”
A self-described policy wonk, Rhodes-Conway was the first candidate to declare in May 2018. In July, Mayor Paul Soglin practically endorsed her after announcing he would not be seeking re-election in 2019 (he changed his mind two months later). Isthmus heard from several sources, who asked for anonymity, that Soglin still “would be totally fine” losing his seat to Rhodes-Conway.
“I didn’t get into this race because of who else was running,” says Rhodes-Conway, who slips in a common complaint about Soglin. “The important thing is not to think we know everything…. The important thing is to be open to learning.”
She says the city does a lot of talking and planning but needs to do a better job implementing change.
Describing Madison as a “segregated city,” Rhodes-Conway says she’ll work to close disparity gaps that show people of color in Wisconsin have lower median incomes, face higher unemployment rates and worse educational outcomes than their white peers. She says her approach to improving equity is guided by a slogan from the disability rights movement: “Nothing about us, without us.”
“You don’t walk into a community and say, ‘Hey, we’re the city, we are here to fix you.’ We need to build capacity, empower community leaders so neighborhoods and families can have agency in solving their own issues, their own challenges,” says Rhodes-Conway. “Part of that means we need to do a better job of community engagement. We need to be going to people instead of making people come to us. We need to listen and report back, holding ourselves accountable to these stakeholders.”
After a long sip of tea, Rhodes-Conway says creating a more equitable city goes hand-in-hand with addressing the critical issues that have deepened disparities in other progressive communities.
“I don’t want Madison to be San Francisco or Seattle. I want Madison to be a place where teachers and bus drivers and baristas and artists can afford to live. If we don’t do something about the housing market, that’s not going to be possible,” says Rhodes-Conway. “I don’t want us to be Austin in respect to transportation. They failed to invest in transit and now have terrible traffic and pollution problems. There are a series of issues that if we don’t tackle now, they will become harder and more expensive to solve in the future.”
The freshmaker: Maurice Cheeks
34 years old
Three-term, west-side alder representing Nakoma, Allied Dunn’s Marsh, Orchard Ridge, Midvale Heights neighborhoods
Vice president, business development for MIOsoft, a data management firm
Foundation for Madison’s Public Schools board member
Funds raised, spent and on-hand: $113,118, $37,755, $75,363
Maurice Cheeks breezes into a small conference room at 100state (located in the old AT&T building on West Washington Avenue). He speaks softly but deliberately, leaning forward slightly with hands folded in his lap. Cheeks says what Madison needs most is a “sense of urgency.”
“We have an ambitious city, an ambitious community. That is the theme of this election cycle: A community that is hungry to move forward,” says Cheeks. “I bring the perspective of a young, black man who is a father who loves this city. But I also believe this city wants to be more, to live up to our values as a progressive city. I’m willing to put myself forward to walk us through this.”
Cheeks and Soglin are not chummy. When Cheeks announced he was running in July, Soglin sent out a July 17 press release declaring “Maurice Cheeks will not be our next mayor.”
“Personal ambition and indecision are not leadership qualities,” Soglin added. “Madison can do better.”
Cheeks isn’t shy about throwing shade towards the mayor, either. His campaign often notes “our city needs new leadership.”
“Madison is still having the same conversation we’ve had for the past eight years around growing inequality,” Cheeks says. “When the mayor ran eight years ago, he made a series of promises that he would address inequality in a serious way … he hasn’t.”
Cheeks cites the troubling statistics in the 2013 Race to Equity report as an example of Soglin’s failure to hold himself accountable.
Cheeks isn’t buying that the city has made significant progress on equity issues under Soglin. He faults the mayor for failing to acknowledge the challenges facing people of color in Madison.
“My day job is vice president of development for a data quality company. There are a lot of ways to measure the current state of affairs and progress,” says Cheeks. “We’re going to have to be a city that recognizes genius in all of our residents. That starts with making this a city where young people know that they have opportunity here, that they have reason to have hope here.”
As an alder, Cheeks has been working to ensure that every child has the option to start a college savings account in kindergarten. Last year, the council approved a planning grant to study how the city could partner with the school district, nonprofits and a finance institution to start the program. Cheeks vows to get it done in his first year as mayor as part of his “opportunity agenda.” He believes the city can curb disparities by implementing more “cradle to career” services like this.
“One of the most critical roles as mayor is, frankly, being able to bring together diverse constituencies, find agreement and move us forward. I’m confident in my ability to do that,” Cheeks says. “The great news here is we have a great starting point. Madison is a city with a ton of prosperity and a good deal of momentum.”
The outsider: Raj Shukla
42 years old
Director of River Alliance of Wisconsin, a nonprofit that “empowers people to protect and restore water statewide”
Chair of the Sustainable Madison Committee
Funds raised, spent and on-hand: $90,482, $24,007, $66,475
At another downtown coworking space, Horizon Coworking, Raj Shukla is wearing a sleek tracksuit and greets this Isthmus reporter with a big smile. Although it’s his first run for public office, Shukla has emerged as a real contender. He was the first to get an ad on television, has matched the fundraising efforts of his more seasoned rivals and is taking a leave of absence from his post at the River Alliance of Wisconsin to campaign.
