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Melissa Agard

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Melissa Agard
Image of Melissa Agard

Nonpartisan

Dane County Executive
Tenure

2024 - Present

Term ends

2029

Years in position

0

Predecessor
Prior offices
Wisconsin State Assembly District 48
Successor: Samba Baldeh
Wisconsin State Senate District 16
Successor: Melissa Ratcliff
Predecessor: Mark Miller
Elections and appointments
Last elected

April 1, 2025

Education

High school

East High School

Bachelor's

University of Wisconsin, Madison

Personal
Birthplace
Madison, Wis.
Profession
Business owner
Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Instagram

Campaign YouTube

Personal Facebook

Personal Instagram

Personal LinkedIn

Melissa Agard is the Dane County Executive in Wisconsin. She assumed office on November 13, 2024. Her current term ends on May 7, 2029.

Agard ran for re-election for Dane County Executive in Wisconsin. She won in the general election on April 1, 2025.

Biography

Melissa Agard earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin at Madison in 1991.[1] Agard's career experience includes owning a business.[2]

Elections

2025

See also: Municipal elections in Dane County, Wisconsin (2025)

General election

General election for Dane County Executive

Incumbent Melissa Agard defeated Stephen Ratzlaff Jr. in the general election for Dane County Executive on April 1, 2025.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Melissa Agard
Melissa Agard (Nonpartisan)
 
80.8
 
199,932
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Stephen Ratzlaff Jr. (Nonpartisan)
 
18.8
 
46,432
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.4
 
1,059

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 247,423
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. Incumbent Melissa Agard and Stephen Ratzlaff Jr. advanced from the primary for Dane County Executive.

Endorsements

2024

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

General election

Special general election for Dane County Executive

Melissa Agard defeated Dana Pellebon in the special general election for Dane County Executive on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Melissa Agard
Melissa Agard (Nonpartisan)
 
60.9
 
168,168
Image of Dana Pellebon
Dana Pellebon (Nonpartisan)
 
37.8
 
104,487
 Other/Write-in votes
 
1.3
 
3,457

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 276,112
Candidate Connection = 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.

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Nonpartisan primary election

Special nonpartisan primary for Dane County Executive

Melissa Agard and Dana Pellebon defeated Regina Vidaver and Wes Sparkman in the special primary for Dane County Executive on August 13, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Melissa Agard
Melissa Agard (Nonpartisan)
 
57.0
 
61,286
✔
Image of Dana Pellebon
Dana Pellebon (Nonpartisan)
 
17.2
 
18,561
Image of Regina Vidaver
Regina Vidaver (Nonpartisan)
 
15.1
 
16,269
Image of Wes Sparkman
Wes Sparkman (Nonpartisan)
 
10.0
 
10,791
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.7
 
705

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 107,612
Candidate Connection = 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.

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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Agard in this election.

2020

See also: Wisconsin State Senate elections, 2020

General election

General election for Wisconsin State Senate District 16

Melissa Agard defeated Scott Barker in the general election for Wisconsin State Senate District 16 on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Melissa Agard
Melissa Agard (D) Candidate Connection
 
73.4
 
83,526
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Scott Barker (R)
 
26.5
 
30,121
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.1
 
108

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 113,755
Candidate Connection = 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.

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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Wisconsin State Senate District 16

Melissa Agard defeated Andrew McKinney in the Democratic primary for Wisconsin State Senate District 16 on August 11, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Melissa Agard
Melissa Agard Candidate Connection
 
76.8
 
27,734
Image of Andrew McKinney
Andrew McKinney Candidate Connection
 
23.1
 
8,328
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.1
 
34

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 36,096
Candidate Connection = 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.

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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Wisconsin State Senate District 16

Scott Barker advanced from the Republican primary for Wisconsin State Senate District 16 on August 11, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Scott Barker
 
99.6
 
4,150
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.4
 
16

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 4,166
Candidate Connection = 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.

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Campaign finance

Endorsements

To view Sargent's endorsements in the 2020 election, please click here.

