Madsen started his political career in 1984 when he lived and worked in the Washington, D.C. area. He began in January 1984, as an intern for Utah U.S. Senator, Orrin Hatch. He then went on to work for lobbying organizations promoting Ronald Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative and a federal Balanced Budget Amendment. Madsen was elected to City Council in 2001. He was sworn in on January 7, 2002. He then ran for State Senate, and was first elected in 2004. Madsen is affiliated with the Federalist Society and the American Leadership Academy in Spanish Fork. Madsen last ran for office in 2012 when we won unopposed. He retired at the end of the 2016 session.