Editor’s note: This Q&A is lightly edited for clarity and style.
University of Wisconsin student Ellen Zhang has launched her campaign for City of Madison District 8 alder after current Alder MGR Govindarajan announced Nov. 25 that he will not run for re-election in the April 2026 general election.
District 8 covers most of the University of Wisconsin campus. MGR won the seat in 2023 as a junior at the university and was re-elected again in 2025.
The Badger Herald sat down with Zhang to discuss her motivations for running and what she hopes to accomplish. See the transcript below.
Can you tell me your year in school and what you are studying?
I’m a sophomore studying sociology and economics, and I am getting certificates in gender and women’s studies and data science.
What is your inspiration for running for District 8 alder?
My initial inspiration was having worked with MGR and getting to know people in city and state government. From that, I just found things that resonated with me and with other students — the most were affordable housing and transit accessibility.
What professional leadership experience do you think has best prepared you for this role?
Just in learning about city government, I’ve been fortunate to work with the RSO [registered student organization] UW Student Voters Union, and so I’m learning a lot about how to make voting and the city more accessible for students and eliminating barriers for students to have civic engagement opportunities.
Outside of that, learning about affordability policy as an intern for Rep. Francesca Hong where I did a lot of research on education policy and affordable housing.
What are your top three priorities for the district in your first year?
I would say the first two of them are related to housing. The first one just being increasing the supply of housing and the second one being ensuring that tenants have more protections and rights once they’re in their leases.
So something that I had mentioned in my campaign materials, was a tenant bill of rights that protects tenants from landlords — neglectful landlords — and makes it easier for tenants to have recourse.
Another top priority would just be public safety that addresses student needs. So instead of an increased police presence, it would be mental health based solutions and solutions that are rooted in care rather than punishment.
As a student at UW, how are you planning to manage your time between courses and city government work?
Something that MGR has mentioned is just that budget season aligns with midterm exams. As far as time management goes, I have had to balance clubs, campaigns and other outside work. I think that is maybe a learning process that I’ll have to undergo, but I’m confident that I can do it.
Is there anything else you would like to add or would like voters to know?
I think that beyond the specific policies I outlined, I want people to know that I am really interested in what people have to say. I want to listen to people. And I want to make Madison not only be more accessible, but feel more inclusive, and part of that is standing up against ICE. But further than that, it’s advocating for social justice — not just in policy, but also in messaging, like reproductive justice and racial justice as well.
