This just in: former Madison alderman Zach Brandon is running for something. Mayor or County Exec? Announcement this afternoon at 1:30 at Full Compass, 9770 Silicon Prairie Parkway, just south of Mineral Point Road. That is an unusual place to announce a candidacy for anything, especially Mayor. The city-county building steps is the usual venue, which led me to think it might be county exec. But the location does lie within the city boundaries. Brandon is deputy secretary of the Commerce Department, a Democratic patronage appointee who turns into a pumpkin on January 3 when Scott Walker takes the oath of office. In any event, Walker is talking about scrapping the Department. Brandon was a leader on the city council and would be a credible candidate for either county exec or mayor.
It appears that Brandon's campaign committee will formally be known as "Zach for Jobs," (he has registered the zachforjobs.com domain) which might indicate a mayoral run, since a persistent criticism of incumbent mayor Dave Cieslewicz has been lack of economic development. That would also explain Brandon's announcement at a high-tech retailer. Full Compass specializes in electronic sound and video hardware.