2018

See also: Wisconsin State Assembly elections, 2018

General election

General election for Wisconsin State Assembly District 48

Incumbent Melissa Agard won election in the general election for Wisconsin State Assembly District 48 on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Melissa Agard
Melissa Agard (D)
 
98.2
 
27,794
 Other/Write-in votes
 
1.8
 
503

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 28,297
Candidate Connection = 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.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Wisconsin State Assembly District 48

Incumbent Melissa Agard advanced from the Democratic primary for Wisconsin State Assembly District 48 on August 14, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Melissa Agard
Melissa Agard
 
100.0
 
11,494

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 11,494
Candidate Connection = 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.

2016

See also: Wisconsin State Assembly elections, 2016

Elections for the Wisconsin State Assembly took place in 2016. The primary election took place on August 9, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was June 1, 2016.

Incumbent Melissa Sargent ran unopposed in the Wisconsin State Assembly District 48 general election.[3][4]

Wisconsin State Assembly, District 48 General Election, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.png Melissa Sargent Incumbent (unopposed) 100.00% 26,534
Total Votes 26,534
Source: Wisconsin Elections Commission


Incumbent Melissa Sargent ran unopposed in the Wisconsin State Assembly District 48 Democratic primary.[5][6]

Wisconsin State Assembly, District 48 Democratic Primary, 2016
Party Candidate
    Democratic Green check mark transparent.png Melissa Sargent Incumbent (unopposed)

2014

See also: Wisconsin State Assembly elections, 2014

Elections for all 99 seats in the Wisconsin State Assembly took place in 2014. A primary election took place on August 12, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was June 2, 2014. Incumbent Melissa Sargent was unopposed in the Democratic primary. Sargent was unopposed in the general election,[7][8] and was re-elected for another term.[9]

2012

See also: Wisconsin State Assembly elections, 2012

Sargent won election in the 2012 election for Wisconsin State Assembly District 48. She ran unopposed in the Democratic primary on August 14 and defeated Terry Gray (L) in the general election on November 6, 2012.[10][11]

Wisconsin State Assembly, District 48, General Election, 2012
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngMelissa Sargent 83.2% 24,375
     Libertarian Terry Gray 16.6% 4,849
     Independent Adam Kassulke (Write-In) 0% 0
     Republican Jonathon William Rygiewicz (Write-In) 0% 13
     - Scattering 0.2% 59
Total Votes 29,296

Campaign themes

2025

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Melissa Agard did not complete Ballotpedia's 2025 Candidate Connection survey.

2024

Melissa Agard did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Candidate Connection

Melissa Agard completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Agard's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

I am a lifelong resident of Dane County, Wisconsin, and a single mother to four amazing boys. I currently reside on Madison's Northside. Prior to my current role as State Representative for the 48th Assembly District, I served on the Dane County Board of Supervisors and owned a small business.

As a State Representative and former Dane County Board Supervisor, PTO President, and small business owner, I have worked on policies to improve the lives of Wisconsinites at various levels. I am proud to fight for Wisconsin families, and I am committed to bringing people together to find innovative long-term solutions to better our state. I understand the issues and shared values that matter most to the people of the 16th Senate District, and I am confident that my passion and proven track record will bring a positive impact to the state of Wisconsin.

As your next State Senator, I will continue to work to make the state of Wisconsin a place where the economy works to the benefit of everyone and where future generations will want to live, work, and raise a family. I'm committed to working tirelessly on behalf of our community.

  • I am committed to lifting up working families. This includes fighting for affordable housing, raising the minimum wage in Wisconsin, building an economy that works for all members of our community, restoring workers' rights in our state, and more.
  • It is imperative that we have leadership that actively works to keep moving Wisconsin forward, and I am dedicated to doing just that. This includes improving public transit and transportation infrastructure; legalizing cannabis for medicinal and recreational use; addressing disparities and inequalities in Wisconsin; securing affordable and quality healthcare for all; and more.
  • We need to keep working to make Wisconsin a place where all families can live, grow, and thrive. This includes protecting our state's natural resources for future generations; investing in public education and post-secondary opportunities; and supporting innovation, entrepreneurship, and local business.
Supporting & strengthening our communities. Wisconsinites deserve to be safe and secure where they live, work, and play. I am committed to:

