Madison will vote for its new mayor on April 4, and candidates are ramping up their campaigns ahead of the Feb. 21 primary by gathering for the first time for a community forum.
The candidates — incumbent Satya Rhodes-Conway, Gloria Reyes and Scott Kerr — covered many topics, including why they should each be elected, according to NBC15. Rhodes-Conway referenced her experience with leading the city, while the two challengers voiced disagreements with her decisions.
Rhodes-Conway emphasized her experience in the role in an interview with The Badger Herald.
“I was elected four years ago because the city of Madison wanted a mayor who would take the housing crisis seriously, who finally achieved rapid transit for our community, would combat climate change and would infuse equity into everything the city government does,” Rhodes-Conway said. “I’ve delivered on all of those.”
Kerr, a longtime government employee, shared concerns about the city’s new Bus Rapid Transit plan in an interview with The Badger Herald.
The new system will have buses running every 15 minutes on major corridors instead of having buses come at less regular times covering a larger area, Kerr said. But, the buses will still be on regular roads and weather conditions that would previously have impacted the bus schedules will still continue to do so.
Kerr said one reason he is running is to reduce waste, including the money that went into building pedestrian-friendly infrastructure that was torn up to make way for the new Bus Rapid Transit system. Additionally, he is running because he wants to make Madison better before he retires and does not plan to continue working with the city politically after his term if he were to win this election.
“I just care about the city of Madison and want to make it better — this is not a stepping stone for a higher office for me,” Kerr said. “I would not intend to and, in fact, if I attempted to run for a second term, I would become a single man quickly. This is the end of my career with the city and I just [want] to do what I can to improve it before I retire.”
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Daniel Howell Jr. is running as a write-in candidate and also attended the community forum, according to NBC15.
In an interview with The Badger Herald, Howell shared that he is running to bring change to the city and plans to bring his experience working with people to politics.
“I was a Case Manager at Porchlight — right on campus — for two years, so I’ve worked with the homeless, troubled teenagers, addicts and mental illness,” Howell said. “I’ve worked with the court systems and the police, so I’m used to working with people and I want to get [in] to politics because I love politics.”
If elected, Howell’s priorities are stopping illegal drug use and supporting the police, young people and people of color.
Former deputy mayor and teacher Gloria Reyes is the third official candidate and first Latinx candidate to run for Madison’s mayor, and previously served as an officer at the Madison Police Department. Reyes did not respond to The Badger Herald for comment.
