Four candidates vie for La Crosse mayor in 2025

LA CROSSE, Wis. (WLCX) – La Crosse’s mayoral primary this year is not quite the enormous field of candidates it was in 2021, when 10 people were on the ballot.

However, the 2025 race features plenty of intrigue — and in large part because the city will have a new mayor elected this year.

Mayor Mitch Reynolds declined to run for a second term, making the seat an open race.

The League of Women Voters of the La Crosse Area did one-on-one interviews with the four mayoral candidates in conjunction with the La Crosse Area Chamber, La Crosse Area Development Corporation, and UW-La Crosse.

One of the candidates running to replace Reynolds is Vicki Markussen, who narrowly lost to Reynolds in 2021 by just 205 votes.

Markussen, a former TV reporter who has worked with a number of La Crosse-area organizations in her professional career, said that the city is ready for a change. She said her priority issue is dealing with housing and homelessness, as well as property taxes. Markussen said the city and county need to see the Pathways Home project all the way through to help in dealing with the housing issues in La Crosse.

The remaining three candidates did not run for mayor in 2021, but all are involved locally in different capacities.

Chris Kahlow, the current La Crosse City Council President, has been on the city council since 2019 representing the 6th District. Kahlow said that she’s the only candidate in the race that has worked on city budgets while also touting her background in small business in the city of La Crosse. She also said that housing and homelessness are priority issues for her and supports the Pathways Home plan.

Ellie McLoone, a real estate agent in La Crosse and lifelong resident, said that she was motivated to run to spur progress in development and resources in the city. McLoone said that she is bringing a different perspective to the mayor role because her opponents have all been involved in politics. Her top priority is working to bring a state-funded detox facility to western Wisconsin, and also includes fully staffing the police department and addressing affordable housing and homelessness on her platform.

Shaundel Washington-Spivey, who was the first candidate to announce they were running for mayor this year, is a UW-La Crosse graduate who has worked with different community and non-profit groups in the city. Washington-Spivey said he was running because the city needed to attract families and work together across all levels of government to create a better environment. He said he supported the Pathways Home program and like other candidates recognizes the issue of affordable housing and homelessness in La Crosse.

In addition to the primary for mayor, a primary will also be held for the City Council’s District 7 seat held by Mac Kiel. He’s being challenged by Gary Padesky and John Reiman. There will also be a primary between seven candidates for three seats on the School District of La Crosse Board of Education.

All Wisconsin voters will take part in a primary for state superintendent, which has three candidates.

Several other La Crosse-area seats will be contested this April without a primary, including five of the eight City Council seats up for election, one Onalaska Aldersperson seat, and Branch 1 for La Crosse County Circuit Court Judge.

To learn more about the election process, to see the paperwork and candidates for state or circuit court offices, or to consider a registered write-in campaign, you can visit the Wisconsin Elections Commission website. To see your voting ward and municipality, as well as voter registration status, polling location, and more election information, you can visit MyVote Wisconsin.

Registered write-in candidates need to file by March 28 at noon, per the Wisconsin Elections Commission.