Max Prestigiacomo, the next Alder of District 8, endorsed fellow UW-Madison student Elena Haasl for the Dane County Board of Supervisors District 5 seat Sunday.

Prestigiacomo cited Haasl’s leadership roles in activism as one of the reasons behind his endorsement.

“As a climate activist, it gives me hope to see candidates like Elena speak to the climate crisis in a way that centers the idea of climate justice,” Prestigiacomo stated in a press release. “Her campaign recognizes that we cannot address the climate crisis without addressing the systems that got us here in the first place.”

Prestigiacomo pointed to Haasl’s status as a student at UW-Madison as another important factor regarding his support, noting Dane County’s fifth district is predominantly populated by students and believing the representation in government should reflect that.

“This district, being primarily UW students, need a representative who’s not only a UW student — but a bold progressive leader,” he said.

Prestigiacomo and Haasl are both politicians and students primarily representing a constituency of UW-Madison’s undergraduates in the city’s downtown area. Their platforms also share a focus on housing disparity and sustainability.

Haasl is currently endorsed by Sally Rohrer, the current District 8 seat holder, Avra Reddy, the former elected District 8 alder, as well as Hayley Young, the current District 5 supervisor.

Prestigiacomo’s endorsement comes approximately two months in advance of the spring general election, which Haasl is running against José Rea.

“Max Prestigiacomo’s endorsement as the future District 8 alderperson means a lot to me. I am thrilled to hopefully work with him in the future,” Hassl stated.

Haasl believes her status as a UW-Madison student is what will make her appeal to student voters in her district and enable her to best represent her constituents.

“I think Max and I are the most qualified to represent our districts because we are students and there is no other district with a majority-student constituency,” she said. “We can provide a lot of great insight, present great solutions to problems and really bridge the greater-campus community to the world of local politics.”

In addition to the 5th district, there are currently eight more open positions for other county supervisor positions, as several members are choosing to step down including Sharon Corrigan, who served as the chair for the past six years.

The general election for the District 8 Alder position will take place on April 7, 2020.