Shukla is running on a “green growth agenda” with a goal of running the entire city on renewable energy by 2045. He says his “outsider” status will give him a clean slate if elected and allow the city to take on big challenges.
“I’m not coming in as someone steeped in city politics. I happen to think that’s a really good thing,” says Shukla. “People aren’t listening to each other anymore. And that’s a very difficult place to build constructive, collaborative relationships.”
Shukla criticizes Soglin for an “unwillingness to be held accountable,” especially when it comes to addressing inequality. He says the mayor is quick to blame others.
“When you’re a leader of an organization, you set the tone,” says Shukla. “You can’t understate the importance of what a certain style of leadership can have on everything. Just look at the difference between Obama and Trump.”
Shukla says Madison is “underachieving” because current leadership refuses to take risks.
“There’s no reason why a community with this much wealth, this much genius, this much creativity, with this much passion and compassion, should have the racial disparities and inequalities we have,” says Shukla. “What we lack most, is a willingness to set the bar a lot higher and be able to bring people together to meet those expectations. That’s what I bring.”
Shukla says he’ll tackle achievement gaps by “surrounding children from birth to age 3” and their families with services. He says the Goodman Community Center and other neighborhood centers already provide a model but efforts need to be scaled up significantly. “If we can focus on those first three years [of a child’s development], it will shrink achievement gaps the most and in the most cost-effective manner,” he says.
Shukla says the city should create a “Madison model,” for erasing disparities. “We can be the place that figured it out!” he says, nearly jumping out of his seat.
Shukla’s parents immigrated to the United States from India in the 1960s, eventually settling in New Berlin, a suburb of Milwaukee. As a kid, Shukla learned to navigate a very white community and understands the obstacles to a more inclusive society.
“People want a leader that can credibly demonstrate that they can break through and actually work with other people. People who look different. People who think different. People who speak a different language, who maybe worship a different god. That is how I grew up,” says Shukla. “I know how to actually change people’s minds and how to get past all the baggage that prevent us from all working together…. We need a leader who will paint a hopeful vision and demonstrate our ability to get there.”
The joker: Nick Hart
39 years old
Stand-up comedian
Performed on Conan in July 2018
Funds raised, spent and on-hand: Didn’t file report because campaign activity was less than $2,000
Nick Hart is trying to “keep it real.” Isthmus caught up with the comedian at Baldwin Street Grille — one of his neighborhood haunts. He says he’s running to “make it more difficult to maintain the status quo.”
“Why not run for mayor? There really aren’t any rules to this,” says Hart. “Just because someone is on the city council does that qualify them to be mayor? Maybe. I’m a quick learner. But maybe it’s just straight name recognition.”
Hart is the only candidate, besides Soglin, who has run for mayor before. In the 2011 primary, he finished third with 2 percent of the vote. He didn’t vote in the 2016 presidential election and only recently learned that he lives in the town of Madison, not the city.
Asked if his run for mayor is a farce, the comedian says, “I take jokes very seriously.” Hart admits that he doesn’t have all the answers, but insists voters appreciate his campaign.
“People were coming up to me after forums and thanking me for making it bearable. Someone else said ‘thanks for being a human being,’” says Hart. “Am I distraction? I’m not up there winging it. What am I, an asshole? I would be if I was up there just clowning around. Maybe I’m just here to lighten the mood. I don’t see that as a problem.”
Hart has declared Feb. 19 — the day of the primary — “Nick Hart Day” across Madison. On his website, he calls for the elimination of “unemployment” and notes “If you’re reading this, you’re most likely to already be involved in one of the other candidate’s campaigns. I’m not after your vote. You’re already involved. I’m after the people who are not involved, because there’s a lot more of those people. And they just need someone to get them interested.”
“If I’m going to say people should get involved in politics, I gotta do it, too,” says Hart. “Fuck voting. I ran. What are you doing to change the system?”
Hart is talking about an issue that no other candidate has focused on: policing.
“The police should operate like the fire department. When we need them, we call them. No more writing tickets just so the police can write more tickets,” he says. “This city could really do something about this issue that would be groundbreaking. Madison spent $400,000 for a study of the police department. What did we get out of it? My idea is simple and could change everything.”
Hart, a South Carolina native, is frank about racism in Madison.
“This city is racist. We’ve got to be honest with ourselves or it won’t be better. Just talk to any black person from down South. They’ll tell you this is a far more racist place,” Hart says. “Here, it’s easy for white people just to pretend everything is okay. Me walking around, not getting harassed by the police shouldn’t be a privilege. That should be America.”
The leveler: Toriana Pettaway
48 years old
Madison equity coordinator
Former human resource specialist for state Department of Revenue, Justice Department, Office of the Attorney General and the Office of State Employment Relations
Funds raised, spent and on-hand: $355, $150, $205
It’s snowing on a late Saturday afternoon when Toriana Pettaway arrives at Colectivo on the Square. She says frustration with city leadership in her role as the Madison equity coordinator inspired her to run.
“I want to deconstruct white supremacy culture,” says Pettaway. “The other candidates are throwing out sound bites. I’m here to change lives.”
