Satya Rhodes-Conway

Satya Rhodes-Conway
Rhodes-Conway in 2024
Satya Rhodes-Conway
Born	3 11, 1971
Birthplace	Española, New Mexico, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, urban planner
Known for	First openly lesbian mayor in Wisconsin history; second woman to serve as Mayor of Madison
Education	Smith College (BS) University of California, Irvine (MS)

Satya Rhodes-Conway (born November 3, 1971) is an American politician and urban planner serving as the 57th Mayor of Madison, Wisconsin. First elected in April 2019 after defeating longtime incumbent Paul Soglin, she was re-elected in 2023. Rhodes-Conway previously served on the Madison Common Council representing the 12th district from 2007 to 2013. Born in Española, New Mexico, she built a career in urban sustainability and municipal policy before entering electoral politics. Her 2019 victory was historic on multiple fronts: she became the first openly lesbian person elected mayor in the state of Wisconsin and only the second woman to hold the office of Mayor of Madison. Her campaign emphasized affordable housing, improved public transportation, and climate action, themes that have continued to define her tenure as mayor.

Early Life

Satya Rhodes-Conway was born on November 3, 1971, in Española, New Mexico. Details regarding her upbringing and family background in New Mexico are limited in available public sources. She eventually relocated to the Northeast for her undergraduate education and later settled in Madison, Wisconsin, where she built her professional and political career.

Education

Rhodes-Conway earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Smith College, a private women's liberal arts college in Northampton, Massachusetts. She subsequently earned a Master of Science degree from the University of California, Irvine. Her academic background informed her later career in urban planning and sustainability policy, areas in which she worked extensively before and during her time in public office.

Career

Early Professional Career

Prior to entering politics, Rhodes-Conway worked in the field of urban sustainability and municipal policy. She cited her expertise with cities and urban systems as a key qualification in her mayoral campaign, drawing on years of professional experience in areas related to climate action, transportation, and municipal governance. This professional background distinguished her from career politicians and provided a policy-oriented foundation for her later work in elected office.

Madison Common Council (2007–2013)

Rhodes-Conway served on the Madison Common Council as the representative for the 12th district from April 2007 to April 2013. She succeeded Brian Benford in the seat and was in turn succeeded by Larry Palm when she left the council. Her tenure on the Common Council provided her with direct experience in municipal governance, budget deliberations, and constituent services that she would later draw upon in her mayoral campaigns.

2019 Mayoral Campaign

In 2019, Rhodes-Conway mounted a challenge to incumbent Mayor Paul Soglin, who had served multiple non-consecutive terms as Madison's mayor over a span of more than two decades. The campaign became one of the most closely watched municipal races in Wisconsin.

Rhodes-Conway's platform centered on several key policy areas. She identified affordable housing and public transportation as two of her most important priorities, arguing that Madison needed to address growing housing costs and improve transit options for residents. She also emphasized climate action and sustainability as central to her vision for the city's future, drawing on her professional background in urban planning and sustainability policy.

The campaign featured multiple debates between Rhodes-Conway and Soglin. At the first mayoral debate, the two candidates sparred over their differing visions for the city. While the candidates found some areas of agreement, they diverged on key issues including the pace and direction of change needed in the city. On policing, the two candidates took similar positions on some issues.

Rhodes-Conway's campaign attracted significant financial support. She surpassed Soglin in fundraising during the race, a notable achievement given Soglin's long tenure and established political network in Madison. An outside political committee also delivered mailings on behalf of Rhodes-Conway's campaign.

Rhodes-Conway received endorsements from multiple local media outlets. The Wisconsin State Journal endorsed her candidacy. The Cap Times editorial board also endorsed her, stating that she was the leader Madison needed. The Daily Cardinal, the student newspaper of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, likewise endorsed her, arguing she would provide the change the city needed.

2019 Election Victory

On April 2, 2019, Rhodes-Conway defeated Soglin by a substantial margin, ending his most recent tenure as mayor. The Star Tribune and other regional outlets reported on the result as a significant ousting of a longtime incumbent.

