A Somali immigrant and longtime working professional who has been living in Madison for 37 years, Abdi Siad says he is running to be the District 7 alder for the Madison Common Council to amplify the voices of his district and work toward solutions that benefit everyone. He has a vision, he says, “to build a more sustainable and thriving community.”
A retired business consultant, Siad has long been married to District 7’s current alder, Nasra Wehelie, who is not running in the Southwest Side district she has worked for since 2020.
“I originally came from Somalia, and I’ve been in the US for 40 years and Madison for 37 years. I’ve been in District 7 for a long, long time and I’ve seen the district grow from farmland to an inclusive and thriving community,” Siad tells Madison365. “When my wife Nasra decided not to run, I didn’t want to leave the district that she served for such a long time. Even though I wasn’t on the council, I was really familiar with the work she had been doing. The district continues to grow and there are challenges that it faces and I decided to run to make sure these issues are being addressed.”
Siad earned a doctor of veterinary medicine (DVM) from Somali National University, a master’s degree in animal science from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois, and an executive master of business administration (MBA) from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
“I’ve worked in the field of information technology for 27 years working for organizations in the city like American Family Insurance and Alliant Energy and I also did a lot of project management. I also worked in healthcare information, similar to what Epic [Systems] does,” Siad says. “So my background gives me a wide area of understanding of how to resolve the issues, and with the MBA at UW, that gives me access to the issues and concerns about budgeting and economic development. So all of that together gives me the background to tackle any issues concerning my community and my city.”
Some of Siad’s campaign issues listed at his campaign website include affordable housing, public safety, retaining a strong business workforce, and creating equitable opportunities for all residents.
“So far, I’ve knocked on more than 4,000 doors in my district to introduce myself and talk to people about what concerns them. I think overwhelmingly people have been pretty nice and have been asking interesting questions and expressing their concerns,” Siad says. “One issue that comes up a lot is property taxes, especially for seniors. Sometimes it is a person who is living on a fixed income, and they are concerned about the property taxes always going up.
“I suggested to them that I would work with the city and the council if I’m elected and find out other resources of income for the city to alleviate their burden and the problem of not being able to pay property taxes. One of the issues I really want to work with is shared revenue. As you know, Madison doesn’t get its share of shared revenue. I will prioritize that.
“Also with my background in technology, the city should use technology more efficiently, including digital data, to streamline and make processes done quicker and more safely,” he adds. “I feel like if things are done in a certain way we could save time, money, and resources for the city.”
Siad also mentions that affordable housing is a key issue in his campaign and something he hears his constituents talking about when he knocks on doors.
“As you know, when I came to Madison 37 years ago, to rent a one bedroom was $500 and now it is so incredibly expensive so we have to find a way to resolve that issue, to make housing affordable for families, especially low-income families and marginalized communities,” Siad says. “It hurts me to see people choosing between rent and food.
“It is very difficult for the community to face that kind of challenge. So that’s a very important issue for me, and I will try to work with both the public and private sectors to have places where we can build multifamily affordable housing for those affected by this issue,” he adds.
Siad and his wife have four children who have all attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
“I’ve been in District 7 for 27 years where my wife and I raised four children. My wife is the current alder and she has put a lot of time and effort into our district. I have watched this district grow and face certain issues, but it has always been a family-orientated district and it needs a strong voice in the Madison Common Council,” Siad says.
“One thing I believe is when I am in the Common Council, I won’t be in the Council for my own benefit; I’m there to be a voice for those who elected me and will bring their issues to the table, and make sure that they get an equitable solution for the issues that they are facing,” Siad adds. “That takes a lot of leadership and a good background for solving those issues. I feel like my background in technology, product management, and business really shows me the best way to solve those issues.”
Health care, food stamps, programs for those in need, and housing funds are all especially vulnerable under the current Trump administration which has been making many budgetary cuts, Siad notes.
“We have to be also cognizant that the city faces issues now with the current environment at the federal level. The city may lose resources that would have come from the federal government,” he says. “We have to be proactive to see how we can solve these issues even with the loss of the resources from the federal government.”
Siad will face off for the District 7 Common Council seat against Badri Lankella, an immigrant from India and engineer, in the Tuesday, April 1 general election.
“I’m here to serve District 7. I’ve been here 27 years. I have seen it grow, and I will keep that growth going and make it a better place for all of us. I want to work with the council to help make Madison a better place for all of us,” Siad says. “With my determination and background, I hope I will make a difference for my district and my constituents.”
