Madison Mayor Soglin says he will not seek re-election but is staying in race for governor

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Madison Mayor Paul Soglin says he will not seek re-election to that post next year, but he's staying in the race for governor.

No one has served as mayor of Madison longer than the 73-year-old Soglin, who was first elected in 1973 at age 27 and has been in and out of office since then.

He was most recently elected in 2011 and re-elected in 2015. He's been mayor for 22 years.

But Soglin says eight years in the office at one time is enough. Soglin says he also will not run for mayor again.

Soglin says he's announcing his decision now, nine months before the mayoral election, because he wants to give the three announced candidates "the time and space to make their case to the voters."

Soglin is one of eight Democrats running for governor. The primary is Aug. 14.

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