TO THE EDITOR: It goes without saying that we have gone through a very difficult 14 months of uncertainty and stress.

We are now coming back to a new normal, slowly and carefully, which is just how it should be. So, now we have the luxury of thinking about the next election, starting with the primary on June 8th.

I am excited to cast my votes on June 8th for Deb Coen and Eric Range for Borough Council because I find myself having to choose from an abundance of riches – a contested Democratic primary and young, enthusiastic candidates. The way Madison has handled the COVID crisis gives an important insight into why Deb Coen and Eric Range are getting my votes.

During her first tenure on the Council, Ms. Coen along with the rest of the Council and Mayor dealt with the COVID crisis, admirably. For instance, Madison quickly developed a COVID toolkit, promoted a fund for businesses, and put together a list of mental health resources.

Mr. Range, on the other hand, during his tenure on the Board of Health, assisted daily at the Madison Health Department in contact tracing efforts, public information and data analysis, interpreting guidance, and anything else needed to support the efforts of our professional staff. Mr. Range has also been serving on the Madison Main Street Foundation, a sister organization to the DDC, which was able to partner with the DDC to mobilize quickly and leverage its non-profit status to raise funds and provide Relief Grants to Madison businesses early during the pandemic. By the end of 2020 those grants totaled over $192,000 in needed help for our business community.

The way that Ms. Coen and Mr. Range both responded to the COVID crisis demonstrates to me that they are the kind of leaders who combine both compassion for others and who are able to roll up their sleeves and get things done. Madison can be proud of how it responded to the pandemic. Ms. Coen and Mr. Range have earned my vote because of their role in these efforts.

ANN HUBER