The spread of votes between Cieslewicz and Soglin revealed striking geographical barriers, with Cieslewicz winning all of central Madison and Soglin taking wards only in the periphery of the city. City officials are uncertain of any absolute explanation for the split, but several say they have long acknowledged the rift in values between inner-city Madison and suburban Madison.

A breakdown of the wards’ locations and their mayoral preferences indicate sharp geographical distinctions.

For example, in ward 92 on the far east side of Madison, 339 people voted for Soglin and 214 for Cieslewicz. In the central isthmus area, 695 people voted for Cieslewicz, with only 222 pulling for Soglin in ward 35.

Several city officials said central Madison tends to be more progressive than the outer suburbs of Madison.

Ald. Tom Powell, District 5, said Madison as a whole is a very liberal city, but that the central area consistently elects progressive candidates, while constituents on the outskirts of Madison elect more conservative voices to office.

“This is no great surprise to people in local politics,” Powell said.

Ald. Brenda Konkel, District 2, said income accounts for much of the value shift between liberals downtown and conservatives on the suburban periphery.

“I think as a group there are more renters downtown and there aren’t as many families, and they are more idealistic,” Konkel said. “When low-income people can’t afford their own home and do not have a good paying job, they see the everyday human needs the progressives tend to talk about.”

She said less wealthy Madison residents were drawn to issues Mayor-elect Dave Cieslewicz emphasized, such as mandatory inclusionary zoning, which would force developers to include affordable housing in all new developments.

Thomas Dewar, a member of Cieslewicz’s campaign committee, said he did not know how to explain the discrepancy because it has always been “so self-evident.”

Ald. Dorothy Borchardt, District 12, said Cieslewicz picked up the votes candidate Bert Zipperer had when he was ousted from the race, and that extra boost in a close race propelled Cieslewicz to the win.

“I think a lot of people just thought we needed a new, younger voice,” Borchardt said.

Konkel also mentioned the generational gap between Cieslewicz and Soglin’s supporters, with older Soglin endorsers remembering his past work as mayor in Madison. She also said there is a noticeable income gap between inner- and outer-Madison residents, which further drives a wedge between political values.

“It’s probably kind of hard to hear that where you live is urban sprawl, and it is a problem for the city,” Konkel said. “They don’t consider it to be sprawl, and it’s just a lifestyle choice.”

Cieslewicz’s identity as an environmentalist and his background as director of 1000 Friends of Wisconsin, a group promoting efficient land use, pushed urban sprawl into the spotlight throughout the campaign. Cieslewicz repeatedly said that urban sprawl is less healthy for the environment because residents there consume more land, pollute more when they commute to work and consume more power because of the energy it takes to reach their homes.