Former Madison Ald. Bridget Maniaci, District 2, announced in a statement Wednesday she plans to challenge Mayor Paul Soglin in the 2015 Madison mayoral election.
“Over the coming weeks and months I look forward to engaging directly with Madison’s many diverse neighborhoods and communities about the direction of Madison’s future and its need for catalytic leadership,” Maniaci said in the statement.
Maniaci, a University of Wisconsin-Madison alumna, represented the east side of Madison on the city’s Common Council for four years after her first election in 2009. Maniaci said she considered running for the past two and a half years, motivated by her experience in city hall.
“What influenced me to run was the desire and passion that I heard from many people in the community to have options for new leadership in the city council,” Maniaci said.
As a student at UW-Madison, Maniaci became familiar with the city.
“I have a deep knowledge of the city,” Maniaci said. “What sets me apart from potential other candidates, the current mayor included, is a sense of my life story and my demographics.”
Among other student issues, Maniaci said she intends to address tenant rights. While representing District 2, Maniaci held a renters’ meeting facilitating discussion between members from the Madison police and fire departments and local renters.
“One of the things I worked hard to do as a representative for many young citizens who are renters is to really work to improve tenant rights and building inspection efforts,” Maniaci said. “It’s important to not lose sight that if you are a renter, you are a valued citizen.”
Mayor Paul Soglin declined to comment. His Campaign Manager, Melissa Mulliken, provided a statement.
“We look forward to the campaign and to comparing what Paul Soglin has accomplished as mayor, his passion for the city’s future and his ability to stand up for what’s best for Madison and our taxpayers with Bridget’s record,” Mulliken said.
No other Madison resident has announced a challenge to Soglin.
Maniaci is an associate for the Center for Resilient Cities, a nonprofit organization that aims to promote environmental sustainability and improve quality of life in urban communities, according to the statement. She hopes to complete a Master of Science in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University.
“I think that if you are going to run for mayor, you have to have an open door policy to your office,” Maniaci said.
The Madison Mayoral Election will take place in April 2015.
