On the steps of the City- Council Building Mayor Dave Cieslewicz announced he will run for re-election Monday.
Cieslewicz started off his campaign for his third four-year term with the announcement. Cieslewicz has been in office since 2003, when he defeated former Mayor Paul Soglin.
In 2007, Cieslewicz defeated Republican candidate Ray Allen to continue as mayor of Madison. Cieslewicz was able to earn 68 percent of the UW-Madison student vote in the election.
""I can't think of anything else I'd rather be doing with my life than serving as mayor of Madison,"" Cieslewicz said at the press conference.
During his speech Cieslewicz outlined his efforts over the past eight years to make tough decisions when necessary.
""My case is based on my record of taking care of the basics while pursuing a broader vision for the community's future,"" Cieslewicz said.
Cieslewicz gave the example of his decision to gate and ticket Halloween on State Street, which he said was ""met with predications of disaster.""
""When I inherited Halloween on State Street, it was a national nightmare,"" Cieslewicz said in a statement. ""Today, it has been transformed into Freakfest … Arrests are down 94 percent from their worst year in 2004.""
For more than a year Cieslewicz and the Common Council have dealt with ongoing major city projects such as the Edgewater Hotel and Central Library developments.
""When negotiations on the new Central Library broke down, I quickly won approval of a new plan amid heavy criticism for moving too fast,"" Cieslewicz said.
Cieslewicz said even though Madison is ""doing well,"" he wants to do more than just try to maintain the status quo.
""I believe I've demonstrated the practical ability to move the city forward and the vision to see where we need to go,"" Cieslewicz said. ""So I'm going to ask the voters for another four years to see what else we can accomplish together.""
Cieslewicz is expected to face several candidates in the spring election including former alders Ken Golden and Noel Radomski. Golden, 62, served on the Common Council representing District 10 from 1989-2007.
The spring primaries are set for Feb. 15 with the general election on April 5.
Radomski will formally announce his candidacy today.
