University of Wisconsin graduate student Davy Mayer says that by campaigning for Madison’s next mayor he hopes to act as a voice for students, a group he says is often underrepresented in Madison politics.

“City government in the past has not been very attentive to student needs, and the current candidates aren’t really playing to students at all,” Mayer said.

Mayer says he wants to encourage students to vote and that his interest in promoting student involvement distinguishes him from other candidates.

“My campaign isn’t based on issues, because in a lot of respects most of the candidates agree, and the role of the mayor isn’t always to come up with the best ideas; it is often to look out and see what ideas other people have and to put them out on the table,” Mayer said.

“Part of that is to see what the students have to say and what they want to get through and to bring those things forward.”

Mayer says he was disappointed to see UW chancellor Wiley become a “parental influence” in binge-drinking issues, effectively leaving students voiceless in the drink-special debate.

“I think it’s silly for the city to try to dictate the menus of restaurants and bars,” Mayer said.

“I think that a lot of it is overblown. There are problem areas, and instead of addressing those problem areas, trying to come up with a blanket solution for the entire downtown isn’t going to work.”

As a lifelong Madison resident and a product of its school system, Mayer says he has valuable experience that the other candidates cannot offer.

“I think I have a really unique view of Madison from growing up in it; I’ve seen all different parts of it. While the other candidates are good, a lot of them have only been in Madison as adults, so they have a limited experience,” Mayer said.

Also, Mayer says he hopes to use his inexperience in politics to help Madison grow by bringing a fresh perspective to city government and by not being committed to other political agendas.

Mayer says Madison’s parks, lakes and other natural resources make the city unique. An important goal, he says, is to manage the growing population of Madison while ensuring the city retains its uniqueness and beauty.

“We can accommodate growth, but it’s a question of doing it in a responsible way that doesn’t impede the quality of life,” Mayer said.

“Being from Madison, I love the city so much, and I want to do everything in my power to make it a better place. I’m willing to learn what I need to do to make an effective city government and an even better city.”

Mayer earned his undergraduate degree at UW in 1999 and is now in his final year of graduate school, studying toward a master of fine arts degree.

While an undergraduate, Mayer participated in the Associated Students of Madison as an elected representative from the School of Education during the 1997-98 academic year. As a graduate student, he served as the Badger Herald comics editor.

He says he wants to use his perspective as a student and as a lifetime Madison resident to encourage new involvement in Madison politics.

“I was quoted in The State Journal as saying I was basing my campaign on charisma and personality, because I’m trying to be out there and be a character. A lot of politics tend to get boring, and I’m making my campaign more interesting to get more involvement,” Mayer said.