As the race for one of Dane County’s most prominent political seats heats up, one candidate secured current County Executive Kathleen Falk’s endorsement to succeed her 14-year tenure in the position.

Former Dane County Clerk and state Rep. Joe Parisi, D-Madison, said Falk’s endorsement is a sign he shares several of Falk’s attributes that kept her in office longer than any other county executive in history.

“[Falk] and I share many of the same values, such as environmental protection and caring for the most vulnerable people among us,” Parisi said. “[She] is someone who knows the job and has been supported by citizens of our county over and over again, so this is a very important contribution.”

Falk said in a statement Parisi’s first place standing in the primary elections could partially be attributed to their shared values and vision for the county’s future.

She also said Parisi stands out as the best candidate for the position given the current economic and social situations her office has had to combat throughout the past several months.

“In a crowded field with several outstanding candidates, Joe Parisi came in first in the primary because he shares our values and has the vision for what it takes to keep our county great,” Falk said. “He’s the right person at the right time to grow our economy, protect our most vulnerable citizens, clean up our lakes and ensure Dane County families continue to have the highest quality of life.”

Eileen Bruskewitz, Parisi’s opponent and current District 25 supervisor, said she was not surprised to see Falk’s endorsement go to her challenger because of their paralleled views, but said it highlights some key differences between the county’s current status and future.

Bruskewitz said she would expect Parisi to follow in Falk’s footsteps if elected to office, which she said presents a “stark contrast” between her campaign and Parisi’s ideas.

“If [Parisi] gets elected, I think it would be more of the same, whereas if I am elected, there would be some considerable changes in how the county budget would be written and a stronger emphasis on job creation,” Bruskewitz said.