Steve Fitzsimmons
Steve Fitzsimmons was a candidate for District 10 representative on the Madison Common Council in Wisconsin. He was defeated in the general election on April 4, 2017. Click here to read Fitzsimmons' response to Ballotpedia's 2017 municipal candidate survey.
Common council elections in Madison are officially nonpartisan, and Fitzsimmons identified as an independent.[1]
Biography
Fitzsimmons earned an associate degree in computer science from City Colleges of Chicago, Wilbur Wright College, and studied computer science at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.[2]
As of his 2017 run for common council, Fitzsimmons worked as a Lean facilitator and project leader for the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families. His professional experience also includes work as a programmer and analyst for the printer parts company Parts Now! LLC, in technical support for IBM, and as an analyst for Saint Joseph Hospital.[2][3]
Fitzsimmons has served as vice president and neighborhood watch chair for the Midvale Heights Community Association, president of the Madison Area Cagebird Association of Wisconsin, and newsletter editor, media liaison, and trained storm spotter for the MidWest Severe Storm Tracking and Response Center.[2]
Elections
2017
The city of Madison, Wisconsin, held an election for common council on April 4, 2017. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was January 3, 2017.
All 20 common council seats were up for election in 2017. Incumbents ran for re-election in 19 of the 20 districts. They were unopposed in 15 of those races. Incumbent Maurice Cheeks defeated Steve Fitzsimmons in the general election for the District 10 seat on the Madison Common Council.[4]
| Madison Common Council, District 10 General Election, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Maurice Cheeks Incumbent |
83.82% | 2,864 |
| Steve Fitzsimmons | 16.07% | 549 |
| Write-in votes | 0.12% | 4 |
| Total Votes | 3,417 | |
| Source: Dane County Clerk, "2017 Spring Election," accessed May 4, 2017 | ||
Campaign themes
2017
Fitzsimmons participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 survey of municipal government candidates.[5] The following sections display his responses to the survey questions. When asked what his top priority would be if elected, the candidate made the following statement:
| “ | Improve city council and police relations. Current city council not supportive of police.[6] | ” |
| —Steve Fitzsimmons (March 24, 2017)[7] | ||
Ranking the issues
The candidate was asked to rank the following issues by importance in the city, with 1 being the most important and 12 being the least important: city services (trash, utilities, etc.), civil rights, crime reduction/prevention, environment, government transparency, homelessness, housing, K-12 education, public pensions/retirement funds, recreational opportunities, transportation, and unemployment. This table displays this candidate's rankings from most to least important.
| Issue importance ranking | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate's ranking |
Issue | Candidate's ranking |
Issue |
| Crime reduction/prevention | Unemployment | ||
| K-12 education | Civil rights | ||
| Transportation | Housing | ||
| Homelessness | Public pensions/retirement funds | ||
| City services (trash, utilities, etc.) | Government transparency | ||
| Environment | Recreational opportunities | ||
Nationwide municipal issues
The candidate was asked to answer questions from Ballotpedia regarding issues facing cities across America. The questions are in the left column and the candidate's responses are in the right column. Some questions provided multiple choices, which are noted after those questions.
| Question | Response |
|---|---|
| Very important | |
| Local | |
| Increased economic opportunities | |
| Recruiting new businesses to your city | |
| Friendly people | |
| Attract more good paying job opportunities |
Additional themes
Fitzsimmon's 2017 campaign website listed the following priorities:[8]
| “ |
1. Safety - Build strong support for our Madison Police + increase number of neighborhood watches = safer communities = higher property values! Improve bike lanes and paths. Look for improvements to make jogging trails safe and work to build safer crosswalks. |
” |
Endorsements
2017
Fitzsimmons received endorsements from the following in 2017:[9]
- Madison Professional Police Officers Association
See also
| Madison, Wisconsin | Wisconsin | Municipal government | Other local coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
 |
External links
- Madison Common Council
- Campaign website
- Social media
Footnotes
- ↑ Ballotpedia's municipal government candidate survey, 2017, "Steve Fitzsimmons' Responses," March 24, 2017
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 LinkedIn, "Steve Fitzsimmons," accessed January 27, 2017
- ↑ The Capital Times, "Election 2017: Who's Running for Madison City Council?" January 3, 2017
- ↑ City of Madison City Clerk's Office, "Candidate Filings," accessed January 26, 2017
- ↑ Note: The candidate's answers have been reproduced here verbatim without edits or corrections by Ballotpedia.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Ballotpedia's municipal government candidate survey, 2017, "Steve Fitzsimmons's Responses," March 24, 2017
- ↑ Fitz for the Future! "Fitz's First Five Steps," accessed January 27, 2017
- ↑ Fitz for the Future! "Endorsements," accessed March 31, 2017
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