Post Messenger Recorder -

The last time Jerry O’Brien faced incumbent Patrick Downing in a race for the District 30 seat on the Dane County Board, in 2014, Downing beat the challenger by exactly two-to-one, racking up 66.6 percent of the vote. O’Brien is trying again this spring, and will face Downing on the April 5 ballot. We recently checked in with the incumbent to see where he stands on the issues. O’Brien declined to answer any of our questions.

Downing, 72, lives in Blanchardville. When not working on county government matters, he is a piano tuner/technician and luthier. He previously served as the Perry Town Chair from 1989 to 2013, and has been on the Dane County Board since 2006. Downing was director of the Upper Sugar River Watershed Association from 2009-2014, a Meals On Wheels volunteer from 2016 to 2020, and a has been a volunteer with Neighbors Helping Neighbors since 2020. He has a BA in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater.

Asked why he is running again, Downing replied: “From getting our local roads repaired and restoring our lakes, to meeting the needs of our seniors, I would like to continue being an effective leader on the County Board.”

He said there are several important issues facing county government right now.

“The most important duty we have is to provide for the health, safety and general well-being of our constituents,” Downing said. “We can best do this by expanding our efforts to provide senior case management services, health care education, affordable housing, mental health resources, a humane jail facility, crisis response training, and improved internet service to the area.”

Asked why he believes he is the right person for the job, Downing replied: “My years of experience as a Town Chair and County Board Supervisor, along with my track record of getting results, are reasons why I believe the people of the 30th District will honor me with another term as their representative.”