After Ald. Austin King, District 8, announced Dec. 21 he would not seek re-election this spring, two UW-Madison students launched their campaigns for King's seat.
""I am ready to move on to new challenges and opportunities, but I will take with me the lessons I've learned and the remarkable experiences I've had for the rest of my life,"" King said in a statement.
King, a UW-Madison graduate, was elected to the council in 2003 and became the City Council's youngest ever president in 2006 at the age of 24.
As for now, King is finishing up his final term and preparing for his next endeavors, which may include law school, as he said he applied to several around the country.
From his experiences, King said, ""The student voice can have a substantial effect on City Hall.""
Meanwhile, two students prepare to battle for his spot.
Eli Judge, a UW-Madison sophomore from Illinois and active on-campus advocate, announced his candidacy after King decided not to run. He has experience with the Students for Equality group and was the founder and co-chair of Students For a Fair Wisconsin, which led a campus-wide campaign ""Vote No"" against the ban on gay marriage last semester.
If elected, Judge said he would ""make sure students' needs are represented on the council.""
Danny Spirn, a UW-Madison junior and an unofficial partner in Judge's campaign, said Judge has talked to students and understands a main student concern is safety. He said Judge would create new watch programs to address recent safety concerns on Madison's streets.
Also running is Lauren Woods, a UW-Madison senior from Chicago's South Side. She is the former president of the Wisconsin Black Student Union, worked as a legislative aide at the Capitol and was recently appointed by Mayor Dave Cieslewicz to the Equal Opportunities Commission. Her key issues include affordable housing, tenants' rights and safety for all.
""I will continue the tradition of accessible representation, a progressive voice of a forward thinker and really work toward making Madison the liberal and progressive town it's most known for,"" she said.
King has taken on the treasurer role in Woods' campaign. He has publicly endorsed her, claiming ""she is way more qualified than I was when I ran.""
Outside of District 8, the City Council will endure many changes as the spring elections near. In addition to King, eight other alders in the 20-member council have officially filed that they will not run for re-election April 3.