Analysis of the election results showed that Rhodes-Conway built a broad coalition of support across the city. Upon her victory, Rhodes-Conway pledged change for Madison, stating, "We are going to be" a city that addresses the challenges facing its residents.

She took office on April 16, 2019, succeeding Soglin. Her election attracted national attention as part of a broader wave of lesbian candidates winning mayoral races across the United States in 2019, alongside Lori Lightfoot's election as mayor of Chicago.

Reelection in 2023

Rhodes-Conway was re-elected as mayor in 2023, securing a second term in office. Her reelection allowed her to continue pursuing the policy priorities she had established during her first term.

Mayoral Tenure and Policy Priorities

As mayor, Rhodes-Conway has focused on several areas of municipal policy. Her administration has prioritized affordable housing, public transit improvements, and climate and sustainability initiatives, consistent with her 2019 campaign platform.

Budget and Fiscal Policy

In October 2025, Rhodes-Conway proposed a 2026 city budget that included no cuts to city services. The proposed budget included increased funding for Madison's newest library and a men's homeless shelter, as well as the addition of nine new paramedic positions.

In November 2025, Rhodes-Conway, along with Council leadership, proposed an amendment to the 2026 budget aimed at maintaining historically low property tax rates in the city.

Municipal Funding and State Budget

In July 2025, Rhodes-Conway issued a statement regarding the state budget deal, thanking legislative leaders and advocates across Wisconsin for supporting an increase to the Municipal Services Payment, which affects local government funding.

Election Administration Controversy

In the aftermath of the November 2024 election, an issue arose regarding uncounted absentee ballots in Madison. Rhodes-Conway publicly apologized for the mistake and stated that her administration had worked to ensure a similar error would not recur. The incident led to a lawsuit, and the city's legal argument—that leaving absentee votes uncounted did not represent a constitutional violation—drew criticism. Rhodes-Conway argued in an opinion piece that paying damages in the lawsuit would set a dangerous precedent for municipalities.

Personal Life

Satya Rhodes-Conway is openly lesbian. Her election as mayor of Madison in 2019 made her the first openly lesbian person elected to a mayoral office in Wisconsin. Her election was noted nationally as part of a broader trend of LGBTQ candidates winning municipal races across the United States that year, occurring alongside the election of Lori Lightfoot as the first openly lesbian mayor of Chicago.

Rhodes-Conway is a member of the Democratic Party and is also affiliated with Progressive Dane, a local progressive political party in Dane County, Wisconsin.

Recognition

Rhodes-Conway's 2019 election received national media coverage, with outlets including NBC News and the Star Tribune covering the race as part of a historic wave of LGBTQ candidates winning office. She was the second woman to serve as Mayor of Madison, and the first openly lesbian mayor in the state of Wisconsin.

During the 2019 campaign, she received editorial endorsements from the Wisconsin State Journal, The Cap Times, and The Daily Cardinal.

Rhodes-Conway is a member of the Democratic Mayors Association.

Legacy

As a two-term mayor of Madison, Rhodes-Conway's tenure has been defined by her focus on affordable housing, public transportation, climate policy, and municipal budgeting. Her election in 2019, in which she defeated an entrenched incumbent by a substantial margin, signaled a generational and ideological shift in Madison politics.

Her status as the first openly lesbian mayor in Wisconsin and only the second woman to hold the office in Madison has been noted as a milestone in the representation of LGBTQ individuals and women in municipal government. Her 2019 election occurred in the same cycle as Lori Lightfoot's election in Chicago, contributing to a nationally recognized moment for LGBTQ representation in American municipal politics.

Her predecessor, Paul Soglin, has been publicly critical of the direction taken by Madison's government under Rhodes-Conway and her allies, characterizing the city's progressive leadership as pursuing what he described as an "anti-car, pro-tax agenda." Such critiques reflect the ongoing political debate in Madison regarding the scope and direction of the city's progressive governance.

The absentee ballot controversy following the November 2024 election posed a challenge to her administration's record on election administration, and the resulting legal and political questions remained unresolved as of early 2026.