La Crosse’s mayor running unopposed for first time in nearly 30 years

Four years ago, 11 candidates appeared on the primary ballot, after Harter stepped down.

For the first time in almost 30 years, a mayor of La Crosse is going to run unopposed for re-election. 

Tim Kabat will be the only candidate for mayor listed on the April ballot. 

That hasn’t happened since Pat Zielke ran in the 1989 election, after he had already been mayor since 1975.

Four years ago, when mayor Matt Harter stepped down after a single term, 11 candidates appeared on the primary ballot. 

Kabat launched his re-election bid in November, and nobody else took out papers to run against him before yesterday’s filing deadline.  

He is also set to become the first two-term mayor of the city since John Medinger won his second term in 2001.

Four city council candidates – Andrea Richmond, Ryan Cornett, Patrick Brever, and Doug Happel – also have no opposition, after Tuesday’s filing deadline.