NEWS
Mayor endorses Woods in alder race
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Also by Courtney Johnson:
- Construction pops up on State Street this spring (November 6, 2007)
- Woods ahead in fundraising race (March 28, 2007)
- E-mail sparks privacy concern (October 9, 2007)
- Big Ten Network reaches deal with UW housing (August 31, 2007)
- City agency to run Halloween entertainment (May 10, 2007)
Related Stories:
- Aldermanic campaign goes international with Internet ads (March 21, 2007)
- Woods kicks off alder campaign (February 1, 2007)
- UW students go head-to-head for District 8 seat (January 19, 2007)
- Woods drafts campus safety initiative (February 26, 2007)
- Woods, Judge debate (March 16, 2007)
by Courtney Johnson
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Mayor Dave Cieslewicz officially endorsed District 8 aldermanic candidate Lauren Woods Wednesday.
Woods, a University of Wisconsin senior, is running against UW sophomore Eli Judge. The District 8 seat is currently held by City Council President Austin King, who is not seeking re-election in order to attend law school.
"[Cieslewicz] really has a lot of support of students on campus, and I'm just more honored than anything that I have his support," Woods said. "I was hoping for his endorsement, so I'm happy that I got it."
Cieslewicz said he supports Woods because her experience working on city committees will make her an effective alder.
"He met with both candidates," said Megan McGrorty, campaign manager for Cieslewicz. "However, Lauren's broader experience will give her the edge in representing students on the council."
So far this campaign season, Woods has also received endorsements from Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk, the Sierra Club and the Four Lakes Green Party, among others.
Woods has also received support from King, who serves as her campaign treasurer.
Judge, Woods' opponent, has received many campaign endorsements as well, including from former Madison mayor Paul Soglin.
"Endorsements are great, but I'm hoping that whoever represents the 8th District focuses on issues that are important to students," Judge said.
The Judge campaign has also received endorsements from the UW's College Democrats, the Dane County Democratic Party Executive Board and Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney.
Woods and Judge are both supporters of Cieslewicz's campaign for re-election. After garnering about 58 percent of the vote in last week's primary, Cieslewicz will be facing Madison Times owner Ray Allen, who received 30 percent of the primary vote.
"I told [Cieslewicz] repeatedly that I was a good friend of his, and that I'd be helping him in his election," Judge said. "I will remain to be a supporter of Mayor Dave in the coming election."
McGrorty said the mayor will help with Woods' campaign, in particular with getting students out to vote absentee.
UW, in conjunction with the city clerk and some downtown alders, will begin a campaign in the weeks before spring break to encourage students to vote absentee. This year's UW spring break conflicts with the April 3 general election.
The efforts will include shuttle vans to take students to and from the City Clerk's Office to vote, tables where students can register and apply for absentee ballots, as well as a mailing to all UW Housing residents with absentee ballot applications and information on how to register.
Woods said she hopes Cieslewicz's support will motivate her campaign and voters.
"I know that students really value Mayor Dave and really support Mayor Dave," Woods said. "I think he recognizes that this certainly is a strong race on campus."
This year's election will also see a race in the student-heavy District 5, where incumbent Ald. Robbie Webber will face challenger Troy Thiel.
Anonymous (March 1, 2007 @ 2:52am):
Happy to be endorsed by the guy who almost ended Mifflin and Halloween? Are you serious? So now I have to vote for both allen and judge. Geezz, get me an absentee ballot.
Anonymous (March 1, 2007 @ 4:05am):
Eli Judge is a huge loser - go back to wherever you came from and fight your pointless "fair wisconsin" crap away from the rest of us, nobody cares.
Anonymous (March 1, 2007 @ 6:23am):
Congratulations, Lauren! Huge news.
Anonymous (March 1, 2007 @ 9:10am):
oh please, you think austin king, the PRESIDENT of city council (who controls Mayor Dave's agenda) and Woods treasurer, would not have planned this out far in advance? come on. Old buddies help each other out.
Anonymous (March 1, 2007 @ 9:53am):
students support the mayor? ha.
are you insane? students don't like the mayor. have you at all followed the halloween situation, lauren?
the mayor's endorsement is a cancer.
Anonymous (March 1, 2007 @ 10:03am):
Let the Lewienian trumpets blast out across the Badger Herald comment boards!
Anonymous (March 1, 2007 @ 10:17am):
Good for you, Mayor Dave! I'm pretty sure that I agree with this decision, but I also think that Eli Judge shows some class here, unlike most of his supporters. Good for him, too.
Anonymous (March 1, 2007 @ 10:35am):
good to see mayor dave take a stand. lauren is clearly the better candidate.
Anonymous (March 1, 2007 @ 11:31am):
Yes. Mayor Dave is vastly unpopular among students. That's why nearly 65 percent of the votes cast by students in the primary were cast for him. Good research.
