Politics
WATCH: Will Tim Kabat be running for mayor in 2021? Announcement at 11 a.m. today
An answer from Mayor Tim Kabat is likely coming Tuesday on whether he’ll be running for a third term.
Kabat’s office put out a press release Monday afternoon stating there will be an 11 a.m. press conference from the 2021 mayor’s campaign.
Over the past few months, as Kabat calls into La Crosse Talk PM, he’s been asked whether he’ll be running for a third term. This was his answer earlier this month:
Two other people appear to also be running for mayor. City council member Jessica Olson is on the list of candidates already, while Greg Saliaras, who runs Soula’s Cuisina in downtown La Crosse, appears to have taken out papers to run.
Kabat was first elected in April of 2013, defeating Douglas Farmer with 65.4% of the vote. He ran unopposed in 2017.
Pat Zielke is La Crosse’s longest-tenured mayor. He came into office in 1975 and retired in 1997. When he started, it was only a two-year term but by the time he finished, the terms were extended to four years.
John Medinger served two terms from 1997-2005. He was followed by Mark Johnsrud’s one term, before 24-year-old Matt Harter served one term through 2013.
Milo Knutson was also a long-tenured mayor, serving five terms from 1955-65.