We'll find out more about how Zach Brandon, former Madison alder and former Doyle administration official, positions himself after he formally announces his candidacy for county executive in an hour. However, a glimpse into his political persona can be found in The Daily Page archives:
Since taking office in 2003, Ald. Zach Brandon has been a contrarian voice when it comes to how Madison spends money. As with previous budgets, Brandon isn't pleased with the one the Common Council passed two weeks ago. He says it not only contains a structural deficit and raises taxes, but also misleads taxpayers.
Later he discussed what he thought of the 2008 operating budget:
"It gave everyone everything. Nobody lost out on this budget, except the taxpayers. At the end of the day, that's where you have to look. If you're willing to spend unlimited amounts of money, you can create utopia, but no one will be able to afford to live there."
Over on the Blaskasphere, Jason Joyce said Brandon would be a formidable candidate because of his combination of progressive connections and reputation as a budget hawk, to which Lukas Diaz, of Progressive Dane, responded: "Zach Brandon is a Dave Blaska Democrat."
Ouch. I suspect that's a bit of hyperbole, but it nevertheless signals the strong distrust that many on the Madison left feel for Brandon.
His plan is to emphasize jobs in the private sector, similar to many general election candidates, Democratic and Republican, this year. What will he say about RTA and other investments in public services? Will he seek to get conservative anti-train votes from John Hochkammer, the only conservative candidate in the race?