Mayor Dave Cieslewicz regained the keys to Madison's City Hall Tuesday with a resounding defeat of his opponent, Ray Allen.
More than 48,000 Madison residents turned out to vote. Cieslewicz garnered more than 30,000 votes, and Allen received 18,134 votes. Still, voter turnout was much lower than in 2003, when more than 58,000 Madisonians voted for mayor.
""I said this four years ago, and I'll say it again ... that worked out OK,"" Cieslewicz said as he greeted a large crowd of supporters touting ""Mayor Dave"" signs and chanting, ""Four more years!""
According to Cieslewicz, the previous four years of his term were made successful by bringing people together, attempting different approaches to the community's problems and remaining optimistic. He said the high standards his office has set since 2003 are a testament to moving the city forward.
""The biggest challenge we have going forward is the fact that we are a successful community and we need to manage our success,"" Cieslewicz said. ""And we can do that ... we've been doing it the last four years.""
In his speech, Cieslewicz applauded Allen. The mayor said Allen ran a good, competitive race and brought to the forefront many key issues concerning the city. Allen told his teary-eyed supporters he would not give up.
""Even though we lost tonight,"" Allen said. ""We won.""
Allen said he would remain an active participant in the community and continue to fight crime and poverty in Madison. He said the battle against the issues facing Madison is just beginning.
Still, Cieslewicz said the margin of victory showed Madison voters were content with his efforts. He said the campaign was successful on many levels, but revealed a few issues that need more attention, such as retooling the Alcohol Density Plan and building popularity for Halloween.
As for the campus vote, Cieslewicz said he captured 68 percent of the student vote. He added that the strong student support shows that although his proposals—like ticketing Halloween—were somewhat controversial, on the whole, most students agreed with them.
Cieslewicz also pointed out the safety on UW-Madison's campus as one of the most pressing issues in Madison.
""My top priority on campus is that everyone is safe,"" Cieslewicz said.
