Incumbent Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne and challenger Bob Jambois are spreading their messages to voters ahead of the August 9 primary.
The primary will decide who becomes the next district attorney, as no Republican filed to enter the race.
Jambois, a former Kenosha County District Attorney, is challenging Ozanne from the inside. He’s worked as a prosecutor in Ozanne’s office for the past year and a half.
He said he believes the county needs to make a change.
“I’ve done the job before and I’ve done it very well,” Jambois said. “I’ve seen the change that needs to be made in Dane County and I can make that change.”
Jambois has criticized Ozanne for running what he calls a “dysfunctional” office.
“Within a few months of starting there, I told him: ‘This office is in terrible disarray, and you need to spend more time in the office,'” Jambois said. “I don’t know what he does all day long, but he’s certainly not administering the office. He’s not handling any cases.”
Ozanne disputes that characterization and said his record speaks for itself.
“For someone to characterize my leadership as dysfunctional, I don’t see it,” Ozanne said. “The community restorative court wasn’t in existence two years ago; (it) would not have been able to be in existence but for the work I’ve put in on it. Our child abuse initiative…our no hit zone, which has been nationally recognized.”
Ozanne is facing his first electoral challenge for the office since he was appointed by Governor Jim Doyle back in 2010, and ran unopposed in 2012. He said he’s learning a lot from his first campaign for Dane County DA.
“I’m learning that we all need to work together, that we’re going to have to have very difficult but necessary conversations,” Ozanne said. “This community is ready for that.”
Ozanne has received endorsements from numerous current and former elected officials, like Dane County Executive Joe Parisi, former Gov. Jim Doyle and Madison Mayor Paul Soglin.
Jambois said he’s received a great deal of quiet support from judges, fellow prosecutors, bailiffs and others within the court system who are unable to publicly endorse candidates.
