Attorney and Green Party member Sally Stix debated Democratic incumbent Brian Blanchard at Edgewood College Thursday night for the Dane County District Attorney position.
Progressive Dane and the Task Force on Money, Education and Prisons hosted the debate that lasted for roughly 90 minutes.
The candidates placidly debated issues ranging from disproportionate minority confinement in the local judicial system to guidelines for marijuana prosecutions.
\It's hard to say which candidate won the debate, but I did gain a broader knowledge for their opinions,"" said Co-chair of Progressive Dane Drug Policy Task Force James Reinke.
UW-Madison law student Erik Olsen agreed, saying there was no clear victor.
Olsen said he voted Democratic prior to the debate, thus voting for Blanchard, but in retrospect wishes he waited to cast his vote because Stix made some interesting points, particularly with regard to drug policy.
Blanchard preached of having a ""sensible"" drug policy in Dane County and added the current policy does not make drug possession a priority.
Conversely, Stix said she would not even prosecute drug possession.
""We are now seeing the effects of an unwinnable drug war,"" she said.
Dane County resident Nelson Plapp said this debate bolstered his support for Stix because Blanchard's drug program is not working.
Plapp went through a rehabilitation program after getting arrested for a single marijuana plant in his home despite his clear record prior to the arrest.
Olsen also commented on the irony of holding a racially aimed debate without a racially diverse audience. The audience for this debate was overwhelmingly Caucasian.
The candidates both agreed that the racial disparity in Dane County's criminal justice system is a large problem that needs to be examined thoroughly.
""We are working on this issue and it is a very important one,"" Blanchard said. A committee headed by UW-Madison sociology Professor Pam Oliver is examining the issue.
""We are currently in a criminal prosecution system that is racist,"" Stix said. ""More than 50 percent of the people we send to prison are African-American.""
Stix placed partial blame on Blanchard and said this is a staggering statistic, considering only 4 percent of Dane County's population is African-American.
Blanchard and Stix agreed on most issues and, at the most, differed slightly on others.
""The questions asked didn't differentiate the candidates,"" Olsen said.
