richelle andrae
Thank you for the opportunity to serve District 11, which includes most of Hill Farms, Shorewood Village, and the neighborhoods immediately east of Midvale Blvd. I’ve lived in Madison since 2013, and reside near West High School. I’ve experienced our community through the eyes of a student, a young professional working in non-profit, an academic, and a volunteer. During the day, I am an advocate for safety net clinics in Wisconsin, working with state policymakers and partners to ensure that all residents have access to quality health care, regardless of income or insurance status. I’ve previously worked on local public health evaluation projects, rural workforce development, and Medicaid policy. After serving an AmeriCorps service term in California, I returned to Wisconsin and worked directly with underserved teens in Madison high schools, helping them find and keep their first jobs.
On the County Board, I chaired the Public Protection & Judiciary Committee from 2022 to 2026, which has oversight for the Dane County Sheriff's Office, District Attorney's Office, Emergency Management, 911 Call Center, Courts, Pre-Trial Services, Medical Examiner, and more. I now serve as Vice-Chair of the Personnel & Finance Committee which has primarily jurisdiction over important budget decisions.
A few of my "success stories" on the Board include navigating the complex jail consolidation project, improving constituent outreach by encouraging implementation of a successful blog system for Supervisors, and budget amendments to improve the pay structure for staff attorneys to support the timely service of justice, expunge Birth Recovery Costs (learn more about this policy issue here), and fund a local Food System Action Plan.
When I’m not at work or engaged in Board activities, you can find me on a walk enjoying the oaks in the Speedway cemetery with my rescue pup, Roux, or paddling my kayak on the Yahara. I studied Spanish at UW-Madison during my undergrad, and earned a Masters in Public Affairs from the La Follette School, focusing on health policy and administration. Please reach out at any time and I look forward to working with you.
Neighbors,
As we continue to collectively navigate the police-involved shooting and death of Corey Ruiz, I found this recent CityCast podcast with a UW Law Professor who studies policing especially helpful: https://megaphone.link/CC2820368731. I recently visited the memorial, brought food, and reflected on my own role in the trauma our community is working through, and encourage you to engage in any way you can, and be a part of the solution. In times of great challenge, we can fall apart or we can come together to make something better. That will be painful, long-term work, but it is necessary. This article by Alan Robinson is especially powerful: https://madison365.com/alan-robinson-the-city-we-owe-him/ - we must take every question it raises seriously.
Also reminding you of a few local resources:
- Dane County Behavioral Health Resource Center: https://danebhrc.org/
- Journey Crisis Line: https://www.journeymhc.org/service/emergency
In the meantime, don’t forget that there’s an election on August 11. I just completed my absentee ballot and will be dropping it off this afternoon. Preview your ballot for the election at MyVote: My Ballot. There are statewide primaries for Governor but most Madison voters (though not west siders) have options for legislative primary candidates and then also a few local races. WisEye has recordings of interviews with Democratic candidates for Governor that I think are helpful Campaign 2026 - WisconsinEye and per usual League of Women voters has really helpful non-partisan voter info and candidate info: Learn More About the Candidates & Issues | MyLO. The City of Madison has early absentee voting options: In-Person Absentee Voting Hours and Locations | Clerk's Office | City of Madison, WI and they started this week.
Please make a plan to vote on or before August 11!
The county is also ramping up for budget season. While we cancelled a few recent listening sessions, there will be many upcoming ways to engage. Find all of the details here: https://board.danecounty.gov/budget
Finally, I want to share a reason to be joyful. Last week, I attended a really special event with Dane County EMS. Every year, EMS gathers first responders with families that suffered cardiac events in Dane County and survived those events thanks to the phenomenal timely care from local EMS. We have amazing success rates for cardiac response in our community and this special event connects people to provide closure and celebrate 42 lives saved.
Press release: https://www.danecounty.gov/PressDetail/11933 and Facebook post with photos here - https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1EosfZB7f9/. I am so appreciative of our local first responders and proud of our community resources to improve outcomes.
In service,
Richelle Andrae
Dane County Board Supervisor District 11
Andrae.richelle@countyofdane.com
