Teaching Assistants' Association
UW- Madison
Our Candidates
Elected officials like governors and state legislators make policy and advance policy agendas. But elected officials run for office as candidates first. We work with candidates to elect to office those who share our political values -- the principles and beliefs that underpin our agenda for progressive, pro-labor, pro-education policy. We support candidates who will stand with us and fight for us. Our Political Education Committee works hard to evaluate candidates and prioritize where we spend our time, effort and resources to best advance the TAA agenda.
For us to build and uphold our political program as a strong voice for grad student workers and the TAA agenda, we need you to be involved. So take a look below at the candidates we are supporting, and then sign up to get involved!
With any questions about our candidates, the endorsement procedure, or how we prioritize, please contact Political Education Committee chair Peter Rickman.
Linked pages on particular candidates being supported by the Teaching Assistants' Association, AFT #3220 are intended solely for our members and are not intended for public communication. These candidates are endorsed by TAA PAC, and all online communications regarding endorsed candidates are authorized by TAA PAC, Peter Rickman, Treasurer.
State Legislature
The elected representatives of the people in the State Assembly and State Senate make policy on a whole broad range of issues. Having strong progressive, pro-labor, pro-education candidates elected cannot be stressed enough in its importance. We have worked to build and uphold a progressive governing majority in the state legislature so that we can see good policy come forward -- and we will keep working to build that progressive, pro-labor, pro-education majority to move on our agenda for the future.
For the state legislative races we not only have endorsed candidates, but also have prioritized where we will put our efforts in grassroots organizing. We are not just looking to elect candidates in our neck of the woods, but instead to build a statewide progressive majority.
Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General
Governor We get to hire our boss. The governor is at the head of state government, of which the University System is a part. So ultimately, we report to him. The governor also writes the first draft of the biennial budget, and signs or vetoes what comes from the state legislature. So the money that funds our wages and benefits flows from his or her pen. The governor appoints the head of the Office of State Employment Relations, with whom we bargain; the governor appoints the University System Board of Regents, for whom we work. In short, the governor has a lot to do with our day-to-day work.
Also, the governor is a major policy-maker and has a bully pulpit to push forward an agenda and a vision for our state. It is important that we have a progressive, pro-labor, pro-education governor. Take a look at who we have endorsed, why, and what you can do about it.
Lieutenant Governor While the Lieutenant Governor does not have official responsibilities running the state government, this job has a bully pulpit and provides an opportunity for a person to travel the state building support for a policy and political agenda, or for working on behalf of the government with the legislature, or a whole lot more -- depending on who is in the job. So while the Lieutenant Governor might not seem like an important office, its importance is in the future of the person who holds the office. Take a look at who we have endorsed, why, and what you can do about it.
Attorney General The attorney general is the peoples' lawyer. He or she enforces the law, including corporate crime, environmental violations, and civil rights claims. The attorney general can stand up for regular folks, the disadvantaged and the disempowered -- or flak for corporations, the rich and the powerful. Take a look at who we have endorsed, why, and what you can do about it.