David Peterson (Wisconsin)

David Peterson

Nonpartisan

Candidate, Dane County Board of Supervisors District 36

Dane County Board of Supervisors District 36

Tenure

2024 - Present

Term ends

2026

Years in position

1

Predecessor: Melissa Ratcliff (Nonpartisan)

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Elections and appointments

Last election

February 17, 2026

Next election

April 7, 2026

Contact

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David Peterson is a member of the Dane County Board of Supervisors in Wisconsin, representing District 36. Peterson assumed office on April 16, 2024. Peterson's current term ends on April 21, 2026.

Peterson is running for re-election to the Dane County Board of Supervisors to represent District 36 in Wisconsin. Peterson is on the ballot in the general election on April 7, 2026. The primary for this office on February 17, 2026, was canceled.

Peterson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. Click here to read the survey answers.

Elections

2026

See also: Municipal elections in Dane County, Wisconsin (2026)

General election

The general election will occur on April 7, 2026.

General election for Dane County Board of Supervisors District 36

Incumbent David Peterson (Nonpartisan) is running in the general election for Dane County Board of Supervisors District 36 on April 7, 2026.

		Candidate
		David Peterson (Nonpartisan)

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Nonpartisan primary

The primary scheduled for February 17, 2026, was canceled. Incumbent David Peterson (Nonpartisan) advanced from the primary for Dane County Board of Supervisors District 36 without appearing on the ballot.

Endorsements

Peterson received the following endorsements. To send us additional endorsements, click here.

• Dane County, Wisc., Democratic Party
• Wisconsin AFL-CIO

2024

See also: Municipal elections in Dane County, Wisconsin (2024)

General election

General election for Dane County Board of Supervisors District 36

David Peterson defeated Loreen Gage in the general election for Dane County Board of Supervisors District 36 on April 2, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		David Peterson (Nonpartisan)	48.9	1,428
	Submit photo	Loreen Gage (Nonpartisan)	48.7	1,422
		Other/Write-in votes	2.3	68

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,918
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Dane County Board of Supervisors District 36

David Peterson and Loreen Gage defeated Andrew McKinney in the primary for Dane County Board of Supervisors District 36 on February 20, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		David Peterson (Nonpartisan)	37.2	327
✔	Submit photo	Loreen Gage (Nonpartisan)	37.0	326
		Andrew McKinney (Nonpartisan)	24.9	219
		Other/Write-in votes	0.9	8

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 880
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

Peterson received the following endorsements.

• State Rep. Jimmy Anderson (D)
• State Rep. Melissa Ratcliff (D)
• Dane County Supervisor Rick Rose (Nonpartisan)
• Dane County Supervisor Member Andrew Schauer (Nonpartisan)
• Frmr. Dane County Sheriff David Mahoney (D)
• Frmr. Dane County Supervisor Danielle Williams
• American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
• South Central Federation of Labor

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

David Peterson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Peterson's responses.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I serve as the Dane County Supervisor for District 36, representing Cottage Grove and surrounding areas. I first ran for office because I believe local government works best when residents are informed and when elected officials are willing to explain their decisions openly.

Professionally, I work in the technology sector helping large organizations modernize complex systems and adopt new technologies responsibly. That background has shaped how I approach public service: I tend to focus on data, long-term planning, and making sure policies actually work in practice.

My family and I live in the community I represent, so the decisions made by the County Board affect our daily lives just like they do for our neighbors. I take the responsibility of serving seriously and try to approach issues with curiosity, transparency, and a willingness to listen to people who see things differently.

I believe local government should be practical, transparent, and focused on solving real problems rather than creating unnecessary conflict.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Supporting public safety and our first responders - Public safety is one of the most important responsibilities of county government. I believe we need to ensure our first responders have the staffing, equipment, and resources they need to do their jobs safely and effectively. In recent years we’ve seen overtime demands place significant strain on deputies and other public safety staff. That’s not sustainable. I want to focus on practical solutions that support our first responders, strengthen public safety services, and ensure the county is planning responsibly for the long term.
• Addressing the county’s structural budget challenges - Dane County is facing a growing structural budget deficit that will require difficult decisions in the coming years. I believe we should begin those conversations now, in the spring, rather than waiting until the formal budget process later in the year. Starting earlier gives the County Board and the public more time to review the numbers, evaluate priorities, and consider options thoughtfully. Responsible budgeting requires transparency, careful planning, and a willingness to make tough decisions in order to ensure the county’s long-term financial stability.
• Transparent government and informed decision-making - I believe residents deserve clear explanations of how decisions are made and how public resources are used. Good policy requires good information, open discussion, and a willingness to ask hard questions. I try to approach issues by focusing on the data, listening to different perspectives, and explaining my reasoning openly so residents can understand how and why decisions are made.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I care deeply about transparency in government and helping residents better understand how local decisions are made. Public trust improves when people can clearly see how policies are developed and implemented.

I am also particularly interested in how governments manage technology, data, and privacy. As public institutions adopt new tools, including artificial intelligence, it is important that these systems are implemented responsibly and with strong protections for the public.

More broadly, I care about making sure public policy decisions are grounded in reliable information and thoughtful analysis rather than assumptions or rhetoric.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2024

David Peterson did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

See also

2026 Elections

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Dane County Board of Supervisors District 36

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