Madison District 8 Alder and Council Vice President MGR Govindarajan announced Monday that he will not seek re-election in April 2026.
Govindarajan, a University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate, won the campus-seat on the Madison common council during his junior year in 2023. He was reelected to a one-year term last April. He said his choice to not run for reelection is based on the belief that “public office should be a place for service, not permanence” in a statement.
“I never planned to serve more than two terms. I’ve always believed you step into politics when your voice can make a difference, and then you step out when it’s time for the next chapter,” Govindarajan told The Daily Cardinal.
Govindarajan said he plans to shift focus to his professional life and applying to law school.
“I’m proud of what we’ve achieved on housing, transportation and campus safety, and now I’m excited to focus on applying to law school and building my career,” he told the Cardinal.
During his two terms representing the largely student district, Govindarajan led or supported several major city investments aimed at housing affordability, pedestrian safety and campus-area infrastructure.
Govindarajan helped approve nearly 6,000 new student housing beds — including almost 800 discounted units for low-income students — and secured roughly $3 million to expand lighting south of Dayton Street, with installation planned for the coming year. He also directed nearly $500,000 toward bike safety improvements in his district.
Govindarajan also helped champion a new policy by the Madison Police Department prior to last spring’s Mifflin street block party, Amnesty Through Responsible Action, under which underage individuals in emergencies who call 911 will be spared citations for underage drinking if they comply and stay with the victim.
Govidarajan said the student seat is the most important seat on the city council as it brings the “energy, ideas and urgency the government needs,” and encourages students to consider running for the seat.
UW-Madison sophomore Robert “Bobby” Gronert is currently the only candidate running for the District 8 seat.
In a response statement Tuesday, Gronert said he hopes to continue the legacy of a progressive, transformative student alderman in District 8 by championing many of the same issues.
“Building on issues like housing, I will create a new Tenant Defense Council staffed with city attorneys to protect tenants from exploitative landlords. I will increase the supply of public housing by investing in the Community Development Authority. I will continue to fight for lighting lakeshore path” Gronert said in the statement. “And we will make Madison nightlife safer by improving late night bus service and ending bar raids.”
Alaina Walsh is the associate news editor for The Daily Cardinal. She has covered breaking news on city crimes and a variety of state and campus stories, including the 2024 presidential election and the UW-Madison budget.
