Posted Monday, August 16, 2010 -- 5:14pm
By Zac Schultz

Madison: While most people are focused on this November, a handful of people in Madison are already looking ahead to the Mayoral race next spring.

"Right now I'm in the process." Noel Radomski has a lot of concerns about how Madison is being run and he's thinking about running for Mayor. "There's been missed opportunities and there's great challenges and now is the time to make some significant changes in the City of Madison."

To get the top job, the former one-term council member will likely have to go through incumbent Mayor Dave Cieslewicz. "I've been pretty clear I enjoy the job a lot- love the city. I think we're doing a lot of good things. I'd like to serve another term. I'm going to make a final decision on that in the fall."

Radomski says Cieslewicz has not created enough jobs over the last eight years. "The city either doesn't care or doesn't know how to advance economic development so we have more jobs for people."

A future campaign theme will revolve around the types of jobs created in the Edgewater Hotel redevelopment.

"The reason I fought so hard for Edgewater is that 1 out of 3 workers in some building trades is out of work right now," says Cieslewicz.

"The Mayor is half-right," says Radomski. "Yes, it is going to lead to some jobs, but it's construction jobs that are temporary."

Another potential candidate is former Alder Ken Golden. Radomski says Golden was a mentor. "The difference is that I focus on jobs and his focus is other places."

In 2007, Cieslewicz was challenged by more conservative candidates. This time, Golden is to the left and Radomski doesn't want to be labeled. "I'm above the spectrum."

"I think it indicates I'm right where I should be, pretty much right in the center," says Cieslewicz. "I've always thought of myself as a left-center, liberal democrat."

Ken Golden did not respond to multiple requests for comment.