Serving on the Dane County Board of Supervisors requires long hours and a willingness to address pressing concerns, from a looming budget deficit to the development of AI data centers to a range of affordability issues. Those affordability issues are especially significant for county government, which provides vital social service and safety protections.
In the contested races for board seats, we’re recommending candidates who we believe are best prepared to maintain Dane County’s tradition of humane and progressive governance.
District 2: Heidi Wegleitner — With 14 years’ experience on the board, Wegleitner has a record as a leader in fights to maintain funding for aging, disability and immigrant affairs services. She’s an outspoken advocate for affordable housing. And she’s worked to address PFAS contamination and ongoing health and noise concerns relating to Truax Field — a big deal for this eastside Madison district. She’s earned another term.
District 7: Erin Welsh — A member of the board’s Health and Human Needs Committee, the Commission on Sensitive Crimes and the Zoo Commission, Welsh brings a wealth of experience to county government. She’s a savvy advocate for equity in mental health care and a progressive regional housing strategy. As a supervisor whose district surrounds Lake Wingra, she’s also an advocate for preservation of local lakes through smart land-use planning. John Fons is a thoughtful challenger, but Welsh’s experience and issue focus distinguish her.
District 9: Aria Trucios — A former member of the Middleton’s Parks Commission who proposes to “protect Dane County’s natural environment and prepare us for the escalating effects of climate change,” Trucios is a trained engineer with long-term planning experience. With Simran Arora, they are one of two thoughtful contenders to replace Supervisor Steven Peters. We like Trucios’ focus on the environment, their emphasis on housing affordability and their interest in “expanding Madison’s CARES program throughout Dane County so nobody has to be afraid to call for help during a mental health crisis.”
Cap Times Voter Guide: Learn who’s on your Dane County ballot
District 12: Tommy Rylander — An engaged representative for his district, which includes the Dane County Regional Airport, Rylander has served on the Airport Commission and worked to develop a needed noise mitigation plan. On the board’s Health and Human Needs committee, he has focused on maintaining services and vital housing issues. Challenger Sean Burke is running a strong campaign, but we believe Rylander merits reelection.
District 15: Nino Amato and Amy Larson — Both candidates to represent Madison’s far west side and part of Middleton have experience, endorsements and sound ideas about budgeting, affordable housing and environmental protection. In this instance, we endorse both Amato, a former Madison alder and president of the Coalition of Wisconsin Aging & Health Groups, and Larson, the recently appointed incumbent and a member of Middleton’s Workforce Housing Committee.
District 16: Goodwill Obieze and Rick Rose — Voters in portions of Madison, Sun Prairie and the town of Burke are choosing between energetic challenger Goodwill Obieze and incumbent Rick Rose. Rose has a good grip on budget issues and is often outspoken as an advocate for human services projects. Obieze has experience working on key issues facing the county and has sound ideas regarding zoning and housing issues. He, too, wants to protect core services. And he’s been engaged over the years as a County Board and legislative candidate. The Dane County Democratic Party endorsed both candidates, as do we.
District 20: Paula Brandmeier — Deeply rooted in this eastern Dane County district, Brandmeier is committed to protecting the character of rural areas and the villages she seeks to represent. A supporter of a moratorium on the construction of AI data centers, she recognizes that, “Data centers in their current form are an inefficient way to store and process data and, without innovation, they will require an insatiable and unsustainable amount of land, energy, and water.” She’s a superior candidate to incumbent Jeff Weigand.
District 22: Gussie Lewis — In the open seat race to represent a district largely composed of the villages of Deforest and Windsor, Lewis stands out. A member of the DeForest Area School Board, she has budgeting experience and plans for how to address deficits in responsible ways. A supporter of an AI data center moratorium, she says, “Clean water and air and safe natural spaces are important to us, and I intend to protect them.” Lewis has our strong endorsement…