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Assembly candidate Abbas switches districts

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Madison Alder and Common Council President Syed Abbas announced over the weekend that will run to replace the retiring Gary Hebl in the Wisconsin State Assembly’s 46th district, which — following redistricting — now includes portions of Sun Prairie as well as the city of Stoughton and rural areas east and south of Madison.

He is the first candidate to announce a candidacy to run for the open seat in the heavily Democrat-leaning district.

Abbas, a Democrat, announced Friday that he would run in the newly-constituted 37th district, which is direclty adjacent to the 46th. Until 2021, the 37th District included areas north and east of Madison in Dane, Dodge, Jefferson and Columbia Counties, including the cities of Columbus and Watertown, and has been represented by Republican William Penterman since a special election last July. Republican Representative John Jagler represented the district for nearly 10 years before that.

In new electoral maps based on the 2020 census, the 37th will add Sun Prairie and parts of Madison’s north and east sides, swinging its constituency heavily to the left and giving it a much deeper urban/rural divide. The maps have been approved by Gov. Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Supreme Court, but they are still being appealed.

In an email Sunday, Abbas said rather than run in the 37th, he would run for the 46th district seat and move to the 46th district if he wins the election. He said he intends to represent the consituents on Madison’s east side on the Common Council for as long as possible before moving.

“In addition to exacerbating some of the socioeconomic challenges we’ve been dealing with in the country and communities around the State of Wisconsin, COVID has added its own challenges,” Abbas wrote in a campaign announcement. “The issues of workforce development, inflation, environmental justice, and racial equity need great leadership and bipartisan efforts. My track record is clear on this. If given the opportunity to represent you I will continue to listen and engage. Good leadership is all about uniting and not dividing people. My work championing policies and ordinances around sustainability, affordable housing, racial justice, and investing in local communities and small businesses, are just some of the few examples I plan to pursue for District 37 and the great State of Wisconsin.”

Abbas, who describes himself as “a first-generation immigrant from Pakistan,” relocated to Madison from New York in 2014 and was elected to the Common Council in 2019. Professionally he is director of education and training and Slipstream and serves on the board of directors of the United States Green Building Council. He was named one of Madison365’s most influential Asian American leaders in 2021.

Abbas said he intends to remain on the Madison Common Council while he campaigns, but would resign the seat if elected to the Assembly.

Abbas is the first of what could be many Democrats announce their candidacy for the new 46th District Assembly seat. The filing deadline for candidates is June 1. The primary will take place on August 9 and the general election on November 8.