Hi, I’m ZOE SULLIVAN.
I grew up between Madison and McFarland in a single-parent household, and I learned at a young age about stretching a dollar, conserving energy, and looking out for the people around me. Those lessons shaped me deeply—as did the effort it took to reach the state cross-country and track meets while still earning top grades in high school.
College wasn't a good fit, though, and I dropped out during a semester abroad to pursue community organizing. I began publishing community newspapers and opened a neighborhood center as part of that experience.
A decade later, I returned to the US, completed my bachelor’s degree, and began organizing around immigrants' rights in New York City while working a day job in a bank.
Eventually, I landed a job tasked with creating an employment program for adult English Language Learners in the city's most diverse neighborhood, Jackson Heights. There, I collaborated with the City University of New York Law School to train a cohort of community labor law advocates and spearheaded efforts to bring a credit union to the area.
From there, I transitioned into radio journalism and moved to New Orleans. I reported on the BP oil disaster and on the racial bias in the homeowner rebuilding assistance formula post-Hurricane Katrina.
I returned to Madison in 2019 after six years in Brazil reporting on environmental issues. I was diagnosed with breast cancer through a special screening program for low-income women. That program ended up covering my treatment, and it illustrates the sort of healthcare system we need - where all Wisconsinites can be cared for regardless of income.
For years, I worked as an independent journalist, experiencing financial and housing instability. During the pandemic, I committed to staying in Madison in part to be near my aging mother.
I’m a long-time WORT volunteer, and I also recently worked with a foundation that helps Wisconsin schools and nonprofits install solar arrays.
I’m running because it's time to invent new systems to take care of people. Wisconsin has led the way in the past and invented everything from kindergarten to unemployment insurance. It's time to do that again, and my experience building institutions and standing up for immigrants couldn't be more timely.
“It’s time to redesign Wisconsin’s systems so they work for all of us — not just those at the top.”