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  • Current YIMBY Scores
  • All Housing Votes, 2025-2026 Term
    • 2025
  • Other Votes
    • 2025
  • Methodology
    • YIMBY Score

Current Voting Record

Updated on December 28, 2025.

Current YIMBY Scores

The % of votes that are pro-housing (YIMBY) for each active alder. The YIMBY score is calculated as the number of pro-housing votes divided by the total number of contested votes. The graph below shows only “all-time” score (since 2023 when we started counting). See Table 1 for both “all-time” score and the score only for this term. See Section 4.1 for methodological details, Table 2 for a breakdown of votes this term factored into the score, and Table 3 for a list of all other contested votes this term. For a list of all votes factored into the “all-time” score see the Historical Voting Record page. Note that alders in even-numbered districts are up for reelection in Spring 2026.

Figure 1: YIMBY Index: All-Time Voting Record
Table 1: Percentage of contested votes by active alders that were pro-housing (YIMBY). “All-time” includes all votes since 2023 Term. Alders facing reelection in Spring 2026 (even districts) are marked with “**“.
2025 Term
All Time
Alder District n Votes % YIMBY n Votes % YIMBY
Badri Lankella 7 7 100.0 7 100.0
Carmella Glenn** 18 7 100.0 7 100.0
Julia Matthews** 12 7 100.0 7 100.0
Sean O'Brien** 16 7 100.0 7 100.0
Will Ochowicz** 2 7 100.0 7 100.0
Yannette Figueroa Cole** 10 7 100.0 35 96.0
Derek Field 3 7 100.0 32 93.5
Regina M. Vidaver 5 7 100.0 33 91.7
Dina Nina Martinez-Rutherford 15 7 100.0 35 86.0
John W. Duncan 1 7 100.0 35 86.0
Davy Mayer** 6 7 83.3 7 83.3
John P. Guequierre 19 7 100.0 17 83.3
Sabrina V. Madison 17 7 100.0 32 82.6
MGR Govindarajan** 8 7 100.0 35 82.0
Michael E. Verveer** 4 7 100.0 35 79.3
Tag Evers 13 7 100.0 29 73.8
Joann Pritchett 9 7 58.3 7 58.3
Bill Tishler 11 7 33.3 30 49.2
Isadore Knox Jr.** 14 7 29.2 32 37.7
Barbara Harrington-McKinney** 20 7 37.5 34 34.7

All Housing Votes, 2025-2026 Term

2025

Table 2: Contested housing votes in 2025, listed by their district. YIMBY votes in blue, anti-YIMBY votes in red.
Date Legistar Vote # Short Title YIMBY 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Dec 09 2025 90552 1 TOD Reforms - Remove Hill Farms FALSE N N N N N N N N N N Y N N N N N N N N N
Dec 09 2025 90552 2 TOD Reforms Final TRUE Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N Y Y N Y Y Y Y Y N
Dec 09 2025 90845 1 Pontiac Trail Rebuild TRUE Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N Y Y Y Y Y Y
Jul 15 2025 88846 1 LakeWay Project Amendment TRUE Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N Y N Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N
Jul 15 2025 88846 2 LakeWay Project Referral FALSE N N N N N Y N N Y N N N N Y N N N N N Y
Jul 15 2025 88846 3 LakeWay Project Final TRUE Y Y Y Y Y N Y Y Y Y N Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N
Jun 17 2025 83477 1 Old Sauk Road Rezoning TRUE Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N Y N Y Y N Y Y Y Y Y N

Other Votes

2025

Table 3: Contested Non-housing in 2025, listed by their district. Yes votes in blue, No votes in red.
Date Legistar Vote # Short Title 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Nov 25 2025 90169 1 Hemp THC Restrictions Mayer Alternate N Y N Y N Y N N N N Y N N Y N N N Y
Nov 25 2025 90169 2 Hemp THC Restrictions Final Y Y Y N Y N Y Y N Y Y Y Y N Y Y Y N
Nov 25 2025 90423 1 Pet Store Ban Add Rabbits & Guinea Pigs Y Y N Y Y Y N Y N Y N Y N N N N Y N
Nov 25 2025 90423 2 Pet Store Ban Dogs & Cats Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N Y Y Y N
Nov 11 2025 90249 1 Eliminate OIM and PCOB Funding N N N N N N N N Y N N N N Y N N N N N Y
Nov 11 2025 90249 1 Operating Budget Final Adoption Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N Y Y Y Y Y N
Oct 07 2025 89347 1 Downtown Economic Strategy Y N Y Y Y Y Y N Y N N Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Oct 07 2025 89482 1 West Towne Mall CSM Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Sep 16 2025 89779 1 Dairy Drive Extension Y Y N Y N Y N N N N N Y N Y Y N Y Y N Y
Jun 03 2025 88129 1 Meeting Time Amendment N N N N Y N Y Y N N N N N N N N N N Y N
Jun 03 2025 88129 2 Meeting Time Final N N N N Y N Y N N N N N N N N N N N N N

Methodology

YIMBY Score

The “YIMBY” (“Yes in my backyard”) voting scale is intended to be an objective measure of the pro-housing alignment of Madison Common Council Members. However, you should be highly skeptical of any measure that purports to be “objective,” because every measurement of attitudes requires some value judgements. Our measure is no different! When evaluating a vote we employ maximalist YIMBY criteria, even though this is not necessarily how we would vote and is not the view of any particular pro-housing advocates or organization. But it provides a useful reference point. The standard holds that housing developments should always be approved if they meet minimal standards for safety and functionality; zoning that prevents the most housing possible from being built should be eliminated; transportation policy should promote car-free living (or at least the ability to live without a car). All alder votes relevant to YIMBY issues are weighted equally, with votes on particular amendments or motions of an item averaged together so that an item doesn’t get more weight because it had multiple votes for amendments, etc.

Do you think this is a misguided approach? Please send us an email and let us know why we are wrong. Also please let us know if you think we are missing votes or have made a mistake.

 

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