California State AssemblyCandidate for District 21

Alison Madden is a progressive attorney, businesswoman, mother of 2 boys, and co-founder of a non-profit advocating for affordable and flexible housing alternatives. Alison is a second-generation American, with grandparents from Ireland, and strongly supports immigrant rights and a path to citizenshiop - America is not out of opportunity! 

As a single mom, working full time for over 2 decades, she is postured to provide real solutions to working single parents and families. We need home ownershiop at every level, not just housing. In her legal practice, Alison has advocated for tenants, for affordable housing at every income level and for displaced persons under California’s relocation act. She also advocates publicly for judicial reform, with an emphasis on restorative justice and work furlough and restitution for property offenses.

In addition to advising top flight executive teams in Silicon Valley, she has shown up powerfully for children and the community, as a volunteer leader in Little League, Boy Scouts and innumerable youth activities. Alison treasures our childrens' and teachers' safety at school, and will advocate for safe schools, higher teacher pay and to protect schools against gun violence, including an AR prohibition under 25 years of age. She will be a relentless advocate for reproductive freedom. 

Alison is a progressive democrat who works well “across the aisle” with the entire spectrum and is proud of the ‘big tent’ the Democratic Party has achieved. Alison desires to bring her life, legal, policy and volunteer experience to Sacramento for solutions to our most pressing needs: safe early childcare, guaranteed health care for all, funding education for success, and reducing gun violence are essential for our children. Housing and Climate action are priorities in addition to our children, safe schools, higher teacher pay and protecting reproductive freedom.

Alison’s dad was a conservative Republican, mom a liberal Democrat; they met and married at Catholic colleges in Massachusetts, and both parents served God, family, and country, her dad being in the USAF and a great #girldad to 5 girls. In high school, Alison and her father would "clip" op-ed columns and articles from print newspapers and and leave them back and forth on the fridge with magnets, him from conservative columnists and Alison usually from the Atlanta Journal Constitution. 

Alison learned all good-faith opinions can be discussed and respected, even if a firm position must be taken on a given Priority, vote, or resolution. She would be collegial in Sacramento, seeking solutions across the spectrum. 

Alison knows the value and experience of hard work, yet as a single working mom with a special-needs son, who has had to relocate many times, she has experienced living paycheck to paycheck, with the prospect of homeownership elusive. This has made her a vocal advocate for tenants, housing as a human right, and the ideal of safe, affordable homes for all ages.

Alison has also been an integral member of a working climate impact group, with a proposal for jobs and incentives for green public and private transportation. She gathered all papers and signatures for her candidacy on her e-bike and would work for credits for e-bikes and other e-vehicles to achieve green transportation.