Madison, WI – Madison east sider, Jason Vangalis (He/Him/His), will run for the 48th State Assembly district left open , following Rep. Melissa Sargent’s bid for State Senate:
“Madison’s east side has seen so many changes in the last five years, starting with the closure of Oscar Mayer. Focusing on intentional and meaningful economic opportunity that expands accessibility to Madison’s overall economic success needs to be prioritized. Especially for groups that have not seen any real benefit from this success.”
Jason has spent the last decade working in community and economic development here in Wisconsin and around the country. His work focused on helping communities rebuild after losing a major employer similar to Oscar Mayer. He has helped create over 3,000 new jobs, save another 2,000 jobs from going way, and helped bring over $10 billion in new investment. Jason is the only candidate with direct experience building economies and creating jobs.
Jason has helped lead two nonprofits in Madison, including the New Harvest Foundation (NHF) and the Rodney Scheel House Foundation (RSH). While chair of NHF, Jason worked with the board to collaborate with groups in Madison’s LGBTQ+ community and helped to prioritize projects that would make meaningful impacts on Madison’s Trans community. Jason’s work with RSH, which provides affordable housing to folks living with HIV/AIDS, has prioritized the health and safety of residents, helping link the group to resources to continue to expand meaningful services for residents.
Jason’s point of view is deeply shaped by his own experience growing-up. He was raised by a single mother, relying on welfare to make ends meet. His siblings struggled and continue to struggle with addiction.
“I know what it means to worry about next month’s rent or whether or not a loved one is safe and alive. It’s a completely different point of view when you have lived these experiences and not just read about them. It makes sure that folks with shared experiences to mine have a seat at the table.”
Jason has also spent the last several months helping manage his company’s response to COVID19. He worked across 30 different communities and in over a dozen states that helped his company respond to the ever-changing environment, so team members were safe and communities could be served.
Jason Vangalis is a native Wisconsinite who has called Madison home for over ten years. He is a first generation college graduate from UW Madison with degrees in political science and history and Northwestern University with a master’s in public policy and administration.
