And yet Arata-Fratta prevailed with almost 52 percent of the vote. Fitchburg’s Latino community has grown significantly, especially in the past year with the annexation of parts of the Town of Madison last November. Arata-Fratta’s extensive background and care for the common person in Fitchburg should serve Fitchburg well.

Gloria Reyes was unsuccessful in unseating incumbent mayor Satya Rhoades-Conway with final percentages of 55-44 percent. The last time that a person of color ran for Madison mayor, in 2006, Ray Allen received about 40 percent of the vote. So while Reyes didn’t win the office of mayor, she moved the needle forward so that someday, maybe soon, a candidate of color will be successful, standing on the shoulders of Reyes and Allen.

In Monona, Kristie Goforth, a Native American, was unsuccessful in winning the mayoral race, losing 43.7 to 56 percent to Mary O’Conner. Goforth is a pretty ebullient person and so I wouldn’t be surprised if she throws her hat in the ring in the near future for another elected position.

And it just occurred to me that the Madison metropolitan area has a majority of women mayors leading their municipalities. It’s Satya Rhoades-Conway for Madison, Mary O’Conner for Monona, Julia Arata-Fratta for Fitchburg and Emily Kuhn for Middleton, taking over for the retiring Gurdip Brar. That represents a whole lot of change in the past 10-20 years.

And this election for Madison alder shows that the election of many people of color to the Madison Common Council was no fluke. If my observations are correct, there will be 11 people of color sitting on the Madison Common Council. They are Juliana Bennett, District 2, Nasra Wehelie, District 7, MGR Govindarajan, District 8, Nikki Conklin, District 9, Yannette Figueroa Cole, District 10, Amani Latimer Burris, District 12, Dina Nina Martinez-Rutherford, District 15, Jael Currie, District 16, Sabrina Madison, District 17, Charles Myadze, District 18, and Barbara Harrington-McKinney, District 20.

And there could quite possibly be a 12^th person of color on the council. In District 14, Isadore Knox Jr. trails Noah Lieberman by TWO votes. And there are two provisional ballots cast that could be counted if the people who voted provide the proper documentation by Friday. Quite possibly, the vote for District 14 alder could end up in a tie. What happens next? Do they flip a coin to see who takes the position?

We deeply regret that Alder Sheri Carter was not reelected. Due to the redistricting caused by the absorption of parts of the Town of Madison last November, Carter was redistricted out of most of the parts of her old district and into the new district that contained a large majority of Alder Yannette Figueroa Cole’s previous district. Figueroa Cole won a very tight race, 50.4 to 48.9 percent.

We congratulate Alder Sheri Carter’s outstanding leadership in her old South Madison district. During her tenure, the Urban League’s Black Business Hub got started, Penn Park was revitalized, and land was set aside for affordable housing, just a few of major development initiatives that came into fruition during her South Madison tenure. We thank you for your service Sheri Carter.

What has also come to fruition since a majority of the Madison Common Council seats were occupied by people of color two years ago is the diversity of thought and political leanings that have come with those alders. Their votes have almost always landed on both sides of an issue, even on an issue that is so fundamental to equity and diversity as a much needed civil rights position for the Department of Civil Rights to meet the equity needs of the new city of Madison residents from the former Town of Madison.

And then we have to celebrate the election of Judge Janet Protasiewicz to the Wisconsin Supreme Court where the “Liberals” will have a 5-4 majority. I long for the day past when the Supreme Court justices were actually non-partisan and you never knew how the Supreme Court would rule on a case because they ruled on facts and not ideology. But I welcome Justice Janet Protasiewicz to the Supreme Court especially because of the whole issue of gerrymandering. I feel that when too many elected officials are in “safe” districts, it has a negative impact on public policy. It is the competition of ideas that leads to good policy.

And eventually gerrymandered state legislature will lead to a minority “white” government in Wisconsin as people of color continue to comprise a greater percentage of the state’s electorate. And that will lead to, in essence, authoritarian rule and the diminishing of democracy. Open, fair, and non-gerrymandered elections will contribute to a healthy Wisconsin where all people will feel they have the opportunity to contribute to the state.

Go Wisconsin and Go Dane County!