Madison City Council and mayoral election hopefuls gathered Thursday night to stump for votes at the Candidate Connection Reception & Forum at the James Clemens theater.

The event was organized by the Madison Chamber of Commerce, represented by President Michelle Epling, and All Things Madison, led by founder and CEO Erica DeSpain. Together, they introduced each candidate running in the August 26 election.

The most closely watched race is for mayor, a position Paul Finley has held for three terms but has chosen not to seek again.

Traffic, budgets, aging infrastructure, and candidate qualifications were among the hot topics.

MAYOR

Margi Daly: Elected as a City or County Commissioner three times and was appointed to the ABC Commission, both while living in New Jersey.

“My life’s experience along with my love for Madison and the wealth of knowledge of our government qualify me. I prioritize freedom of information, freedom of speech, our constitution, education, and quality of life for all.’’

Steven Smith: Elected to two terms on the city council, including serving as Finance Chair and Council President. He took a leave of absence from his post as Madison City Administrator to run for mayor.

“Madison must have a leader, the purpose of provision with the understanding and the ability to make things happen. I am that leader. I understand our community. I have a track record of success. We are the No. 1 city in the state and No. 9 in the nation.’’

Ranae Bartlett: Elected to the City Council in 2020 and has served as President, Finance Chair and President Pro Tempore. She served 10 years on the Madison Board of Education.

“I believe Madison deserves leadership that listens intently, plans strategically and delivers results to the people who entrust us to serve. I’m the only candidate for mayor to serve on both the Board of Education and City Council. I understand the needs of the school system and city.’’

CITY COUNCIL

DISTRICT 1

Maura Wroblewski (unopposed, incumbent): “For this next term, I am most excited about two projects – the brand new animal shelter on Celtic Dr. and the brand new Mill Creek Greenway.’’

DISTRICT 2

David Bier (unopposed): “What I want to do for the City of Madison is have us be one of the best governed cities in the country. We’re already in one of the best places to live.’’

DISTRICT 3

Billie Gibson (unopposed): “One of the focuses of my candidacy is hopefully to continue for Madison to have one of the best examples you can have for education in the public system.’’

DISTRICT 4

Rachel Homolak: “Integrity, trust, and transparency are vital to moving forward in our amazing community. We must have fiscal responsibility. A city that has debt is owned by its debtors.’’

Michael McKay: “How to balance funding for schools and city services? There’s no perfect answer to this question. But the key in answering this is gauging the needs of Madison, setting clear priorities, and executing those priorities.’’

DISTRICT 5

Alice Lessmann (unopposed): “I believe my blend of business experience, educational insight, and dedication to our community can help us build an even brighter future for Madison.’’

DISTRICT 6:

Scott Harbour: “We are missing out on so much money by not adequately addressing parks and recreation. We need to completely pivot our thought process, get away from the status quo and get out front. If we don’t, these cities around us and in our region are gonna continue eating our lunch and our money because they realize that youth sports is a $40,000,000,000 industry.’’

Erica White: “If elected, my top priority would be fixing traffic bottlenecks. We do that by investing in smart road design. We also need to improve pedestrian connectivity and we have to work with our regional partners.”

Karen Denzine (incumbent): “Recreation is not a luxury. It’s prevention, connection, and education in action. So let’s invest in spaces where kids can be themselves, grow, learn, and lead. Engagement builds futures.’’

DISTRICT 7

Kenneth Jackson: “Many have told me that Madison’s infrastructure hasn’t kept up with growth. If elected, I’ll strive for safe, efficient, and walkable streets. I favor roundabouts where they make sense, adaptive signals that adjust to traffic, and increased funding for paved paths and crosswalks.’’

John D. Seifert II (incumbent): “When it comes to business, I don’t believe we have to choose between new growth and supporting those that are already here. Our local businesses are the heartbeat of our community.’’

For voting information, visit madisonal.gov.