MADISON (WKOW) — Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway announced she will not seek reelection in April, citing threats, harassment and concerns for her family's safety and mental health.

Rhodes-Conway launched her bid for a third term in July, but reversed course Friday afternoon.

The announcement follows a tense Common Council meeting earlier this week where alders voted to terminate the appointment of interim Independent Police Monitor Aeiramique Glass. The meeting lasted for about 12 hours and required Rhodes-Conway to go back and forth with speakers who exceeded their allotted time.

In a written statement, Rhodes-Conway said she is proud of her accomplishments over the past seven and a half years, but she believes the personal cost of serving has become too high. She said she faced unprecedented challenges, including COVID-19 and a state legislature "intent" on taking away the city's funding and powers.

She pointed to several achievements during her tenure. The city implemented Bus Rapid Transit after 30 years of discussion and reduced traffic crashes with heavy investment in street safety.

Madison saw 19,000 new homes built under her administration's housing policies with thousands more in the pipeline. The city launched the CARES program to divert people experiencing mental health crises from the criminal justice system and increased investment in violence prevention.

The city now uses 83% renewable energy and is on track to meet its goal of 100% by 2030. Rhodes-Conway said her administration made the largest investment in homeless services in Madison's history and invested in infrastructure, parks, resources for young people and small businesses.

"I'm proud of these accomplishments and confident that voters would judge my record favorably and grant me another term," Rhodes-Conway said. "However, after much reflection, I have decided not to seek reelection in April."

She continued on to say she welcomes "honest disagreement" and invites community input.

"But over the years the balance has shifted from productive discussion to increasingly vitriolic, personal attacks from people who seem not to care about actually understanding and debating an issue," she said.

The mayor said harassment, threats and lack of civility are driving people away from public service. She cited research from the Bridging Divides Institute, which found, during the first quarter of 202, 76% of local officials said they were less willing to engage in key political or civic activities due to concerns about harassment and threats of violence.

"When I ran for mayor, I expected to make sacrifices — but I did not expect the level of threats to myself, Council members, my staff, and my family," she said. "I did not expect our civic discourse to deteriorate so severely."

Rhodes-Conway said she also faced implicit and explicit sexism from the beginning of her first campaign. She called on the community to create a civil environment free from threats and harassment so people feel safe in public service.

She said she believes Madison needs leaders who are "more interested in making the government function well than in performing for social media." Rhodes-Conway said she believes the city needs leaders who listen to a wide range of voices and put Madison's needs before concerns about popularity or political futures.

Rhodes-Conway said she believes people misunderstand the role of mayor, saying most of the job is about hiring and managing "good people" and creating budgets.

"I first ran for office because I believe in the potential of our city," she said. "I believe Madison has the potential to create a future in which the price of service is not too high for a broad and diverse set of future leaders, who feel empowered to tackle hard problems without fear of threats and harassment."

Reaction to announcement

Alder Tag Evers released the following statement about Rhodes-Conway's announcement:

"I've had the distinct privilege of serving as District 13 Alder during the entirety of Mayor Satya's two terms. The mayor's accomplishments are many and this city is undeniably better for her having been at the helm these last 8 years.

"Being mayor of Madison is no easy task and I understand her reasons for stepping aside. While I'm saddened on one level -- she's been a great mayor in my estimation -- I'm glad for Mayor Satya. It's a thankless and exhausting job.

"The level of personal attacks and conspiratorial nonsense continues to trend upwards. The MAGA right has its corrolary [sic] on the left and both dispense with facts in favor of ideological fervor. This is the world wrought by algorithms. We no longer know how to disagree in a respectful manner."

Dane County Executive Melissa Agard also released a statement in support of Rhodes-Conway.

“Mayor Rhodes-Conway has dedicated years of her life to serving the people of Madison, and I want to thank her for her leadership, her commitment to public service, and the many contributions she has made to our community.

