The mayor of Madison says she won’t run for reelection in April, citing increased threats of violence to herself, staff and her family.

Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway made the announcement in a letter released Friday. 

After more than seven years in office, Rhodes-Conway said she is proud of the work that she and her staff accomplished, including leading the city through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Understanding Wisconsin, Together.

WPR’s “Wisconsin Today” newsletter keeps you connected to the state you love without feeling overwhelmed. No paywall. No agenda. No corporate filter.

But she said in the letter that “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,” Rhodes-Conway wrote.

Rhodes-Conway has faced criticism in recent months for how the city responded to the fatal police shooting of 38-year-old Corey Ruiz in July.

A memorial to Ruiz turned into an encampment, blocking off a city intersection for more than a week and ending with the arrest of 16 people.

Rhodes-Conway did not reference the events of this summer in her letter.

She said that over her years as mayor, community debate has “shifted from productive discussion to increasingly vitriolic, personal attacks” that she says is driving people away from public service.

“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. 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.”

Rhodes-Conway announced her reelection bid in July, less than two weeks before Ruiz’s death. She was first elected in 2019, unseating longtime mayor Paul Soglin. 

In her letter, she celebrated improvements in public transit, use of renewable energy and investments in homeless services made during her time in office.

Eight candidates had already announced an intention to challenge Rhodes-Conway in 2027.

Wisconsin Public Radio, © Copyright 2026, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.