Rhodes-Conway Ends Reelection Bid Amid Budget Push
Madison's mayor will not seek a third term as the city advances its 2027 capital budget with body camera funding.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in City Hall
Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway has renounced her reelection bid, days after proposing a 2027 Executive Capital Budget that includes $400,000 for police body-worn cameras and affordable housing investment. The budget is part of the city's five-year Capital Improvement Plan.
Why it matters
The announcement comes after a July police shooting of Corey Ruiz by Madison Police Officer Kiel Baitinger-Peterson, a case that has shaped debate over policing and oversight in the city. The proposed budget would equip every officer with body-worn cameras by the end of 2027 if approved.
The 2027 Executive Capital Budget allocates $400,000 for body-worn camera equipment, supplemented by a $350,000 Madison Community Foundation grant that accelerated the rollout from three years to one. The city is applying for a federal grant for half the equipment cost, and council approval of the budget remains pending.
The players
Satya Rhodes-Conway
Satya Rhodes-Conway is the Mayor of Madison, Wisconsin, who has led the city's budget proposals and police accountability response.
Madison Common Council
The Madison Common Council is the city's legislative body responsible for reviewing and amending the annual budget.
Madison Community Foundation
The Madison Community Foundation is a local philanthropic organization that granted $350,000 to fund police body-worn cameras.
The details
Rhodes-Conway announced on July 16 that she would seek a third term, then renounced that bid. Two weeks after Ruiz was shot in July, she removed an encampment honoring him, and a 12-hour Common Council meeting later terminated Interim Independent Police Monitor Aeriamique Glass. Rhodes-Conway said she and other public officials faced threats and misogynistic harassment.
Timeline
July 16: Rhodes-Conway announces she will seek a third term.
July: Officer Kiel Baitinger-Peterson fatally shoots Corey Ruiz.
Nov. 10: Common Council begins deliberations on the 2027 budget.
End of 2027: All Madison officers to be equipped with body cameras if the budget passes.
City Hall Context
The 2027 budget is developed within Madison's five-year Capital Improvement Plan, which sets the framework for city infrastructure and public safety spending. The proposal extends that plan with body-camera equipment and a goal of 15,000 new homes by 2030.
If approved, every Madison police officer will wear a body camera by the end of 2027, changing how police interactions are recorded in the city. The budget also sets a goal of 15,000 new homes by 2030, which could affect housing availability for Madison residents.
The takeaway
Residents can follow Common Council budget deliberations starting Nov. 10 to see how body-camera funding and housing goals are finalized. Attending or watching these public sessions is the most direct way to track the outcome.
What happens next
The Common Council begins deliberations on the 2027 Executive Capital Budget on Nov. 10.
Further reading
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