Anonymous (March 1, 2007 @ 12:48pm):
"Cieslewicz said he supports Woods because her experience working on city committees will make her an effective alder"
Are you serious? It's the Badger Herald who needs to do some research! She wasn't even officially recognized as a part of one committee until January of this year. How is that experience? Seems more like political maneuvering to me.
Anonymous (March 1, 2007 @ 12:50pm):
Also, to 4:05AM, that's pretty pathetic and borderline homophobic, I hope woods is not working with you
Anonymous (March 1, 2007 @ 12:58pm):
i hate mayor dave.
Anonymous (March 1, 2007 @ 1:09pm):
Here is some additional research - Mayor Dave's vote totals in District 8 during February's primary:
Ward 45 - 39 votes
Ward 46 - 35 votes
Ward 47 - 34 votes
Ward 48 - 32 votes
Hardly an overwhelming show of support. To be fair, Ray Allen received far less, but this underscores how many students don't care about the mayoral election.
Anonymous (March 1, 2007 @ 1:11pm):
Here is some additional research - Mayor Dave's vote totals in District 8 during February's primary:
Ward 45 - 39 votes
Ward 46 - 35 votes
Ward 47 - 34 votes
Ward 48 - 32 votes
Hardly an overwhelming show of support. To be fair, Ray Allen received far less, but this underscores how many students don't care about the mayoral election.
Anonymous (March 1, 2007 @ 1:52pm):
Clearly, Allen/Judge is the ballot that conservatives will cast, and Cieslewicz/Woods (and may I add Clifford!) is the ballot that liberals will cast. That bodes very well for the latter on a campus with UW's politics.
Anonymous (March 1, 2007 @ 2:17pm):
"... fight your pointless 'fair wisconsin' crap" ...hmmm... nice try to pin something like that on Lauren supporters; the judge stoops to new lows.
Anonymous (March 1, 2007 @ 3:02pm):
"Here is some additional research - Mayor Dave's vote totals in District 8 during February's primary:
Ward 45 - 39 votes
Ward 46 - 35 votes
Ward 47 - 34 votes
Ward 48 - 32 votes
Hardly an overwhelming show of support. To be fair, Ray Allen received far less, but this underscores how many students don't care about the mayoral election."
Indeed, students certainly don't care. It's sad. But apathy does not necessarily equal unpopularity.
Anonymous (March 1, 2007 @ 3:24pm):
OK 4:05 and 12:50(Lewienians) how about you guys continue to make homophobic comments and then pit them on Lauren
Anonymous (March 1, 2007 @ 3:39pm):
The problem with the arguments here are that they assume the Mayor Dave/Judge supporters will jump ship. If anything, the bond between the voter will be stronger to Judge than Dave, and certainly more personal. I don't see this being some huge turning point. I predict Judge splits the liberal vote, gets all conservatives, while Woods gets the other side of left and FAR-left types. Who votes more? We'll see.
Also, this is pretty Machiavellian, but knowing the tactics of SLAC, Progressive Dane, et al, I wouldn't be surprised if they posted the Fair Wisconsin jab, faked the response, all to set up the 3rd response calling "Leweinians" out.
Or maybe... 90% of these comments are by Austin King and random friends of Eli.
I'm going to guess the later. Grow up everyone.
Anonymous (March 1, 2007 @ 5:49pm):
3:39pm, finally a rational being on the badger herald comment board.
Looking at the district, there simply are not enough co-ops and "Green" housing (I have all the respect in the world for the Green party and their ideals... I can't figure out what to call where they live, but you get the picture). Why didn't Lauren run in Verveer's district? I imagine with Judge's Fair Wisconsin background he can just pick up where he left off and clean up around campus.
Anonymous (March 1, 2007 @ 9:53pm):
The thing is, it seems like from this article Woods is far left with the support of Progressive Dane and the Green Party where is Judge has the solid support of Democrats which should bode well for him and the majority of this campus.
Anonymous (March 1, 2007 @ 11:56pm):
"Clearly, Allen/Judge is the ballot that conservatives will cast, and Cieslewicz/Woods (and may I add Clifford!) is the ballot that liberals will cast. That bodes very well for the latter on a campus with UW's politics."
thank god you aren't a real analyst, because you'd be out of a job. i'm liberal, and i'm voting for Eli - the only candidate in this race to have actually accomplished something tangible for the liberal cause.
Anonymous (March 2, 2007 @ 4:43pm):
"i'm voting for Eli - the only candidate in this race to have actually accomplished something tangible for the liberal cause."
are you talking about the gay marriage amendment that passed?
Anonymous (March 3, 2007 @ 4:42am):
No, they are talking about turning 66% of campus out against something. ~90% of which voted no. Educating THOUSANDS of students and hundreds of student organizations. That's a lot more impressive than being the President of a rather small student organization and being appointed to some things by your campaign manager (or as a result of him bugging the mayor).
Anonymous (March 4, 2007 @ 7:06pm):
woods is toast. why would she back the guy who ended halloween and tried to end mifflin?
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