2026 Public Power Candidate Scorecard
Ward 4 Candidates
Overall Score
Dave Zeglen: A
Aidan Sova: B
1. Independence from DTE and Private Utility-Affiliated Money
Has the candidate ever accepted contributions from DTE Energy, DTE-affiliated PACs, or known utility front groups?
No, and the candidate has made a public commitment not to accept such contributions in the future
No, the candidate has not accepted such contributions
Yes, but contributions were returned or publicly disavowed
Yes, contributions were accepted and retained
Dave Zeglen | A
No, and the candidate has made a public commitment not to accept such contributions in the future
Aidan Sova | A
No, and the candidate has made a public commitment not to accept such contributions in the future
2. Public Commitment to Municipal / Public Power
Has the candidate publicly stated support for municipalization in Ann Arbor?
Yes. The candidate has made public statements, written op-eds, or made social media posts supporting public power.
Yes. The candidate's platform includes public power and utility accountability.
No.
Dave Zeglen | A
Yes. The candidate has made public statements, written op-eds, or made social media posts supporting public power.
I've publicly supported Public Power on doors, on all my canvassing lit, and my social media, as well as have worn by Public Power t-shirt to events, and canvasses. My campaign is also collecting signatures for the ballot initiative, including a joint event this Saturday.
Aidan Sova | F
Yes. The candidate has made public statements, written op-eds, or made social media posts supporting public power.
Note from A2P2: The candidate has declined to support public power in Ann Arbor at this time.
3. Public Commitment to 2026 Ann Arbor Public Power Ballot Initiative
Has the candidate publicly expressed support for placing or advancing a public power ballot initiative in Ann Arbor?
Yes. The candidate has made public statements, written op-eds, or made social media posts supporting the 2026 Ann Arbor for Public Power ballot initiative.
Yes. The candidate’s platform includes public power and utility accountability, generally.
No.
Dave Zeglen | A
Yes. The candidate has made public statements, written op-eds, or made social media posts supporting the 2026 Ann Arbor for Public Power ballot initiative.
I have circulated petitions while on doors and have had public power petitions at events I've sponsored where I have encouraged folks to sign it.
Aidan Sova | F
No
I support the principle of public power, but I am concerned by the undefined financial path and prospective litigation costs attached to the current A2P2 charter amendment.
I am a lifelong Michigander. I know DTE has fundamentally failed Ann Arbor and beyond. Our residents are trapped in a cycle of chronic outages, skyrocketing rates, and decades of corporate underinvestment. The status quo is entirely unacceptable. Ann Arbor absolutely deserves an energy future defined by democratic accountability and community control rather than shareholder profits.
To achieve that future, City Council should have commissioned a comprehensive, independent study long ago to determine the true acquisition costs and legal realities of a public buyout. Establishing a municipal utility board before completing this rigorous feasibility study may put the cart before the horse. True progressive leadership requires balancing budgets while protecting important community programs—a principle I consistently practice as President of the Library Board. Moving forward with structural charter changes without a clear financial roadmap risks consuming the very resources needed to run our city. That is not fiscally responsible.
I want Ann Arbor to own its energy future, but we must do so with our eyes wide open. Right now, I am focused on deploying the tools that deliver the fastest, most equitable relief. Our Sustainable Energy Utility (SEU) is a phenomenal model—an opt-in public utility that runs in parallel with DTE—allowing us to build localized renewable generation and real climate resilience right now, without waiting years for DTE litigation or purchasing failing infrastructure with taxpayer dollars. We should scale immediate solutions like the SEU while commissioning an independent, data-driven feasibility study to give our community the factual foundation required to pursue full public power responsibly.
4. Track Record on Energy Justice, Affordability, and Reliability
In their past votes, advocacy, or community work, has the candidate actively supported policies that advance:
Energy affordability
Protection against electricity shutoffs
Grid reliability
Energy equity for low-income residents
Reforms that limit the role of investor-owned utility money in elections and policymaking
Ann Arbor’s stated A2Zero goal to achieve community-wide carbon neutrality by 2030
None of the above
Note: Due to an inability to thoroughly research every candidate’s track record, the scores for question 4 are omitted. Candidate responses are still provided.
Dave Zeglen
Energy affordability
Protection against electricity shutoffs
Grid reliability
Reforms that limit the role of investor-owned utility money in elections and policymaking
Ann Arbor’s stated A2Zero goal to achieve community-wide carbon neutrality by 2030
I've publicly advocated for all of the following in my support for Public Power while canvassing, at meet and greets, at candidate forums, and on social media posts.
Aidan Sova
Energy affordability
Protection against electricity shutoffs
Energy equity for low-income residents
Ann Arbor’s stated A2Zero goal to achieve community-wide carbon neutrality by 2030
My record across local governance and community organizations demonstrates a consistent commitment to advancing energy affordability, ensuring equity for historically underserved populations, and executing the tangible infrastructure upgrades required to meet our ambitious A2Zero goals. Rather than treating climate action as an abstract policy discussion, I have consistently used my leadership positions to turn carbon-neutral goals into operational reality.