“Throughout her time as mayor, Satya has worked to address some of the most important challenges facing our growing region, from housing affordability and transportation to sustainability and economic development. Her leadership has helped shape Madison’s future, and her dedication to the people she serves deserves our gratitude and respect.

“I am also deeply troubled that threats and harassment directed at the Mayor and her family played a role in this decision. No one who steps forward to serve their community should have to fear for their safety or the safety of their loved ones. We must do better to ensure that public service remains something people can pursue without intimidation.

“I have appreciated the opportunity to work alongside Mayor Rhodes-Conway on issues that matter to residents throughout Dane County. I wish Satya and her family all the very best as she prepares for her next chapter, and I look forward to continuing our partnership in the months ahead.”

The race for mayor is a crowded one. One City Schools founder Kaleem Caire, performance artist Natalia Hacerola, professional boxer Marcus Robert Johnson, Larry Williams, former Madison alders Syed Abbas and Brian Benford and former Dane County supervisor April Kigeya are all seeking the office.

Abbas released the following statement regarding Rhodes-Conway's announcement:

"I want to thank Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway for her years of service to Madison and her commitment to our community.

"While we may not always agree on every issue, I respect her dedication to public service and the responsibilities that come with leading our city.

I am deeply troubled by the threats and personal attacks she has described. No one serving our community should have to fear for their safety or the safety of their family.

"We can disagree strongly on policy and the direction of our city while still treating one another with dignity and respect. Madison deserves a healthy public dialogue where different perspectives are welcomed, difficult conversations are encouraged, and disagreements never become personal threats.

"I wish Mayor Rhodes-Conway and her family all the best as she makes this decision."

Caire said he appreciates Rhodes-Conway's service, and issued the following statement:

"All those willing to step forward to serve their communities deserve our appreciation and gratitude, and I join all Madisonians today in saying 'thank you' to Mayor Rhodes-Conway for the many years she has shared her talents with this community.

"Leadership, especially in these times of the divided politics we've seen across the country, is incredibly challenging. It's important to pause and recognize the toll of the tone of our current politics, and strive for better.

"We are a community. We share a love for this very special place. We can have different ideas on ways to make our amazing city even better and articulate those constructively. It's what our citizens deserve.

"That is the spirit of our campaign. Our vision is to make Madison the best mid-size city to live, learn, work, and thrive in, for everyone. We are building that vision around four pillars: affordability, healthy, prosperous and together.

"In the months ahead, we will bring people together across our city, including through community listening sessions on each pillar. We will celebrate what's great about Madison, be honest about what needs to improve, and work side by side to solve our challenges and pursue our opportunities.

"Thank you, Mayor Rhodes-Conway, for all you have done and will continue to do for the people of Madison."

State Rep. Francesca Hong (D-Madison), who introduced Conway at her reelection launch in July, said she will not enter the mayoral race.

"I want to thank Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway for her service to Madison and commitment to building a more affordable and sustainable community.

"Political threats of violence should never be normalized but unfortunately it has become a reality for too many candidates and elected officials-especially women and people of color. I look forward to continuing to work with Mayor Rhodes-Conway for the remainder of my term in the State Assembly to serve the people of the 76th district.

"I will not be running for mayor of Madison, but as always will be seeking ways to improve the lives of our neighbors in Madison and across Wisconsin."

Read Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway's full statement below:

“I am immensely proud of what I and my team have achieved over the past seven and a half years as we have worked to make Madison a better place and to prepare the path for future success. My tenure has been marked by unprecedented challenges including COVID-19 and a state legislature intent on taking away our funding and powers. Despite the challenges, we achieved a great deal for those who choose to make Madison home.

Under my watch, we implemented bus rapid transit after 30 years of talking about it. We reduced traffic crashes and invested heavily in safety on our streets. Thanks to my administration's housing policies, we have seen 19,000 new homes built with thousands more in the pipeline. We launched and grew the successful CARES program to help divert people experiencing mental health crises from the criminal justice system, and increased Madison's investment in violence prevention. The City of Madison now uses 83 percent renewable energy, on track to meet our goal of 100 percent by 2030. Through tough economies and attacks from Republicans in the legislature, we have been able to invest in critical programs that help people across the community. We made the largest investment in homeless services in Madison's history. We invested in infrastructure, in parks, in resources for young people, in small business, and in so much more.

