Rhodes-Conway announced Friday that she would not seek a third term, reversing a reelection decision she made public in July. She said she had reached her decision weeks earlier and wanted to give potential candidates time to consider entering what is now an open-seat contest.

“I felt like if I knew that I was not running, I should get out of the way and let people know that it’s an open seat,” she said in an interview after the announcement. She described the choice as “bittersweet” and said she had initially felt pressure to run again, making the decision with other people’s expectations in mind rather than her own.

The mayor said Madison police are investigating threats against her and that credible threats have been made over the years. She also pointed to a Bridging Divides Institute finding that 76% of local officials surveyed in the first quarter of 2026 were less likely to take part in key political activities because of fears of threats or violence.

“I did not expect the level of threats to myself, (City) Council members, my staff, and my family,” Rhodes-Conway said in a statement. She called for the city to address a deteriorating civic culture and make public service safer and more sustainable, including for a broader range of future leaders.

Rhodes-Conway said she believes she could have won another term, but would not endorse a candidate until she knows who is on the ballot. She said neither the fatal July police shooting of Corey Ruiz and the subsequent clearing of a protest encampment, nor the City Council’s recent firing of interim police monitor Aeiramique Glass, factored into her decision. Rather, she described a broader decline in civic discourse since the pandemic.

First elected in 2019, Rhodes-Conway became Madison’s first openly gay mayor and its second woman to hold the office. She highlighted bus rapid transit, more than 19,000 homes built with thousands more in development, an expanded mental-health crisis response program, renewable-energy efforts and homeless-services investments as accomplishments during her seven and a half years in office. Her tenure also included disputes over police use of force and oversight, including protests after Ruiz, a 38-year-old Black man, was shot and killed by a Madison police officer.

Eight candidates have declared bids for the spring 2027 election: former City Council President Syed Abbas, former council member Brian Benford, One City Schools founder Kaleem Caire, artist and activist Natalia Hacerola, Monkey Bar Gym founder Jonny Hinds, boxer and bartender Marcus Robert Johnson, former Dane County Board member April Kigeya, and Larry “Ace” Williams. Downtown Madison Inc. President Jason Ilstrup said he is strongly considering a run. Candidates have until Jan. 5 to file paperwork. The nonpartisan primary is scheduled for Feb. 16, with the general election set for April 6.

State Rep. Francesca Hong, who thanked Rhodes-Conway for her service, ruled herself out of the mayoral race. Dane County Executive Melissa Agard also praised the mayor’s work on housing, transportation, sustainability and economic development. City Council member Mike Verveer called the departure “the end of an era,” while council member Tag Evers said Madison is better because of Rhodes-Conway’s leadership.

Rhodes-Conway’s withdrawal comes 11 days before Wisconsin’s Nov. 3 midterm election, when voters will choose a governor and state legislators. As Madison’s mayor, she has frequently worked with state leaders on issues affecting the city, and her departure adds to a period of anticipated leadership change in state and local government.