Reducing gun violence & promoting responsible gun ownership
Supporting innovation & entrepreneurship
Funding our K-12 public schools & post-secondary education
Ending the senseless prohibition of cannabis
Protecting our state's natural resources & environment

Putting Government Back to Work. Wisconsin works best when our government works for us. I am committed to:
-Working for free and fair elections
-Creating a clean & transparent government
-Fighting for a nonpartisan redistricting process

Building an Economy that Works for All of Us. Wisconsinites who work hard and
play by the rules must have a fighting chance. I am committed to:
-Lifting up working class families
-Making a path towards affordable & quality healthcare
-Investing in transportation solutions
-Eliminating obstacles to affordable housing access
-Championing for a $15 Minimum Wage

Removing barriers & promoting inclusivity. It is a top priority for me that we work together to build a Wisconsin that works on behalf of many, instead of the few. I am committed to:
Encouraging a diverse and inclusive state
Eliminating Wisconsin's record as one of the most segregated states
Recognizing and advocating for LGBTQ+ community and non-binary invidiuals

Defending the right of, & fighting for equity for, women, people of color, and marginalized populations
There are several values that are most important for an elected official. As any elected official's duty is to represent the interests of their community, being a listener is essential. Taking the time to listen and hear a variety of stories and experiences is extremely valuable in deciding what policy to support or propose. Moreover, having integrity, I think, distinguishes the best leaders from others. On the Dane County Board and in the State Assembly, it has always been one of the most important traits that I can have to represent and work on behalf of my neighbors and friends. Being a woman of principle and honesty has always been something I've taken great pride in, and it has truly helped me build and maintain relationships with my constituents and work for their interests.

Finally, a strong work ethic is really important for an elected official to have. Making a difference and trying to work towards progress is no easy feat; it cannot be done lazily or with anything less than a full effort. As an advocate for my community, I've worked hard to lift up marginalized communities and voice the interests of those who are too often left out of the conversation. It's imperative that I serve my community with my utmost, total effort. Change is constant and democracy is a verb-- as an elected official, it is my responsibility to always work for my constituents and to never settle.
Growing up I could have never imagined that I would become a State Legislator and have the honor to work in the State Capitol.

As a kid my family didn't always have it easy- there were times in my life when I was food & housing insecure, and I grew up learning how to shop for groceries with WIC benefits. While these were tough challenges for myself and my family, I am grateful to have known times of struggle and to recognize that many others in our state face these same struggles today. This experience fuels me as a Legislator, to always advocate for those who are working so hard just to get by.
I believe that one of the greatest assets a leader can have is experience. I take pride and distinguish myself from my experience- whether it be being a previous smaller business owner, as an elected official, or as a mother and community member, my experience in my community and in local politics sets me apart in understanding the interests of my friends and neighbors. My experience has furthered a variety of skills that have served me greatly at being an effective leader.

State legislators are leaders and advocates for their respective communities, and having previous experience in government or politics can be extremely beneficial in serving their communities. Having a reliable and strong track record speaks greatly of a legislator's values, representation of their community, and effectiveness as a leader. Based on my time serving on the Dane County Board and State Assembly, it's been my observation that previous experience helps build trust. The people want to be represented by the best leader and voice that works for their interests, and previous experience can be a testimony to how they can serve to the benefit of their community.
Forming strong relationships and making connections with other legislators is extremely valuable on all levels of government. I'm proud to have active relationships with many of my colleagues in the State Legislature, but also with many mayors, aldermen, County Board Executives, and even other legislators across our country, amongst many, many others.

These relationships are helpful in a variety of capacities. Whether it be to discuss issues of commonality or contention, I value listening to a variety of experiences and opinions across the aisle. From my experience, there are a great number of issues in the State Legislature that are actually bipartisan issues and should not be divisive based on the identity of 'Democrat' or 'Republican.' Moreover, these relationships can promote the effectiveness of creating and passing policies. When we have these relationships and build bridges between one another, Wisconsin truly functions optimally on behalf of the interest of the many instead of the few.
I've heard a number of stories from constituents, and each story has impacted me in a different way. As a State Legislator, one of the most important things for me is to take the time to listen to my community, hearing their stories and working to build a state that serves to the benefit of all. Truly one of my favorite parts of being a State Representative has been listening sessions or having meetings with my constituents to listen to the issues that matter the most to them.

