Madison, WI — After being appointed by the judges of the Dane County Circuit Court to fill the term of retired Clerk of Court, Carlo Esqueda, Jeff Okazaki has announced that he will officially seek a full term in the 2026 fall election. Since stepping into the role, Clerk Okazaki has focused on strong fiscal responsibility and easier access to the court system in Dane County.
“I am very honored that our 17 judges, including now Justice Susan Crawford, put their trust in me to continue the important work of running our circuit court here in Dane County,” said Okazaki. “I am also excited to be able to share my commitment to the people of Dane County by officially running for office.”
Now in the third year of his tenure, Clerk Okazaki has been instrumental in bringing nearly $1.5 million of new, annual funding to the court, reducing the tax burden on local residents. He has also increased language services for the community with the first staff interpreter and first bilingual staff members.
“As a person of mixed race, it was very important to me to help make sure that the court was working for everyone by making it more accessible through language, through technology, and through how we display procedural fairness,” said Okazaki.
Before taking over as Clerk of Court and Register in Probate, Okazaki oversaw information technology for the court. He currently serves as Co-Chair of the Advocacy Committee for the Wisconsin Clerks of Circuit Court Association, and was appointed by the Director of State Courts as Clerk’s Chairperson for the Wisconsin Court System AI Steering Committee.
Outside of the court, Clerk Okazaki is a Rotarian and also serves on the Board of Directors for the Wisconsin Federated Humane Societies. He holds a Master’s of Business Administration from Bradley University, and has more than 20 years of experience in non-profit and public service.
For more information on Okazaki’s campaign and record of service, please visit voteokazaki.com.
