Just as it's a given that Scott McDonell will get the support of most if not all of the progressives on the County Board, it is no surprise that Joe Parisi earned the endorsements of many of his Democratic colleagues in the legislature.
"Our new political reality has shown that we need Joe working for us as our next County Executive, not as a Democratic member of the Assembly," said Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Madison.) "While we"ll miss him, we know that with his experience as a legislator and a county administrator, and with his long history of standing up for Dane County, he will get more done for our progressive values on the local level."
Other area legislators supporting Joe include Rep. Terese Berceau (D-Madison), Rep. Gary Hebl (D-Sun Prairie), Rep. Andy Jorgensen (D-Ft. Atkinson) Albion, Deerfield, Rep. Sondy Pope-Roberts (D-Middleton), and Rep. Janis Ringhand (D-Evansville) Montrose, Oregon.
Noticeably absent from the list are Reps. Kelda Helen Roys and Brett Hulsey. Considering how much Brandon praised Roys last week, I wouldn't be surprised if she endorsed him. Similar to Kathleen Falk, I'm guessing Hulsey will stay out of the primary, even if he has fully recovered from the endorsement fiasco that defined his campaign during the fall.
Sen. Jon Erpenbach is endorsing Joe Wineke, and says that Wineke's experience outside the Isthmus will be valuable in addressing Dane County's needs.
It appears Sen. Mark Miller is still undeclared, while Sen. Fred Risser supports McDonell.
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