[media-credit name=’SUNDEEP MALLADI/Herald photo’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]Every year, thousands of University of Wisconsin students graduate and move on to jobs or graduate schools throughout the country. City Council President Austin King, who has served Madison's 8th District since 2003, when he was elected as a 21-year-old UW student, was one graduate who found his niche in Madison and decided to stay for a few more years.
It was politics and activism, both local and national, that captivated King as an undergraduate.
"There was a really vibrant political culture on campus, especially around the 2000 election," King said. "Democracy was everywhere and it was a really exciting time to get into politics."
Although the 2000 election did not end the way he hoped, King found that his passion and energies translated well into issues in the Madison area.
He served as the campus volunteer coordinator for a friend, Todd Jerald, who won a seat on the City Council in 2001.
"That's where my involvement in local politics began, and I got hooked — we could see the impact of our efforts at that level," King said.
In 2003, Jerald decided to not run for re-election, and Austin ran and won his seat on the council. Although Mayor Dave Cieslewicz was a strong supporter of King from his first day in office, some of his colleagues were hesitant about working with a 21-year-old.
"There were a lot of people — lobbyists, colleagues and city staff — who really didn't know what to make of me," King said.
In addition to the age-bias he faced, Austin's dedication to student and progressive issues sometimes conflicted with his colleagues and the city government.
"I come from a different political perspective, so I would have done a lot of things different," said David Lapidus, who recently stepped down from Student Service Finance Committee.
Lapidus said while King had his heart in the right place, some of the things he has done as alder did not affect students and other Madison residents positively.
Despite this opposition, some of his initiatives, such as raising the city's minimum wage, affected political dialogues in cities around the country.
Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, praised King for his initiative.
"His efforts pressed the issue on the state level, but unfortunately the statewide minimum wage bill that was passed pre-empted the city ordinance and wiped it off the books," Verveer said. "Many low wage workers throughout the state now benefit from the higher minimum wage."
Another of King's propositions, which guaranteed paid sick leave for all city of Madison employees, caused reverberations beyond the city. Although it lost by one vote in the Madison City Council, a similar campaign was later successful in San Francisco, and now Milwaukee and Washington D.C. are discussing a similar sick-leave policy.
"The issue is really getting off the ground, in large part because we brought up the issue," King said. "Once you get good ideas, they can spread like wildfire."
King recently made a difficult decision to not run for re-election this April.
"Four years is a very long time, and since I'm only 25, I'm one of the oldest people in the 8th District," King said. "It should be represented by a young passionate activist."
He is not necessarily retiring at age 25 — rather, King has set his sights on attending law school next year, most likely on the East Coast. He is confident a law degree will allow him to continue working in policy and public interest.
"I do know that I want to be engaged in public service and advocacy in my life," King said.
Verveer, who represents a district neighboring King's and has worked closely with him on the State Street Design Project Committee, was saddened by his decision to move on.
"I tried to talk him out of it. I will personally miss working with him, I will miss hanging out with him, but I respect his decision, he feels he needs to move on," Verveer said. "With his credentials and his brains, I will be shocked if he is not at an Ivy League school."
Lauren Woods, a UW senior, befriended King almost a year ago and recently launched a campaign to win his seat in April's election. Her decision to enter the race was influenced, in part, by the example King set as a young alder standing up for students in the city's government.
"He is inspiring — I haven't seen many people who work as hard as him," Woods said.
If elected, Woods hopes to continue his work as a voice for students on the Council. She will be facing opponent Eli Judge for the vacant aldermanic seat.
"We need to continue the tradition of strong and accessible student representation. Austin has laid the foundation and created a very wide path," Woods said.
Just as his friends and colleagues will be sad to see King leave Madison in the near future, he will likewise miss the city and his job as alder representing the east campus area.
"I get to work every day with some of the most wonderful people, people who are trying to help improve neighborhoods and people who are fighting to improve their lives," King said.
— Courtney Johnson contributed to this report.