The alderman currently representing campus in Madison’s city council secured an endorsement for reelection on Tuesday from College Democrats of UW-Madison.
The student organization will support incumbent Ald. Zach Wood, District 8, in the race against challenger John Terry Jr. for the council’s heavily student-populated district seat, which constitutes a large portion of downtown Madison.
Wood says if reelected, he will focus on improving campus safety, increasing downtown density, ensuring affordable housing and creating a more sustainable city. Elected in 2015, he touts his experience in city government to voters.
“My more senior colleagues told me as soon I was inaugurated that it really takes a full year at least to learn the job,” Wood said. “Coming into the home stretch of my second year, I’ve figured out how to get things done.”
Terry says if elected he will also concentrate on tackling affordable housing issues, as well as homelessness in the city. As a formerly homeless individual, Terry says his background gives him perspective into what needs to be done for individuals without housing. He says he would counter limited knowledge of campus issues by working closely with students during his term and that his conflict skills would be useful in office.
“I don’t pretend to know all of the answers to problems that you students have,” Terry said. “If elected, I would have a liaison in the student sector to help me understand campus issues. I’m a fast learner, a listener and I can be confrontational—sometimes Mayor Soglin needs that.”
College Republicans of UW-Madison will not be endorsing a candidate for the city council race this year, club Chairman Jake Lubenow told The Daily Cardinal.
“We're not endorsing either candidate because neither have promoted conservative values and policies that the students here in Madison deserve,” Lubenow said. “Our organization has not endorsed candidates for city council in the past, but we look forward to enthusiastically supporting conservatives at all levels of government in the future.”
The Madison Common Council general election will take place April 4.