That being said, it is difficult to pinpoint a single conversation or story that's stayed with me- so many stories and conversations have stayed with me throughout my years on the Dane County Board and in the State Assembly. One of the things I've appreciated most is the diversity of stories and experiences, and it truly signifies why we need policies and a Legislature that will work to serve the most number of people instead of a select group or the few. Wisconsin is strong because of its diversity, not in spite of it; it is one of the most unique and important things about our state. From a multitude of experiences and identities, each deserves to be heard and valued, and this is why I will always fight to keep moving our state forward.

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.

Campaign finance summary

Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

Melissa Agard campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2020Wisconsin State Senate District 16Won general$109,618 N/A**
2016Wisconsin State Assembly, District 48Won $38,957 N/A**
2014Wisconsin State Assembly, District 48Won $27,537 N/A**
2012Wisconsin State Assembly, District 48Won $34,966 N/A**
Grand total$211,078 N/A**
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

State legislative tenure

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in Wisconsin

A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.

Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Wisconsin scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.


2024

In 2024, the Wisconsin State Legislature was in session from January 16 to March 12.

Legislators are scored on whether they voted for or against MMAC's position.
Legislators are scored on their votes on small business issues.
Legislators are scored on their stances on conservation issues.
Legislators are scored by the Wisconsin Family Action on their votes on legislation related to "marriage, family, the sanctity of human life, or religious freedom."
Legislators are scored on their votes by the Wisconsin Professional Police Association on legislation related to Wisconsin's law enforcement community.
Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental issues.


2023


2022


2021


2020


2019


2018


2017


2016


2015


2014


2013

The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.

Committee assignments

Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at: editor@ballotpedia.org.

2023-2024

Agard was assigned to the following committees:

2021-2022

Agard was assigned to the following committees:

2019-2020

Agard was assigned to the following committees:

2017 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:

2015 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Sargent served on the following committees:

2013-2014

At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Sargent served on the following committees:

See also

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External links

Candidate

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    Footnotes

    1. ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on June 11, 2020
    2. ↑ Melissa for Senate, "About," accessed April 9, 2021
    3. ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "Candidates on Ballot by Election - 2016 General Election - 11/8/2016," accessed November 4, 2016
    4. ↑ Wisconsin Elections Commission, "2016 Fall General Election Results," accessed December 2, 2016
    5. ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "Candidate Tracking by Office," accessed June 20, 2016
    6. ↑ Wisconsin Elections and Ethics Commission, "2016 Partisan Primary," accessed September 16, 2016
    7. ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability, "Candidates Registered by Office," June 11, 2014
    8. ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "2014 Partisan Primary Candidates," accessed June 19, 2014
    9. ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "Canvass Results for 2014 General Election," December 1, 2014
    10. ↑ Government Accountability Board, "2012 Fall Partisan Primary," accessed May 5, 2014
    11. ↑ Government Accountability Board, "2012 Fall General Election," accessed May 5, 2014
    12. ↑ Wisconsin Family Action, "2015-2016 legislative scorecard," accessed May 31, 2017
    13. ↑ Wisconsin Family Action, "2015-2016 legislative scorecard," accessed May 31, 2017
    14. ↑ Wisconsin Family Action, "2015-2016 legislative scorecard," accessed May 31, 2017
    15. ↑ Wisconsin Family Action, "2015-2016 legislative scorecard," accessed May 31, 2017

    Political offices
    Preceded by
    Jamie Kuhn     		Dane County Executive
    2024-Present    		 Succeeded by
    -
    Preceded by
    Mark Miller (D)     		Wisconsin State Senate District 16
    2021-2025    		 Succeeded by
    Melissa Ratcliff (D)
    Preceded by
    -     		Wisconsin State Assembly District 48
    2013-2021    		 Succeeded by
    Samba Baldeh (D)
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