Last week, aldermanic candidate Bridget Maniaci, who's challenging Dist. 2 Ald. Brenda Konkel, scored a mayoral endorsement hat-trick, announcing the endorsements of Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz and former mayors Paul Soglin and Joe Sensenbrenner.
She's also gained the endorsement of the Madison Professional Police Officers Association, which has paid for two billboards to advertise their choice, and the Dane County and UW Democrats.
Although Cieslewicz didn't recruit Maniaci, he openly sought to replace Konkel, an outspoken progressive council member seeking her fifth term.
"The two candidates are pretty similar in terms of their politics," says Soglin in an interview. "There's not much difference there, which means, then, that effectiveness becomes the paramount factor."
Soglin says Maniaci, 25, is better set up to advance a progressive agenda. But Konkel, 40, has gained support from groups including Progressive Dane and the local Sierra Club chapter, state Rep. Mark Pocan and a lengthy list of local progressives.
[Editors' note: This item is corrected to reflect that Bridget Maniaci was endorsed by the Executive Board of the Dane County Democratic Party, not the group as a whole.]
