UW-Madison student Max Prestigiacomo announced his run Monday for Madison Common Council.
Prestigiacomo will be running for the position of District 8 Alder on the council, where he said he intends to use his background in community organizing to enact change. If elected this April, Prestigiacomo will be the youngest elected official in Wisconsin.
“As a youth organizer in Madison, I’ve led movements pushing our leaders to act,” Prestigiacomo stated in his online biography. “At 17, I founded an entirely youth-run nonprofit dedicated to fighting the climate crisis and uplifting disenfranchised youth voices in Wisconsin. As Executive Director working alongside many others, we’ve created an intersectional movement demanding justice for young people.”
In addition to founding and serving on the Youth Climate Action Team, Prestigiacomo has previously been selected as a delegate to the United Nations Climate Summit.
Prestigiacomo’s platform centers on the revitalization of Madison’s sustainability record. He strongly supports Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway’s Bus Rapid Transit system and believes transportation in the city must pursue cost-effective and sustainable options.
Prestigiacomo also plans to address social justice and affordable housing in his platforms. As an Alder, Prestigiacomo plans to advocate for new affordable high-density housing near campus and incentivize standards of affordable housing in developments.
Current District 8 Ald. Sally Rohrer already endorsed Prestigiacomo for the position.
“I share my generation’s frustration with conventional politics and I’m going full force into the political system with my background in community organizing to initiate action on the issues neglected by the council for years,” Prestigiacomo stated in a press release. “District 8 constituents and young people alike are steadfast in our belief that we need bold climate action now more than ever.”
The special election for the District 8 Alder position will take place on April 7, 2020.
Addison Lathers is the Editor in Chief of The Daily Cardinal. She has covered city and campus news and held two editor positions. Follow her on Twitter at @addisonlathers.
