Madrid became active in politics working for
Pete Wilson during Wilson's time as
mayor of San Diego. Elected as a City Councilman from 1981 to 1990, Madrid was then elected Mayor of
La Mesa, California in 1990 and then re-elected in 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006 and 2010. In 1993, the
Los Angeles Times said that Madrid was "
San Diego County's most prominent
Latino elected official" at that point. ==Personal life and death==