Madison, WI – Madison Metropolitan School Board member Nicki Vander Meulen will run for the 76th Assembly District seat being vacated this fall by Rep. Chris Taylor:

“There are many disability rights activists who wish to be involved in politics. Often these
individuals are patronized or told to wait and let others who are “more electable” run for
office. I’m done waiting. The time for change is now!”

Nicki was just reelected to the Madison Metropolitan School Board with 48,220 votes. In the 76th Assembly District alone she won with 12,844 votes by a margin of 33 points. She plans to complete her term on the School Board if elected to the Assembly. If elected, Nicki will be the first openly Autistic legislator in the country.

As a member of the Madison School Board she has visited every school in the district, the only board member to do so. She secured a cost of living increase for teachers in each year on the board and passed increases in special education funding, fulfilling promises made during her campaign.

Nicki operates her own law practice, where she takes on mainly juvenile and mental health
cases. If elected, Nicki will prioritize legislation expanding rights for people with disabilities,
increasing funding for public schools, and securing meaningful criminal justice reform.

The immense challenges posed by COVID-19 will affect workers, students, the incarcerated, and the vulnerable in ways we are only just beginning to grasp. These are the very people Nicki has always fought for as an activist, attorney, and elected official:

“My experiences have given me tenacity, creativity, persistence, and an independent
spirit. I don’t back down from a righteous fight, and I don’t give up in pursuing what’s
right. I’ll bring these values to the Assembly to win what our communities deserve: a
fighting chance for everyone in Wisconsin.”

Nicki Vander Meulen is 41-years old, was born in Madison, and has lived in downtown Madison for over 20 years. She is a graduate of the UW-Madison College of Letters and Science and the UW-Madison School of Law. She is the first openly Autistic school board member in the United States.

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