Ellen Zhang (D) wins District 8 election, champions affordability, public transit
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.”
https://www.dailycardinal.com/article/2026/04/ellen-zhang-wins-district-8-election-champions-affordability-public-transit