University of Wisconsin-Madison
Since 1892 dailycardinal.com
Thursday, April 9, 2026
l
BLACKWELL HITS PORTAL
UW PICKS PATTERSON
Star guard John Blackwell plans to enter the transfer portal, test NBA draft waters
Best-selling author James Patterson to deliver spring commencement keynote address
+ SPORTS, PAGE 8
+ NEWS, PAGE 3
Regents oust Rothman in unanimous vote By Annika Bereny CAMPUS NEWS EDITOR
In a 17-0 vote Tuesday evening the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents voted to terminate President Jay Rothman’s contract, effective immediately. “The Board is grateful for President Rothman’s service and recognizes the meaningful work undertaken during his tenure,” the Regents said in a statement immediately following the meeting. “However, despite these accomplishments, based on the annual performance review and subsequent discussions, the Board has lost confidence in President Rothman’s abil-
ity to lead the UWs moving forward.” Rothman, the ninth UW System president, is the first to be fired in system history. Vice President of University Relations Chris Patton will serve as the ‘Acting Executive-inCharge’ as the Regents search for both an interim president and the next System President. The system will also be searching for a new University of Wisconsin-Madison chancellor. Though Rothman’s appointment as president ended on Tuesday, he will be paid at his current salary of $600,943 through Oct. 8, 2026, according to UW System spokesperson Mark Pitsch.
Rothman refused to resign last Thursday on principle after he said in letters to the Regents that they requested he resign or retire without cause. “Since to date you have not provided any substantive reason or reasons for the Board’s finding of no confidence in my leadership,” Rothman wrote on March 26, “I am not prepared, as a matter of principle, to submit my resignation.” Board President Amy Bogost cast doubt on Rothman’s claims that the call for his resignation came as a surprise in a Monday statement that she also read during the Tuesday meeting, but offered limited explanations as to why the
TAYLOR ELECTED TO COURT
Regents wanted to terminate his contract. She cited an annual performance review of Rothman where she had met with Regents, chancellors and other members of the UW community. “This process consisted of multiple meetings with the full Board of Regents, including direct conversations and clear feedback regarding leadership expectations,” she said. “President Rothman was not without notice, nor was this process sudden. The Board has engaged with President Rothman in good-faith discussions over the past several months.”
+ Rothman page 2
Zhang wins D8 election Ellen Zhang won Madison’s District 8 Common Council seat By Alaina Walsh and Alexa Cattouse CITY NEWS EDITOR & STAFF WRITER
TOMMY YONASH/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Liberal-backed Court of Appeals Judge Chris Taylor elected to Wisconsin Supreme Court, expanding majority By Audrey Lopez-Stane SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Liberal-backed Court of Appeals Judge Chris Taylor defeated conservative-backed rival Maria Lazar for a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, strengthening the liberal majority on the state’s highest court to 5-2. Taylor thanked Wisconsinites for standing up “for a strong Supreme Court that will protect the independence of [the] beloved state” and called it an “honor” to win the position. The Associated Press called the race for Taylor at 8:36 p.m. when she had 61.6% of the vote and Lazar 38.3%, with approximately 36% of the vote in. According to a March 24 Marquette Law School poll, Taylor led at 23% among registered voters, compared to Lazar’s 17%. The poll reported 53% of voters were undecided and 7% said they wouldn’t vote. Taylor worked as an attorney until 2003 and served as a Democrat in the state Assembly from 2011 to 2020. She was then appointed by Gov. Tony Evers to the Dane County Circuit Court in 2020 before being elected to the Court of Appeals in 2023. “I have worked with Judge Taylor in the
past on the Dane County Circuit Board,” Supreme Court Justice Susan Crawford told The Daily Cardinal. “I know what kind of hard worker she is, and I know what kind of commitment she has to justice.” While both Lazar and Taylor championed partisan independence throughout this race, Taylor told the Cardinal in an interview last month her opponent is the only one “bringing politics to the bench.” Taylor said she believes what she learned from her time in the Legislature “made her a better judge.” “I work to ensure that the cases and the people before me get a fair and deliberate consideration,” Taylor said at the party. “Politics has no place in the judiciary.” Liberals flipped the court for the first time in 15 years when Justice Janet Protasiewicz won the race in 2023. Protasiewicz told the Cardinal that calling Taylor’s win “incredible is an understatement.” “It tells us... people care about our Wisconsin values,” Protasiewicz said. “They care about women’s right to choose, fair maps, clean water, everything.” Liberals maintained control of the court when Crawford beat Republican Attorney
General Brad Schimel last year in the most expensive judicial race in U.S. history, tallying over $100 million in spending. While this year’s race was lower profile, Taylor’s campaign and her supporters outspent Lazar’s nearly 9-to-1. Taylor’s backing is nearly $8 million while Lazar’s is just under $1 million. In their April 2 debate, Taylor raised concern over the SAVE Act, a federal proposal requiring photo ID and proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections. She also said she would’ve voted with the liberal majority last year to overturn the 1849 abortion law that had banned the procedure. “I’ve always valued every woman’s ability to make her own personal, private healthcare decisions,” Taylor said during her speech. In the crowd of approximately 200 Taylor supporters chanting her name at the party, she emphasized her victory was for “everyone who believes the court should work for all of us.” “Tonight, we stand strongly for a state supreme court that prioritizes the people of Wisconsin,” Taylor said. “I will be a justice for you, the people of Wisconsin.”
University of Wisconsin-Madison sophomore Ellen Zhang won the contested District 8 Common Council election Tuesday night defeating sophomore Bobby Gronert, by over 1,200 votes. “Tonight, the voters of District 8 have spoken, and I am deeply grateful for the trust you’ve placed in me,” Zhang said in a statement. “This campaign was powered by an incredible community: everyone who knocked doors, made calls, donated or simply believed in what we were building together. Thank you.” Zhang’s platform advocates for affordable housing, expanding public transit and pedestrian safety and accessibility across Madison. The College Democrats and the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, Mayor Satya RhodesConway and outgoing District 8 alder MGR Gonvindarajan endorsed Zhang, while the Young Democratic Socialists of America endorsed Gronert. The race drew heightened attention hours before the election after Gronert publicly addressed past inappropriate messages to women that he described as “overbearing and unintentionally creepy.” District 8, which primarily represents the UW-Madison campus, serves as one of the most politically visible seats on the Madison Common Council because of its large student population and its role in issues affecting campus life, housing and city-university conversations. In 2023, the District 8 Alder elections saw a total of 4,507 votes, nearly double the 2026 election which saw 2,098 total. Zhang succeeds Govindarajan, a former UW-Madison student and Common Council vice president. He served on the Council for 3 years after being elected in 2023. “Congrats to Ellen Zhang on her impressive victory tonight! She ran a campaign focused on the student experience and focusing on the issues impacting our community. I look forward to meeting in the coming weeks to begin the alder transition process,” Govindarajan said in a statement.
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”