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Written by Louis Weisberg, Staff writer
Mar 24, 2011
Sam Stevenson campaigns for Madison Common Council. – Photo: Courtesy
An out gay man says he’s running for Madison Common Council to restore progressive leadership in his district, but his opponent contends she’s being targeted in a grudge match.
Sam Stevenson, 25, has been endorsed by Fair Wisconsin, the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, state Rep. Mark Pocan and other leaders in his race to unseat 2nd District Ald. Bridget Maniaci, 27. Stevenson says he decided to enter the race after Maniaci threw her support behind a controversial $93-million project to redevelop the Edgewater Hotel on Lake Mendota.
The project was pushed through city council over the objection of the Landmarks Commission and will bring more congestion to the Mansion Hill Historic District while putting upward pressure on rent, Stevenson says.
But Maniaci says she and other alders improved the plans submitted by developers.
“We got them to completely change how they were going to be doing their parking – it’s now all underground,” Maniaci says. “We got them to move the building out of the right of way and they reduced the building’s height by three floors.”
Stevenson says the surrounding area has the most parking permits of any neighborhood in the city, and the size of the project will make the parking situation worse. He says the Edgewater redevelopment deal is part of common council’s growing pattern of caving in to demands from politically connected developers who are eroding the city’s quality of life.
Stevenson says former Ald. Brenda Konkel was the kind of progressive leader he hopes to become for the 2nd District. Maniaci defeated Konkel in 2009 by 62 votes.
“We were really proud to have (Konkel) on common council because her leadership was built on compassion and principle,” Stevenson says. “She was a big advocate for tenants’ rights. … Over the past two years we really haven’t been getting that kind of representation.”
“These are just baseless political accusations,” Maniaci counters. “I am within the tradition of a progressive alder.”
Maniaci says she’s promoted policies to make the neighborhood more bicycle-friendly and safer for tenants. She accuses Konkel’s supporters of trying to get even with her.
“Brenda Konkel was an eight – year incumbent, and a number of people were not happy that she didn’t win,” Maniaci says. “I’ve had a target on my back. It’s been hard to do my job when I’ve had her constantly over my shoulder blogging about me.”
Although the race between Stevenson and Maniaci is contentious, equality issues are not part of the debate. Maniaci is an ally who belonged to her high school’s gay/straight alliance.
But LGBT leaders say it’s important to promote candidates like Stevenson who can change perceptions about gay people and provide them with representation and leadership. And Stevenson says he’d like to help make Madison a destination for LGBT tourists.
“Madison is uniquely positioned to take advantage of that,” he says.
