On April 1, students will be able to vote for either Leland Pan or Chris Hoffman, both University of Wisconsin seniors, to serve as District 5 supervisor in the Dane County Board elections.

“I think there is a shocking lack of services and affordable housing for homeless people,” Pan said. “So we’re really looking to push long-term housing and employment for those who are struggling.”

Pan’s political interests began at Middleton High School, where he said he became involved in topics such as the environment and drug prohibition.

After growing up in Dane County and keeping informed of different political affairs, Pan said he felt he had enough of a well-rounded experience of county issues to run for supervisor.

Hoffman said he wants to see more students taking roles on county committees and taking an active role in county affairs.

“This is something that students should be more involved in, something they should be more informed about, and therefore more invested in their local community,” he said.

Hoffman said he wants to focus on issues of public safety and environmental matters, specifically in Madison’s lakes.

Additionally, Hoffman said he also wants to focus on the inadequacy of the Dane County 911 dispatch system. Currently, the dispatch response times are below the national standards, an issue which Hoffman wants to address especially for the safety of students.

“I really think that we need to make sure that we have an adequate and rapid response from our emergency services. That’s something I think is really important to campus,” Hoffman said.

Hoffman said his desire to get students more engaged in county issues prompted him to run for supervisor.

“I saw the underutilized potential in connecting UW with the county government,” he said.