Nikki Conklin finished ahead of veteran Ald. Paul Skidmore in the Feb. 16 primary.
Embattled Ald. Paul Skidmore survived his first challenge since 2013, but just barely, coming in second in the Feb. 16 primary to first-time candidate Nikki Conklin, receiving 651 votes to Conklin’s 701. Nino Amato, a former alder who has been active in city and state politics for 40 years, finished a close third with 626 votes. Democratic Party of Wisconsin operative and legislative aide Doug Hyant came in fourth with 301 votes.
“District 9 voters have shown that we have a shared vision for a community focused on equity and justice, quality affordable housing, and safety for all,” Conklin, a communications consultant, tells Isthmus. “Our district deserves an alder who will uplift all of the voices in our community.”
Skidmore has been elected alder 10 times. He did not respond to a request for comment.
Amato's largely self-financed campaign spent $8,400 in the race, more than all of his other opponents’ campaigns combined. Skidmore has raised around $6,400 and spent $2,700 on the race so far. He also had $1,800 in funds from previous campaigns. According to his last two campaign finance reports, just 10 individuals have donated to his campaign: six real estate developers and the spouses of three of them, as well as an attorney. Only the latter lives in Skidmore’s district and nearly all of the alder’s donors gave $500 — the maximum contribution limit for individuals in local council races.
Conklin was outspent by Skidmore in the primary by $700 and has raised around $4,200 for her campaign so far, the bulk of which came from several dozen individual donors. Moving into the April 6 general election, Skidmore has $5,500 in his campaign coffers while Conklin has around $2,000.
During a Sept. 2 virtual council meeting, Skidmore is alleged to have called a local activist a “cunt,” a charge the alder has repeatedly denied. The city council approved $10,000 in funding for an independent investigation into the incident a month later. City Attorney Michael Haas told Isthmus on Jan. 27 that he expected an analysis of the Zoom meeting to be submitted in a few weeks but his office hasn’t yet released any findings. Haas told the Wisconsin State Journal on Feb. 11 there’s no estimate on when the investigation will be complete.
Conklin has played an active role in the Neighborhood Organizing Institute, a leadership development program of the Lussier Community Education Center. She is a single Black mother of three and has lived in the Wexford Ridge neighborhood for a decade. She’s racked up a long endorsement list including Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway, Madison school board members Savion Castro and Ali Muldrow, and a number of current and former council members, as well as political groups Progressive Dane and Adelante.
The Madison Professional Police Officers Association (MPPOA), the local police union, is endorsing the incumbent alder. In a Feb. 8 press release, the union called Skidmore “the undisputed leader” on the council for “working to meet the needs of public safety in Madison.” Skidmore has consistently advocated for hiring more police officers during city budget negotiations. The union ranked 13 alders based on their support for law enforcement and Skidmore topped the list. He owns a local security firm and landscaping company and lives in the Tamarack Trails condominiums.
On his campaign website, Skidmore says “public safety is the foundation of my campaign. If our neighborhoods are not safe, we do not have a viable community.” Conklin said during a WORT 89.9 FM candidate forum on Jan. 27 that she doesn’t support hiring more police officers and instead favors investments “in the community to bring the crime rate down.” She also supports a current proposal before the council to ban the use of tear gas by the police. Skidmore declined to attend the forum.
Charles Myadze and incumbent Ald. Rebecca Kemble will compete in the April 6 election to represent Madison's north side.
Support for law enforcement also differentiates the candidates on Madison's north side. Incumbent Ald. Rebecca Kemble had more than 50 percent of the vote in her primary against two opponents. She received 873 votes and will advance to the general election against challenger Charles Myadze, who received 643 votes. Veronica Figueroa Velez finished a distant third with 220 votes. Kemble recently worked as chief of staff to former Assembly Rep. Chris Taylor (D-Madison) and is a taxi driver for Union Cab. Myadze works as a brake hose technician and serves on the city’s Public Safety Review Committee.
Myadze is the only other primary candidate, besides Skidmore, to be endorsed by the Madison police union. Both received $400 in support from the MPPOA. He’s endorsed by Adelante. Kemble came in last on the police union’s Feb. 8 ranking of alders. She’s endorsed by Progressive Dane and AFSCME Council 32, the union which represents city and county workers.
Kemble outspent Myadze in the first five weeks of the campaign by $1,400. But the incumbent, first elected in 2015, has raised almost four times as much as her opponent and boasts more than 100 individual donors. Kemble has nearly $7,000 heading into the general election; Myadze has just over $1,000.
Jael Currie and Matt Tramel advance to the April 6 general election to replace outgoing Ald. Michael Tierney on the Madison Common Council.
Five candidates competed in the primary for an open seat on the council currently filled by Ald. Michael Tierney, who is not seeking reelection. Jael Currie, the housing director for the YWCA, came out way ahead of the other candidates with 715 votes. She’ll face Matt Tramel, a regional director for the PR firm Tiny Communications, in the April 6 election. Tramel received 282 votes, photographer Greg Dixon came in third with 218 votes, Dem campaign organizer Tyson Vitale had 140 votes, and Kim Richman, who withdrew his candidacy in January but still appeared on the ballot, received 120 votes.
As of Feb. 8, Tramel hadn’t spent a nickel on his campaign while Currie spent about $1,500. Both have around $3,000 in the bank to spend on the general election.
Also on the ballot in Madison was the seven-way primary for state superintendent of public instruction. Technically a nonpartisan race, the top two finishers still fall squarely along party lines. Democrats are backing Jill Underly, the superintendent of the Pecatonica School District, who is endorsed by the state’s largest teachers union. She received the most votes statewide with nearly 89,000. Republicans are supporting Deborah Kerr, the former superintendent of the Brown Deer school district, who supports the “school choice” program championed by the GOP faithful. In Dane County, Kerr came in third place behind Underly and Sheila Briggs, an assistant state school superintendent.
In a special election to fill a vacant seat on the Dane County Board, former Madison Ald. Larry Palm and former state Senate candidate Amani Latimer Burris emerged as the top two vote-getters and will compete in the spring general election. Goodwill Chekwube Obieze finished third.
Voter turnout in the Feb. 16 election in Madison was 14.6 percent of registered voters, the lowest turnout for a spring primary since 2015.