Progressive Dane (ProDane or PD) is a progressive political party in Dane County, Wisconsin. ProDane formed in fall 1992 as a chapter of the New Party, which dissolved in 1998.

ProDane focuses near-exclusively on local elections. ProDane routinely wins seats on the Dane County Board of Supervisors, the Madison Common Council, the Mayor of Madison the Madison Metropolitan School District Board of Education, and the Fitchburg Common Council.

All of these entities have non-partisan elections, with no party primaries and no party names on ballots. Thus, while Progressive Dane organizes itself as a political party, and attempts to elect ProDane candidates, its candidates can also be endorsed by the Democrats and/or Greens. In some elections, ProDane has worked with Democrats and with Greens. This is similar to the electoral fusion strategy of the New Party and the Richmond Progressive Alliance.

ProDane holds regular Progressive Caucus meetings with its elected officials.

Notable elected officials include former mayor Dave Cieslewicz and incumbent mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway.

History

In the 1990s, ProDane ran candidates for the state legislature and for statewide offices. However, these attempts were unsuccessful. Instead, focusing on local elections, by 1997 ProDane had grown strong enough to be the 2nd-largest party, after the Democrats, in Dane County.

Progressive Dane achieved a high level of electoral success in the early 2000s. In 2001, John Nichols said ProDane "may well be the most successful homegrown political party in the United States". In 2005, Madison mayor and Progressive Dane member Dave Cieslewicz remarked, "For all intents and purposes, they are the [city’s] governing party right now." In this period, ProDane raised the Madison minimum wage and passed a sexuality non-discrimination ordinance.

In 2004, in response to the success of ProDane and ProDane's endorsement of a Green candidate for Dane County Treasurer, the Democratic Party of Dane County began making explicit endorsements in Dane elections and running liberal Democrats against ProDane candidates.

In 2006, ProDane endorsed a "NO" vote on Referendum 1, which would have invalidated same-sex marriages.

Ideology

Progressive Dane has a city, county, and education party platform. Last revised in 2025, Progressive Dane's county platform supports many progressive policies, including: equitable economic development, criminal justice reform, and response to climate change. Last revised in 2024, ProDane's city platform includes: open and democratic government, housing justice, community policing, quality healthcare, and employee rights. ProDane's education platform contains principles and areas of priority including support for: public school funding, labor rights, equity and inclusion, Social–emotional learning, and community schools.

Endorsed elected officials are expected to vote in accordance with the party's platform and pre-emptively disclose any anticipated votes which are contrary to the party's platform. An elected official may be removed from the ProDane's caucus for taking actions contrary to the party's platform or non-communication with the party.

Electoral history

The table below shows the number of ProDane elected officials. Madison and Fitchburg offices are elected in odd years in April (shown below), Dane County offices in even years, and School Board on both:In the 2003 mayoral election, ProDane endorsed Green and Socialist candidate Bert Zipperer in the first round, who lost. Mayor Dave Cieslewicz was a member of ProDane from 2003 to 2005, but not 2007 or 2009.

Election results

ProDane has endorsed electoral candidates for local, state, and federal offices. The vast majority of ProDane candidates ran for nonpartisan local offices. State and federal candidates usually run as Green Party candidates.

ProDane has won many local offices, but never a state legislature, statewide, or federal office.

Federal elections

In 2000, ProDane endorsed Green candidate Ralph Nader for president. In 2006, ProDane endorsed Green candidate Rae Vogler for Senate.

State legislature elections

Local elections

See also

• American Left

• Democratic Socialists of America

• Richmond Progressive Alliance

• Green Party of the United States

• History of the socialist movement in the United States

• List of mayors of Madison, Wisconsin

References

External links

• Progressive Dane website

Endorsements:

• 2023 endorsements

• 2022 endorsements

• 2021 endorsements

• 2020 endorsements

• 2018-2019 endorsements

• 2000-2017 endorsements

• Dane election results