The candidates in Tuesday's Dane County Sheriff election are both Madison law enforcement officers who say they are dedicated to representing and protecting UW-Madison students.
Mike Hanson, running as a Republican, and Dave Mahoney, running as a Democrat, have also made individual appeals to student voters who have little interaction with Dane County Deputies.
Hanson, Madison Police Department's current public information officer, pointed in particular to his friendships with MPD Chief Noble Wray and Central District Commander Mary Schauf. He said he already shares Wray's ""vision"" for the policing of downtown and would avoid overstepping his boundaries as sheriff.
According to Hanson, downtown safety for students should remain the responsibility of Madison police, not Dane County law enforcement officers.
""No sheriff could come in and take over downtown,"" Hanson said. ""It's just unrealistic.""
Mahoney, who boasts 26 years of experience as a Sheriff's Deputy, has made his pitch to left-leaning Madisonians by publicly opposing the proposed civil unions and gay marriage ban. He has also spoken out against the death penalty and concealed carry laws.
""My opponent would say those are not issues of public safety and should not be issues that are taken up by the sheriff,"" Mahoney said. ""I disagree.""
According to Mahoney, Republicans are using the marriage ban in particular to divide Wisconsin residents and, as a result, undermine public safety.
""The ban would have an economic impact on our county, city and university and that's why I spoke out in opposition to it,"" Mahoney said.
Mahoney campaign manager Morris Andrews insisted Mahoney is also dedicated to preventing the downtown muggings and assaults that have plagued the UW-Madison campus and surrounding areas since late 2005. According to Andrews, Mahoney would gladly send deputies downtown to work with police in especially dangerous areas.
But Hanson, whose father Ralph was the chief of UW police in the 1960s, said he understands downtown and the campus area ""completely.""
""It's an entertainment district and a neighborhood, and you need to police it as such,"" Hanson said, adding that he would supply deputies to downtown only if asked. ""You certainly can't just start deploying deputies to State Street on the weekends.""
Mahoney was adamant Sunday that a relaxed downtown is crucial to Dane County's vitality.
""The number one issue that I'm hearing from our citizens is increased crime and specifically violent crime in downtown Madison,"" he said. ""And if downtown Madison isn't safe, then Dane County isn't safe, and that affects the quality of life for all of us.""
