Mayoral races highlight 2024 spring election slate

While there won’t be a lot of races on the ballots this spring, three area mayors will be fighting to keep their spots.

Many city council and school board members are running unopposed, but there will be a new mayor in Galesville and the incumbents in Arcadia and Independence are being challenged in the April 2 election. 

Current Galesville Mayor Vince Howe filed his declaration of non-candidacy last month. Two current council members will look to replace Howe as Tom Thatcher, first ward, and Dave Carlson, second ward, filed to run by last week Tuesday’s deadline. 

Council member Tory-Kale Schulz will also have to compete for his spot on the council as former council member Randy Larson has filed to run against him in the city’s first ward. Schulz defeated Larson, 52-45, in 2022. 

Arcadia will have a rematch in its mayoral race as John Kimmel has filed to run against incumbent Kevin Mayzek. Mayzek defeated Kimmel, 202-197, two years ago. Kimmel served as the city’s mayor for nine years before losing to Rob Reichwein in a 2015 recall election, while Mayzek is finishing his first term. 

There will also be a mayoral race in Independence where former city council member David Galewski will challenge incumbent Robert Baecker. 

Galewski is also challenging Cleo Skroch in the city’s first ward.

Independence second and third ward incumbents Linda Longmore and Debra Marsolek are running unopposed.

There will be two new Whitehall city council members, though no actual competitions. Chris Solsrud has filed to run in the first district as did Matt Sunday in the second district, they’re set to replace Julie House and Frank Juresh III, who are not seeking reelection. Incumbent Mayor Jeff Hauser and third district representative Bob Sendelbach are running unopposed. 

There will be one race each in the Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau, Independence and Whitehall school districts.

In G-E-T, Ray Slattery has filed to challenge Todd Roessler for the town of Trempealeau seat. Incumbents Kara Nelson, city of Galesville, and Mark Kopp, at large, are both running unopposed. 

Brian Bautch is challenging incumbent Deb Bork for a seat on the Independence board. Bork’s seat was the only one that expires this spring.

In Whitehall, Julie Casperson filed to run against Byron Fields in the seat representing the towns of Arcadia, Lincoln, Preston and the city of Blair. Jason Molis is running unopposed for the city of Whitehall seat as is Jonathan Sygulla in the village of Pigeon Falls and town of Pigeon spot. 

In Arcadia, incumbents Vincente Moreno and Tonya Rebhahn are running unopposed.

There are no competitions in the city of Blair or Blair-Taylor school board. Blair council members Dennis Stephenson, Jill Anderson and Jeremy Tranberg are all seeking reelection unopposed. So are B-T school board members Troy Tenneson, Perry Kujak and Michele Steien. 

There will be one new village board member in Trempealeau as Amy Werner has filed for the seat being vacated by Don Hellrung. Incumbents Kit Locke and Bridgette Turner both filed for reelection without competition.

There won’t be any changes in the village of Ettrick as current trustees Pete FIlla, Josh Hanson and Kaylee Waldvogel were the only candidates nominated at last week Tuesday’s caucus.

Three contests for county board on spring ballot

By Debbie Foss

Times Staff

The initial filings for the Trempealeau County Board of Supervisors indicate there will be contests in three districts and no candidate at all for the District Eight seat now held by Dick Miller in the April 2 election. 

Incumbent Bridget Turner of Trempealeau has opposition for the District One seat from another Trempealeau resident, Sara Olson. District Three incumbent Richard Sacia will be opposed by Ryker Todd. Both are from Galesville.

Jeanne Nutter of Strum, the District 16 incumbent, faces a challenge from James Franks of Osseo.

One-term supervisor David Orsch of Osseo filed non-candidacy papers, as did District 13 incumbent Daniel Schreiner of Whitehall. Kevin Whalen of Arcadia announced his candidacy for Orsch’s District Nine seat and Renee Lyon of Whitehall will run for Schreiner’s District 13 seat.

In District Six, Emery Palmer is not expected to seek reelection. Former Trempealeau County Sheriff Rich Anderson of Ettrick has announced his candidacy for Palmer’s seat.