Can nice guys finish first? That's the question haunting mayoral candidate Dave Cieslewicz.

News 3's Toni Morrissey takes a behind-the-scenes-look at the personal life of the candidate.

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She followed him for a couple of days and talked to those close to him to get a feel for the real person making a run for mayor.

Even though he's got that "nice guy" image, here's a tip for staff in the mayor's office -- make sure you've got a pot brewing.

MADISON, Wis. -- "I think I'm a guy who tries to live as normal a life as possible," Cieslewicz said.

"Normal" for Cieslewicz is spending time with his wife in their near west side home.

"What you see is what you get," said wife Dianne. "Dave is not fake in any way."

Dianne has been married for 13 years to a man being billed in the campaign as Mr. Nice Guy.

"Some people think nice is weak, and of course that's wrong," she said. "You're not attracted to someone just because you're nice. He's very bright."

The very bright youngster was raised in a Polish, Catholic household in a blue-collar suburb of Milwaukee. After high school, he moved to Madison and enrolled at the UW.

"I think I'm a guy who cares a lot about my city, my neighborhood, the environment," Cieslewicz, 43, said.

A love for the environment and preserving it through responsible growth is what spurred Cieslewicz to start 1000 Friends of Wisconsin.

"He has a vision of what needs to be done," said former coworker Nuria Hernandez-Mora. "He gets there. He's nice about it. He will not make enemies. He can compromise, but he will not compromise his core beliefs."

At forums, he's poker faced as he writes notes as his opponent answers about affordable housing and inclusionary zoning. He's very serious about topics that can stir emotions, but friends say Cieslewicz uses humor during tense moments.

"Even when things can be stressful or things can be somewhat difficult, he has the ability to just make those things light," Hernandez-Mora said.

"I think environmentalists have a better sense of humor than they're usually given credit for," Cieslewicz said. "I always felt that it was important to break down that stereotype."

But life can be an uphill climb for Cieslewicz. Friends say he's not always this funny.

"He can be really grumpy in the morning sometimes, before a cup of coffee," Hernandez-Mora said.

"I was not really fit for public consumption until I got into the office and downed at least one cup of coffee," Cieslewicz admitted. "But by the second cup, you know, you're approaching 9 a.m. I'm just delightful."

"Delightful" is how his best friend of 18 years describes him.

"We've had debates about all sorts of issues from politics to basketball," said Michael Blumenfeld. "He's a good friend. And he's a good person. He's not a pushover. He's also somebody that people want to talk to. This kind of spills over into the professional realm too. People want to work with him."

Cieslewicz said he knows he's nice -- "What's wrong with a little civility? That doesn't mean that you don't take strong stands on issues. And that doesn't mean that you don't try to advance your agenda. It's a question of how you do it."

Doing it with what detractors say is a milk-and-cookies persona, doesn't mean he always says yes.

"Trust me -- he can say no," wife Dianne said. "You know when he's mad too. There's no mistaking it."

"I don't mind being accused of being a nice guy," he said. "I think what I want people to know about is that I can also be very determined. I think my style of leadership is a better fit for the times."

When he has time to relax, he likes to do genuine Madison lifestyle things like go to concerts on the square or the farmers market.

Woodworking is a hobby, but that's on hold during the campaign.

He told Morrissey that, if elected, it'll be critical for him to have as normal a life as possible.

Unless he continues to do things like cut the grass and get home for dinner a couple times a week, there's a danger of getting out of touch with people's daily concerns.