Aldermanic candidates solidify spots on ballot

Candidates finalized their spots on the ballot for the aldermanic race after the primary elections held Tuesday evening.

Ledell Zellers and Bryan Post will compete to represent District 2 on the Common Council.

The primary results showed Zellers leading with 52.8 percent of the vote, while Post obtained 42.4 percent, according to a report from the Dane County Clerk’s Office. The third candidate, Dennis Amadeus deNure, will not be on the ballot, having received 2.3 percent of the vote, the report said.

“I’m pretty enthusiastic,” Zellers said regarding the results. “The 10 point spread is really nice.”

Zellers said she hopes to bring representation and communication to the district if elected in April.

She emphasized the importance of being a channel of communication in the community. As an alder, she said she will listen to what residents have to say and keep them informed about what is going on in the city.

Zellers cited the downtown plan as an example of miscommunication between City Hall and the residents of the district. Residents said they did not know of the downtown plan beforehand, which is an issue because it impacts them, she said.

“I want to make sure residents are aware of what impacts their daily lives,” Zellers said.

Zellers said she will continue to talk to voters and work on getting her message out in the weeks leading up to the general election.

Post said the primary saw a strong result for his campaign.

Improving the overall housing quality in the downtown area is one of the main reasons Post said he is running for the District 2 seat. He said his platform will continue to focus on how to bring more affordable, higher quality and environmentally sound housing to the district.

“I want to encourage development that will help reduce the overall cost of renting, create a more vibrant downtown, and allow our city to grow to it’s fullest potential,” Post said.

In District 13, the number of candidates narrowed from three to two, with Zach Madden and incumbent Ald. Sue Ellingson slated to face off in the general election.

Ellingson received 60.6 percent of the vote, Madden 23.8 percent, and the eliminated candidate, Damon Terrell, 15.2 percent.

Madden, an Edgewood College student, said the primary went the way he thought it would.

“I think it was clear people in the district want to see something different,” Madden said. “That’s exactly what I want to bring.”

Madden added those who voted for Terrell would most likely transfer their support to his campaign. As an alder, Madden said, he would be a spokesperson of the district, not of the city.

Ellingson said the results demonstrated she is doing the job the way it should be done. Issues regarding pedestrian and bike safety will be the focal point of the rest of her campaign, she said. Those are the issues residents talk about the most, she explained.

By 4 p.m., 12,513 residents across the districts cast their vote for the candidates they wanted to see on the ballot in the general election, according to a report from the city clerk’s office. The primary election reported 6.6 percent voter turnout overall, the report said.

Zellers said she would like to see a higher turnout in the general election. The election is important because it matters to people in their day to day lives, she said.

Post added it is especially critical students make their voices heard because it is an important election.

The Common Council general election will be held April 2.