Pettaway is running as a write-in candidate after failing to file by the Jan. 2 deadline the 200 valid signatures that are required to be on the ballot. She says her signatures were given “extra scrutiny.”
“I’m not calling individuals in the clerk’s office racists. I’m calling the institution biased and racist. Nick Hart was in the [clerk’s office] when I asked for my signatures to be validated. We still had 45 minutes left and I asked twice,” Pettaway says. “They told me, ‘We don’t have enough time, Tori.’ White boy got his signatures validated. He had the opportunity to get 12 more signatures. I only needed two.”
Activist Eric Upchurch II, one of her supporters, says she’s “the only person for this moment.”
“Madison is in love with its habits and its status quo. Toriana will break that system down,” Upchurch says. “We have racial issues that are killing this city. Madison is dying. We need someone who is an expert in racial equity and social justice. That’s Toriana. Just imagine if she got the keys and actually had some power in this piece. My god!”
Pettaway says she won’t just champion people of color.
“We know that only 13 percent of the people walking around in this town are black and brown. The majority of people who are low-income and marginalized are white. That’s not the story that’s being told,” says Pettaway. “You have to have the courage to trust the people you are trying to help.”
Pettaway says she would usher in big changes at Madison Metro.
“Only affluent communities get the buses because those are the people who have time to shut down the phones at city hall. The people who are actually dependent on bus transit don’t even know who to call,” says Pettaway. “[Metro] says they schedule buses where ridership is high. But ridership is never going to be high in the places where the buses don’t go or don’t come frequently. I’d blow up the whole schedule and redistribute the buses equitably across the city in a hot damn minute.”
Pettaway believes her campaign is jeopardizing her employment with the city because she’s speaking “truth to power on equity issues.”
“Madison is a wonderful place for people with privilege, who never have to think about crisis. But here’s the thing. When you lift everyone up, it makes everyone’s life better and safer,” says Pettaway with a hushed tone. “I respect Mayor Soglin but his time is up. When I’m in charge, I’ll clean up shop. People should be scared. But this needs to happen.”
The mayor: Paul Soglin
73 years old
Mayor from 1973-1979, 1989-1997, 2011-present
Funds raised, spent and on-hand: $87,158, $16,844, $75,138
Paul Soglin walks in the back entrance of Nick’s on State Street, greeting the bartender and waitress with a wave. When his challengers say it’s time for a change and new leadership, they are talking about him. Soglin contends the city is making progress on closing disparities but admits “things still need to get better and we aren’t satisfied.” After ordering a BLT on toasted whole wheat with coleslaw, the mayor is all business.
“We’ve worked so hard, and successfully, since 2011. Take someone like Maurice Cheeks, who says, ‘You’ve been mayor for 40 years and you’re responsible,’ says Soglin. “It shows he doesn’t know what he’s talking about and that says something about him.”
When he ended his second stint as mayor in 1997, Soglin says African American income was higher than when he returned in 2011. Since then, he claims income disparity has been cut in half. The mayor cites a 2018 Brookings Institute report that found that economic gains haven’t just benefited those who are already doing well. Madison was just one of 11 metro areas in the country to achieve “inclusive economic growth and prosperity by posting improvements across every measure.”
“That didn’t happen by accident,” says Soglin. “In the past eight years, we’ve implemented forward-thinking plans that are making a difference and we aren’t done yet.”
If given another term, Soglin says there are six issues he’d focus on: housing, transportation, education, jobs, quality health care and quality child care. “You can’t just do one thing if you want to have healthy families,” he says.
He points to food policy as an area where he’s made gains by creating a fund to eliminate food deserts. His “Healthy Retail Access Program” has helped open two new grocery stores, Luna’s near Allied Drive and Willy Street Co-op North on North Sherman Avenue. “That’s critically important for combating disparities and inequities,” Soglin says.
Soglin also notes that the city’s tax increment financing grant for Exact Sciences’ expansion along the Beltline required the company to contract with the Urban League to train local residents and to provide a minimum wage of $15 an hour as well as a pension and health care. Moreover, the mayor says his administration partnered with the county, school district and nonprofits to feed kids, eligible for free lunch, at city parks during the summer with the Madison-area Out-of-School Time (MOST) program.
“I study other cities to see what’s working. For instance, Boston is doing great things with summer youth employment. It gives [youth] some spending money and the ability to save for college. It improves academics and prepares them for adult employment,” says Soglin. “I won’t be satisfied until every young person who wants a job, has one.”
If re-elected, the mayor wants to add case managers to assist families living in affordable housing developments. Soglin sees struggling strip malls as opportunities to expand affordable housing with mixed retail space. He also pledges to enroll 10,000 families in health insurance by the end of this year.
Soglin was the only candidate Isthmus interviewed who unequivocally rejected the contention that Madison is “a racist city.”
“This is not a racist city. There is racism in this city,” he says. “There is the legacy of institutional racism within our state.”
When asked if it’s simply time for Madison to have a mayor who isn’t a white man, Soglin lets out a heavy sigh.
“[Voters] are going to have to ask themselves whether that is more important than keeping us going in the direction that’s been so successful.”
