Oftentimes, University of Wisconsin students feel unrepresented in state government. As a graduate of UW Law School and the mom of a recent UW grad, I understand that sentiment. But as Dane County executive I also understand just how important UW and its students are to this community and our state.

UW students have always been an important part of my campaigns, and you have turned out in record numbers to support me. I am so grateful for that support, and I ask for your vote again in the race for attorney general.

Students at UW, just like others across the state, face real issues. We need fresh leadership in the attorney general's office to solve the real problems facing Wisconsin.

Growing up in Milwaukee and Waukesha I learned to respect the law and to put it to use to make our world a better place. For 14 years I served as assistant attorney general. For 12 of those years I was a public intervener, our state's environmental watchdog.

For the past 10 years I have been honored to serve as Dane County executive, managing a budget five times larger than that of the Department of Justice.

In each budget I prioritized public safety, adding 85 new deputies and beefing up resources in the district attorney's office for crime victims and domestic violence. For 10 years I have worked with students and the university on campus issues such as sexual assault and alcohol. I've worked hard to improve the transportation system for the campus and the community.

I have spent my life putting the law and government to work to protect our children, our communities, our environment, and our most fundamental rights. For more than 30 years I have fought for the ideas we care about and the values we share.

As your attorney general, I will continue to fight to defend our most fundamental rights that ensure equal opportunities for all, regardless of race, religion, sex or sexual orientation. That's why I am opposed to the mean-spirited anti-gay amendment proposed by the far right.

The Republican candidates for attorney general represent the far right wing of the Bush-Cheney party, and would turn back the clock on every issue we care about.

These extremists are against a woman's right to choose. And, in fact, one of them recently compared a woman's right to make her own medical decisions to homicide.

They support the politically charged ban on civil unions. And they want to make it possible for people to carry hidden guns on State Street, to the mall or to churches.

That is why we need our strongest slate of Democrats on the ballot this November. And that's why Democratic leaders and progressive organizations have endorsed my campaign in this primary – leaders like mayors, law enforcement officials, prosecutors and legislators from all across the state.

The statewide firefighters have endorsed my campaign. The 40,000 member AFSCME Councils 40 and 48, and SEIU, the state's largest home health care union, have endorsed my campaign. And Women's Choice, Wisconsin's version of Emily's List, has endorsed my campaign.

More than 70 of the state's leading environmentalists have formed "Enviros for Falk" and are working actively for my election.

These leaders have joined my campaign in this primary because they know I have the experience and vision we need to lead the Department of Justice.

We could be doing so much more in Wisconsin to protect our communities and the people who live in them, including students. When I'm your attorney general we will.

In my campaign, I have proposed comprehensive policy changes to combat our most pressing needs. These detailed plans outline my vision for making Wisconsin a safer place to live. You can read them and learn more about me on my website, www.kathleenfalk.com.

As attorney general I will work to reform a broken criminal justice system that spends two times as much putting someone in prison than putting a child through school and puts a disproportionate number of young people of color in prison.

I will initiate an environmental strike force that will identify the worst environmental crimes to bring the violators to justice and protect our most precious natural resources.

I will re-prioritize resources to fix the DNA backlog at the crime lab. Delay means criminals are on the streets, cases aren't resolved, and justice isn't done and victims and their families suffer.

I have spent my life putting the law and government to work to protect our children, our communities, our environment, and our most fundamental rights.

As your attorney general I will fight the good fight, and we will win.

I ask for your vote and your confidence on Sept. 12. Please stop by our campaign office on the square to join many UW students and graduates hard at work for my campaign.

Kathleen Falk is currently serving as Dane County executive; she plans to run for Wisconsin attorney general this fall.