Two things became clear as the hour grew late on municipal election day Tuesday – Ranae Bartlett was going to be Madison’s next mayor, and the current city council president pro tempore would soon visit the sandman.

“Right now, I need some sleep.’’ she said between receiving congratulations from supporters at her campaign watch party at The Vine and Oak. “It has been a really tough campaign.’’

Paul Finley, who has served three terms as mayor since 2008, did not run for re-election.

Bartlett captured 56.1% (4,581) of the vote. Steve Smith, the current city administrator, was next with 32.08% (2,620). Retiree Margi Smith, who was once elected to three council terms in Jersey City, N.J., garnered 11.83% (966).

“This is tremendous,’’ said Bartlett, who has been a council member since 2020 and before then served on the Madison School Board. “Anytime you’ve got a three-person race, you want to try to win it outright, we want to avoid a runoff, of course. Boy, and we did it.’’

The turnout was light as 8,190, or 17.76%, out of 46,105 registered voters went to the polls.

“I have so many volunteers to thank,’’ Bartlett said. “I just really appreciate everyone who helped on this campaign. I had high school students out there today waving my signs, parents that were at every single polling place all day long.’’

Madison City Council results:

District 1: Incumbent Maura Wroblewski ran unopposed.
District 2: David Bier ran unopposed. Incumbent Connie Spears did not run.
District 3: Billy Good ran unopposed. Incumbent Teddy Powell did not run.
District 4: Michael McKay won in a landslide with 73.21% of the vote, defeating Rachel Homolak. Incumbent Greg Shaw did not run.
District 5: Alice Lessman ran unopposed. Incumbent Bartlett won the mayor’s race.
District 6: Erica White (45.7%) and Scott Harbour (34.3%) face a runoff Sept. 23. Incumbent Karen Denzine (20%) finished third.
District 7: Kenneth Jackson (53.7%) won, edging incumbent and current council president John D. Seifert (46.3%).

Bartlett ran on a platform of Responsible Growth, Enhanced Education Opportunities and Investing in Infrastructure. Traffic congestion was a key topic leading up to the election. She also stressed the need to work closely with neighboring Huntsville and Limestone County.

“It’s tremendously important,’’ she said. “It’s important for the entire North Alabama region. It’s how we maintain a competitive advantage when we work together to land some of these jobs, these businesses. We have to work together.’’

Bartlett served as Assistant General Counsel for Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., overseeing complex litigation, and clerked for the Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Bartlett founded the Madison City Chess League in 2013 to promote chess education, and is the current executive director of the U.S. Chess Federation.