Six candidates have thrown their hats in the ring to be Madison’s next District 17 alder, filling the remainder of former Ald. Gary Halverson’s term. He resigned in late September.
District 17, which spans Madison’s far east side next to the Dane County Regional Airport, was represented by Halverson since April 2021 until his past association with the Oath Keepers — a right-wing extremist group — leaked early last month, drawing immediate and fierce backlash. A few weeks later, Halverson announced his resignation, effective immediately, citing safety concerns for his family.
The Common Council will appoint someone to fill the rest of Halverson's term, which ends in April 2023. Applications for the seat closed last week, and on Oct. 20, the Common Council Executive Committee will interview the six candidates. District 8 Ald. Juliana Bennett, who serves on the executive committee, told the Daily Cardinal she was looking for candidates with lived experiences and who represent the values held by the council.
“[I want someone who] will be representative of the values that council has been moving towards,” Bennett said. “More racial equity [and] inclusion focused, more focused on increasing housing, certain issues like public safety, etc.”
Bennett, whose district comprises much of the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus, took aim at the council for a flawed appointment process in the past, adding it was frustrating that previous appointments to fill seats had resulted in white people replacing an alder of color.
“What's been frustrating to me is that council leadership [has] a strong opinion that we shouldn’t appoint people because we think they’ll be good for the job,” Bennett said, referencing the previous appointments to the District 3, 11 and 20 seats. “That we should appoint someone [who is in] the middle, based off of what [the council] perceives the district wants.”
“I think that it's important for us to look towards other options,” she said.
The Cardinal contacted the six candidates, a mix of former alders, local entrepreneurs and UW faculty to understand why they are seeking out the District 17 seat. Over email, candidates described their qualifications for the seat, what their priorities in office would be and whether they would run for a full term in April.
Joe Clausius
Joe Clausius previously served as District 17’s alder from 2007 to 2015. Before serving as an alder, he worked with the American Family Insurance group.
Clausius graduated from UW-Platteville with a degree in political science and has been a District 17 resident since 1991.
In his application, Clausius expressed his support for the planned construction of a permanent men’s shelter on Bartillon Drive, as well as the city’s proposed bus rapid transit lines connecting the east and west sides of the city. He also called to increase funding for police overtime for residential patrols and traffic control.
“I am deeply concerned over the unsafe driving on city streets and the escalation in residential break-ins and vandalism throughout the city,” Clausius said in his application for the seat. “Many residents are downright frightened to drive on city streets or walk in their neighborhoods at night.”
Clausius said he does not intend to run for a full term in April.
“As a resident and former alder in District 17, I am applying to fill the alder vacancy in our district to the end of the term on April 18, 2023. I have no interest or plans to seek election after that date,” he said. “Hopefully by then, interested residents will have researched the alder position and run in the spring election.”
William Turnquest
William Turnquest works as a paramedic and EMT with Marshall and Cambridge EMS. He previously worked for the DeForest Fire Department as a firefighter and EMT.
Turnquest told the Cardinal one of his highest priorities is addressing rising housing prices.
“One of my focal points would be equity in housing and finding local, affordable housing for all citizens in this city,” Turnquest said. “Housing prices are skyrocketing across the country, and while we are not unique to these challenges, I feel we can do better to make housing affordable and equitable to everyone despite income.”
Turnquest also named violence and accident prevention and education as important issues. He said his experience in public service gives him a unique understanding of constituents’ needs.
Turnquest has lived in the Madison area since 1988 and in District 17 since 2015. He did not say whether he would run for a full term.
Sabrina Madison
Sabrina Madison, the founder and CEO of the Progress Center for Black Women, announced her intention to run for the seat a few days after Halverson resigned. The Progress Center is a co-working space that offers a variety of specialized services and development opportunities for Black women.
Madison told the Cardinal she had been considering a run for alder for a couple years, but recent conversations around the homeless men's shelter that veered into fear-mongering pushed her to run.
“I just started to feel like I’ve done a really good job at bridging the gap between people who may just disagree around processes or [how] to go about solving some issues,” Madison said. “I felt like I can be a good community navigator [to] bring these opposing views together and try to find some common ground for the shelter.”
Madison believes relationships across the community will help her resolve problems and broker compromises as alder. She said she would continue engaging with community members and address concerns expressed to her, such as the lack of a community library, the proposed Imagination Center and affordable housing in Madison.
Anne Murphy-Lom
Anne Murphy-Lom is the associate director of human resources for the UW-Madison General Library System. She has also served as an election official since 2004 and a chief inspector for the City of Madison since 2010.
Murphy-Lom told the Cardinal she would prioritize removing barriers to voting while encouraging engagement with the community.
“If people have access to what they need to take care of themselves and their families, they can focus on their education, finding their own success and actively engaging in the community through everything this city has to offer,” Murphy-Lom said. “I would do what I can to provide as much access and outreach as possible for people to vote.”
Murphy-Lom has lived in Madison since 1998 and said her experience working in Madison for over 20 years would give her a valuable perspective on the Common Council.
Murphy-Lom said she intends to run for a full term next year, but she does not have any higher political ambitions.
Amy Zabransky
Amy Zabransky is the coordinator of volunteers on the Wisconsin Board of Aging and Long Term Care.
Before moving to Madison in 2015, Zabransky served as secretary of the City of Richfield, Minnesota. Additionally, she sat on the board of directors for a community action organization focused on low-income housing issues.
Zabransky identified affordable housing, transportation, public safety and environmental preservation as important issues she would address as alder, but she said she would prioritize listening to the needs of District 17’s constituents.
“I want to bridge any gaps between my neighbors, city staff and special committees as we all work together to continue to make Madison a great place to live,” Zabransky told the Cardinal. “I bring a critically perceptive set of eyes and will work for my constituents to maintain high standards while maintaining fair play.”
Zabransky said she would decide whether to run in 2023 after the city’s budget is approved.
Blake J. Duren
Blake Duren serves on the board of the directors for the South Central Wisconsin Multiple Listing Service and considered running against Halverson in the past. With his resignation, Duren “saw no reason not to throw [his] hat in the ring.”
Duren graduated from UW-Madison in 2005 and has lived in Madison for nearly nine years. He said his priority in office would be to make sure the costs and benefits of Madison’s growing economy are distributed equally across Madison.
“I think there is a tendency sometimes for districts with more economic pull than other districts to begin to accumulate the benefits of growth while pushing the costs and negative byproducts of that growth into other districts,” Duren said. “My priority in office would be to make sure that the costs and benefits of this rapid growth are shared equally amongst the various districts in the city.”
He told the Cardinal he would focus on transportation, affordable housing and other quality of life issues facing District 17 if appointed.
Francesca Pica is the city news editor emeritus for The Daily Cardinal. She has covered multiple municipal elections and is a leading reporter on Madison labor issues. Additionally, she served as a summer intern for The Capital Times and currently serves as a WisPolitics intern.
Gavin Escott is a senior staff writer and photographer for multiple desks at The Daily Cardinal. Throughout his time at the Cardinal, he's written articles for city, state, campus and breaking news. He is the current host/producer of the Cardinal Call podcast. Follow him on Twitter at @gav_escott.
