Madison’s City Council gained several new faces after the spring elections in April, including a new representative in the student-populated District 2.
In a close race, Ald. Ledell Zellers, a community leader and former president of the Capitol Neighborhood Association known for taking hard alcohol policy stances, secured District 2 against her opponent Bryan Post with 51.7 percent of the vote. She has represented the district, which stretches from the Langdon Street and downtown areas to the Tenney-Lapham neighborhood on the city’s east side.
Zellers filled the position vacated by former Ald. Bridget Maniaci, the district’s representative for the past four years. She credited her win to her extensive outreach efforts to residents of the Langdon Street area, particularly fraternities and sororities.
Zellers said one of her first priorities as an alder will be to improve communication between the city government and the diverse residents, particularly regarding new development projects.
Zellers said she will also continue to support economic development on East Washington Avenue, which she called “the gateway to the city”. She is currently focusing on the redevelopment of the 800 block into a mixed-use building.
Incumbent Ald. Sue Ellingson, District 13, was elected to serve a second term after another highly contested race against Edgewood College student Zach Madden.
Ellingson said she plans to continue to focus on development and revitalizing the neighborhoods in her district. She also wants to improve traffic safety and walkability.
Three other campus-area alders also retained their seats after uncontested elections.
Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8, won his seat after candidate Christian Hansen dropped out of the race in early March, leaving him uncontested. After re-election, Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, is now the longest-serving member currently on city council.
Former council president Ald. Shiva Bidar-Sielaff, District 5, will continue to represent the Eagle Heights and Regent Neighborhoods.
After the spring elections, new members currently make up a quarter of the representatives on City Council.