As President of the Ann Arbor District Library Board, I oversee a $23 million public budget and multiple physical branches that intersect daily with our community. Under my stewardship, the library system has shifted from mere policy alignment to active execution, prioritizing the systematic electrification of buildings and energy-efficient facility retrofits across our infrastructure. In lowering the operational energy demands of our public facilities, we have reduced the long-term tax costs on our residents while lowering municipal emissions. These capital improvements serve as a real-world model for how large-scale, community-facing facilities can decarbonize responsibly and maintain fiscal stability.
Furthermore, true resilience means preparing for immediate infrastructure emergencies. When DTE unfailingly falls short in maintaining our regional grid, our public infrastructure must protect residents. Under my leadership, the library system stepped up to equip our branches with backup power systems, evolving our physical facilities into reliable, climate-resilient refuges. By serving as active warming centers, clean air spaces, and power-charging stations during widespread blackouts, our locations provide a vital safety net that keeps residents safe and connected when private utilities fail.
True climate resilience requires protecting our most vulnerable neighbors from structural cost burdens. My work as a founding Board Director for Grow Jackson directly targeted the intersection of environmental stewardship and economic equity. Through championing sustainable urban agriculture and local food security initiatives, we built grassroots climate resilience in historically under-resourced areas. This work directly mitigated the intersecting pressures of environmental degradation and economic instability for low-income residents, proving that the most effective equity policies are grounded in sustainable, community-controlled resource networks.
Achieving community-wide carbon neutrality by 2030 requires deep, accessible public education and trusted community spaces. Under my leadership, the library has actively utilized its branches as critical hubs for community climate education and resource sharing. By providing the public with the tools, information, and programming necessary to navigate household electrification and sustainability practices, our public infrastructure acts as a critical civic engine supporting the broader A2Zero framework. Throughout my career—whether managing multi-million dollar public asset portfolios, protecting civil liberties on the Human Rights Commission, or advising statewide equity strategies for the Governor and Lieutenant Governor—I have maintained that sound environmental stewardship and meaningful economic equity are fundamentally the same policy. I am ready to bring this exact executive focus to City Council.
5. Track Record on Data Centers
Does the candidate publicly endorse a moratorium on large-scale data centers and/or has the candidate actively supported policies to stop the construction of such data centers in their past votes, advocacy, or community work?
Yes. The candidate has made public statements, written op-eds, or made social media posts supporting a data center moratorium.
Yes. The candidate’s platform includes a moratorium on data centers.
Yes. The candidate has actively supported such policies
Mixed. Some advocacy or policy work has been against data centers and some has been in favor.
No.
Dave Zeglen | A
Yes. The candidate has made public statements, written op-eds, or made social media posts supporting a data center moratorium.
I've written an op-ed in the Michigan Daily about opposing data centers, and have publicly stated at candidate forums my opposition to data centers, calling for a moratorium as well as pledging that when I am elected I will not vote for the city to contract with any contractor that has contributed to the construction of data centers. I've also participated in an AI and data centers event at the Ford School where I supported a moratorium. I'm also working with Stop the Data Center social movement in Ypsi on putting together policy and strategy to oppose them.
Aidan Sova | C
Mixed. Some advocacy or policy work has been against data centers and some has been in favor.
Given the astronomical land costs and limited geographic footprint, it is ultimately unlikely that a large-scale data center development would be feasible within Ann Arbor’s borders. However, should any such project proposals arise, engagement with any developer is strictly contingent on a transparent, public process that makes community input the number one priority—listening to residents and ensuring their voices are key in the process from the very beginning. If a proposal fails to withstand this level of scrutiny, we would not proceed. I will refuse to consider any model that does not operate within a framework prioritizing our community’s resources over corporate convenience.
To be clear, my engagement is also contingent on a comprehensive set of table stakes requirements. To support our local workforce, I would champion a Project Labor Agreement to ensure that the initial construction and long-term maintenance of these facilities are powered by the skill and expertise of our union brothers and sisters. This approach prioritizes high-quality, hometown jobs and honors the critical role organized labor plays in building a sustainable future for our region.
Furthermore, we must verify that these sites do not become environmental or social liabilities. I would require rigorous oversight to mitigate heat islands and severe noise pollution, upholding our A2Zero goals and protecting the quiet enjoyment of neighboring residents. On-site power and cooling demands cannot threaten our climate timelines; therefore, all energy must be sourced from entirely new, hyper-local renewable generation rather than drawing from our existing, carbon-heavy regional grid. This preserves grid stability and provides ironclad legal assurances that utility costs and peak-load strains will not be shifted onto Ann Arbor families. A binding commitment to zero-effluent, closed-loop cooling to protect our water table must also come alongside significant, upfront contributions to city-wide, sustainable public infrastructure and emergency services.
If a proposal fails to meet even one of these terms—or fails to withstand the scrutiny of a transparent, public process—the conversation ends there. We cannot allow the promise of tax revenue to compromise our long-term ecological and economic stability or our deep commitment to the union labor that sustains our community.