Candidate Profile: Jessica Free For Tosa Alderman District 8

WAUWATOSA, WI— The 2022 election is heating up in Wisconsin and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office. Voters will also decide the outcome of state representative, senate seats and local government and school boards.

Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Name

Jessica Free

Age (as of Election Day)

48

Position sought (including ward or district number if applicable)

Alderperson District 8

Party Affiliation

none

Family

Husband (48) Son (12) Daughter (13)

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

High School Grad

Occupation

Wisconsin Athletic Club Team Lead (6 years)

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

None

Campaign website

None

Why are you seeking elective office?

Having been instrumental in getting a neighborhood assoc. running where there wasn't one, I was encouraged by my friends and neighbors based on my goals of a safer and more closely knit neighborhood! Ready to roll up my sleeves and be a part of solutions in our great community.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Misinformation that no one cares about the big problems and small, that our community faces. I think sometimes people give up when they hit a wall so to speak - and to remind people to get involved and push harder. (peacefully, compassionately)

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

Someone I respect very much advised me that this is only about running for the seat I'm running for and not about the others. This seems to ring true and wise advice. I hope if chosen I am truly chosen for "me" and because I was set "against" someone else, and I hope the same for them.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

I know of no failures....simply that a position long held by someone else is becoming available. (I imagine burnout could be a legit reason for leaving - but I can't say for certain) That said I'm sure every time someone new is introduced it's a new opportunity for improvement based on new "energy" and different skill sets.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

I am a lover of nature, the arts, and education. Preservation of what is left of our "wilds" and all topics of greener living are likely to perk my enthusiasm. Anything education related is also important to me as I know we ALL have something to learn......and so a safe and clean community is the best place to do that. That said, my only real platform is to really hear what the people I would represent want me to hear, and try to strive for solutions that are reasonable within whatever constraints there are. Providing explanations rather than leaving people hanging is also key so they don't feel ignored or forgotten.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I have always found myself in leadership rolls even when I wasn't really aiming for them. I believe strongly in speaking up for myself and others when they don't feel able. I was a union steward for years and this taught me to listen carefully and consider the best plan of action very carefully. If something isn't fair and equitable- it can be addressed professionally and peacefully and have plenty of impact.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I feel it's important that I am not coming to the table with any other agenda than to listen without judgement to anything brought forward to me or the counsel, and seek fair, equitable, and reasonable solutions to what people feel are the most pressing issues. This is about all of us and can be done in a peaceful and professional way even in these difficult times. It is time that we talk with compassion about even those things that make us uncomfortable. Let's face it- we all want the same kinds of things, we want to feel safe, protected, heard...... let's get there together.