None of this could have happened without the dedicated professionals who work for the City of Madison, and the support of many Alders. I'm grateful to them. Thanks to our work, Madison is thriving. People want to live here, businesses want to locate and grow here, and our quality of life is high. We are not perfect – we still have persistent racial and economic disparities, and we are not immune to the national economic trends - but compared to many other cities, we are doing very well.

I'm proud of these accomplishments and confident that voters would judge my record favorably and grant me another term. However, after much reflection, I have decided not to seek reelection in April. It has been a tremendous honor to be your Mayor. We have moved Madison forward and our record proves that. But for me, the price of serving has become too high. This was not an easy decision, but it is the right decision for me and my family, our personal safety, mental health and wellbeing.

During my remaining time in office, I hope that we can all take a hard look at our local political ecosystem. Madison has long been home to impassioned and spirited debate. But it is not hyperbole to say local democracy is at risk, not just from MAGA and right-wing extremists in the federal and state governments, but from a toxic political culture that is transcending partisanship and ideology.

Harassment, threats, and lack of civility are driving people away from public service. According to the Bridging Divides Institute, “during the first quarter of 2026, 76 percent of local officials said they were less willing to engage in at least one of several key political or civic activities, such as working on controversial issues or running for higher office, due to concerns about harassment and threats of violence. These negative impacts are especially pronounced for women officials, minority officials, and new officeholders – a persistent trend that undermines representative local democracy."

This has been my experience as well. I have always welcomed honest disagreement and invited community input, but over the years the balance has shifted from productive discussion to increasingly vitriolic, personal attacks from people who seem not to care about actually understanding and debating an issue. How can any leader govern responsibly when personal attacks and baseless conspiracies carry more weight than facts? How can any Mayor be effective when a difference of opinion is cast as unforgivable betrayal that justifies threats of violence?

When I ran for mayor, I expected to make sacrifices – but I did not expect the level of threats to myself, Council members, my staff, and my family. I did not expect our civic discourse to deteriorate so severely. And I did not expect the levels of implicit and explicit sexism to which I have been subjected to from the very beginning of my first campaign.

Madison's continued progress requires good government and serious engagement from our community. It requires engagement with curiosity; engagement across differences; engagement outside of social media bubbles. It requires people to be hard on systems but soft on people. It will require dedicated people to take on public service, and it will require our community to create a civil environment, free from threats and harassment, so people feel safe in public service and have room to make hard decisions.

We need leaders who are more interested in making the government function well than in performing for social media. We need leaders who want to continuously improve, but won't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. We need leaders who are able to listen to and balance a wide range of voices. Above all, we need leaders who put the needs of Madison before their popularity or political futures.

And we need to elect leaders who understand the job they are running for. I have found that the role of a Mayor is misunderstood, as are most executive roles. It may look like all groundbreakings and ribbon cuttings, but the two biggest things a successful mayor does are hiring and managing good people, and creating budgets (often with very limited resources) that allow those people to do good work. We should evaluate candidates on their ability to manage and budget, not just their rhetoric and campaign promises.

I first ran for office because I believe in the potential of our city. I believe Madison has the potential to create a future in which the price of service is not too high for a broad and diverse set of future leaders, who feel empowered to tackle hard problems without fear of threats and harassment. All of us can be part of creating that future, by leading with curiosity, engaging across differences, and extending each other grace. We can get to know our neighbors and connect in person instead of through screens. And we can choose to find ways to make a positive difference rather than sitting back and criticizing. I believe Madison wants to be the kind of community where anyone can safely step into leadership, and I believe that we can choose to make that a reality."

– Mayor Satya

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