In a special election on Tuesday night, Sen. Melissa Agard, D-Madison, won the Dane County executive race over challenger Dana Pellebon.
Agard received 61% of the vote at 74.6% of precincts reporting — a 23.3% margin over Pellebon’s 37.7%.
Declaring victory in a speech at the Embassy Suites hotel in downtown Madison, Agard affirmed her interest in finding togetherness as executive.
“We are one community and with a shared set of values grounded in equity, in progress and innovation, we can move our county forward,” Agard said.
The election was called after former Dane County Executive Joe Parisi announced in October 2023 that he would be retiring. Since stepping down in May, the position has been filled by former Dane County Supervisor Jamie Kuhn.
Agard and Pellebon landed on the ballot after defeating candidates Wes Sparkman and Regina Vidaver in the August primary.
The county executive is responsible for overseeing county government departments, approving or vetoing resolutions from the Board of Supervisors and submitting the annual budget to the county board.
Agard previously told the Cardinal that as county executive, she will prioritize including student perspectives on housing affordability issues to address cost of living concerns.
In a Q&A with the Cap Times, Agard has also said that addressing climate concerns, racial disparities and prioritizing workforce development and small businesses will be goals of her administration.
Agard will serve until the end of Parisi’s term in April 2025.
