Ald. Lisa Subeck, District 1, announced Thursday she would run as a Democrat for state Rep. Brett Hulsey’s, D-Madison, 78th state Assembly district during the 2014 election.
Subeck, who also serves as the executive director for the advocacy organization United Wisconsin, said she would bring her “social justice” background into the Capitol if she were elected to represent the district. The 78th district covers a portion of Madison’s west side.
She said she plans to focus on re-establishing women’s health issues, which she said she has extensive experience dealing with in the Capitol as the former executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin.
“I worked very hard on passing progressive woman’s health policy that protects a woman’s right to make health decisions,” Subeck said. “What we’ve seen in the last couple of years is a rollback on that.”
Addressing student loan debt and making “strong” investments in public education are also a central part of Subeck’s plan for her possible tenure in the Assembly.
“If we want our state to be strong and have a strong economy, strong schools are really and truly at the core of that,” Subeck said.
Ald. Mark Clear, District 19, has also said he is interested in running as a Democrat for the Assembly seat.
Subeck said many of her experiences are similar to Clear’s, as they both serve on Madison's city Council but that she distances herself through her work to shape public policy legislation inside the Capitol.
“I have experience getting things done inside the Capitol,” Subeck said.
While the election is almost a year away, Subeck has already started thinking about dealing with a state government she says has become “too divisive.”
“We would all be better off if all of our legislators took a step back and said where can we find common ground and where can we work together,” Subeck said.
