University of Wisconsin-Madison sophomore Ellen Zhang won the contested District 8 Common Council election Tuesday night defeating sophomore Bobby Gronert, by over 1,200 votes.
“Tonight, the voters of District 8 have spoken, and I am deeply grateful for the trust you’ve placed in me,” Zhang said in a statement. “This campaign was powered by an incredible community: everyone who knocked doors, made calls, donated or simply believed in what we were building together. Thank you.”
Zhang’s platform advocates for affordable housing, expanding public transit and pedestrian safety and accessibility across Madison. The College Democrats and the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway and outgoing District 8 alder MGR Gonvindarajan endorsed Zhang, while the Young Democratic Socialists of America endorsed Gronert.
The race drew heightened attention hours before the election after Gronert publicly addressed past inappropriate messages to women that he described as “overbearing and unintentionally creepy.”
District 8, which primarily represents the UW-Madison campus, serves as one of the most politically visible seats on the Madison Common Council because of its large student population and its role in issues affecting campus life, housing and city-university conversations.
In 2023, the District 8 Alder elections saw a total of 4,507 votes, nearly double the 2026 election which saw 2,098 total.
Zhang succeeds Govindarajan, a former UW-Madison student and Common Council vice president. He served on the Council for 3 years after being elected in 2023.
"Congrats to Ellen Zhang on her impressive victory tonight! She ran a campaign focused on the student experience and focusing on the issues impacting our community. I look forward to meeting in the coming weeks to begin the alder transition process,” Govindarajan said in a statement.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Editors note: This story was edited on April 7 at 10:47 p.m. to include MGR Govindarajan's comment.
Alaina Walsh is the city news editor for The Daily Cardinal. She formally served as the associates news editor and has covered breaking news on city crimes, a variety of state and campus issues, the 2024 presidential election and the UW-Madison budget. You can follow her on twitter at @alaina_wal4347
