October 17, 2019 – West Bend, WI – District 5 alderman Rich Kasten is announcing his candidacy to run for mayor of West Bend.
Kasten issued a statement to washingtoncountyinsider.com on Wednesday afternoon.
Residents of West Bend,After careful consideration and discussion with my family, I am very proud to announce I will run for Mayor of West Bend.Being able to serve the residents in West Bend as Mayor is something I have long aspired to and while I appreciate Mayor Sadownikow’s leadership and achievements, I truly believe this is the right time.I have served as an Alderman the past six years and during that time, we have made great strides in repairing our fiscal challenges. As Mayor, I pledge to continue improving the financial position of the city, providing excellent public safety and improving infrastructure.I look forward to sharing more details with voters as my campaign progresses. In the meantime, please share in my excitement and enthusiasm as positive things are ahead for West Bend. I look forward to meeting and talking with you over the coming months!
Kasten ran for alderman in 2012 and lost to incumbent Alan Carter, who served from 2002-14.
Kasten was first elected as District 5 alderman in April 2014.
“This is something I’ve always been interested in doing and after six years as alderman I’d like to have the ability to have a bit more say and help set a better strategic direction for things and put my stamp on it,” said Kasten.
Road maintenance and fiscal responsibility are two things Kasten said he will focus on. “We’re not ignoring the roads but they do need maintenance,” he said.
Sadownikow, who first elected mayor in April 2011. He was reelected in 2014 and again in 2017.
When he received word Kasten had thrown his hat into the ring, Sadownikow said he was encouraged.
“Rich is a quality individual who has volunteered in West Bend for decades,” said Sadownikow. “For the past six years Rich has served as Alderman for the 5th District and has served as Chairman of the Finance Committee for the past two terms. Rich has proven to be an educated problem solver with a logical and even temperament.”
Questioned whether he would defend his seat, Sadownikow focused the discussion on term limits.
“It has been my honor to serve as Mayor the past three terms,” he said. “At the same time, I’m a supporter of term limits and believe a founding principle of our country is that those with ability should step up, run for office, do what they believe is in the best interest of the people they serve, and then humbly step aside and be critiqued by the next group of citizen servants. In the coming weeks, I will consult with my family and friends, and then decide if I plan to run for another term.”
Mayoral candidates need to collect 200-400 signatures. The first day to circulate nomination papers is Dec. 1, 2019.
The Spring Election is April 7, 2020.
Below are some details for the spring election courtesy the Wisconsin State Legislature.
8.10 Nominations for spring election.
(1) Candidates for office to be filled at the spring election shall be nominated by nomination papers, or by nomination papers and selection at the primary if a primary is held, except as provided for towns and villages under s. 8.05. Unless designated in this section or s. 8.05, the general provisions pertaining to nomination at the partisan primary apply.
(2)
(a) Nomination papers for offices to be filled at the spring election may be circulated no sooner than December 1 preceding the election and may be filed no later than 5 p.m. on the first Tuesday in January preceding the election, or the next day if Tuesday is a holiday, except as authorized in this paragraph. If an incumbent fails to file nomination papers and a declaration of candidacy by the time prescribed in this paragraph, all candidates for the office held by the incumbent, other than the incumbent, may file nomination papers no later than 72 hours after the latest time prescribed in this paragraph. No extension of the time for filing nomination papers applies if the incumbent files written notification with the filing officer or agency with whom nomination papers are filed for the office which the incumbent holds, no later than 5 p.m. on the 2nd Friday preceding the latest time prescribed in this paragraph for filing nomination papers, that the incumbent is not a candidate for reelection to his or her office, and the incumbent does not file nomination papers for that office within the time prescribed in this paragraph.
(b) Each nomination paper shall have substantially the following words printed at the top:
I, the undersigned, request that the name of (insert candidate’s last name plus first name, nickname or initial, and middle name, former legal surname, nickname or middle initial or initials if desired, but no other abbreviations or titles), residing at (insert candidate’s street address) be placed on the ballot at the (spring or special) election to be held on (date of election) as a candidate so that voters will have the opportunity to vote for (him or her) for the office of (name of office). I am eligible to vote in the (name of jurisdiction or district in which candidate seeks office). I have not signed the nomination paper of any other candidate for the same office at this election.
(c) Each candidate shall include his or her mailing address on the candidate’s nomination papers.
(3) The certification of a qualified circulator under s. 8.15 (4) (a) shall be appended to each nomination paper. The number of required signatures on nomination papers filed under this section is as follows:
(a) For statewide offices, not less than 2,000 nor more than 4,000 electors.
(am) For court of appeals judges, not less than 1,000 nor more than 2,000 electors.
(b) For judicial offices not specified in pars. (a), (am), and (c), not less than 200 nor more than 400 electors.
(c) For judicial offices in counties over 750,000 population, not less than 1,000 nor more than 2,000 electors.
(cm) For county executives in counties over 750,000 population, not less than 2,000 nor more than 4,000 electors.
(cs) For comptrollers in counties with a population of at least 750,000, not less than 500 nor more than 1,000 electors.
(d) For county executives in counties between 100,000 and 750,000 population, not less than 500 nor more than 1,000 electors.
(e) For county executives in counties under 100,000 population, not less than 200 nor more than 400 electors.
(f) For supervisors in counties over 750,000 population, not less than 200 nor more than 400 electors.
(g) For supervisors in counties between 100,000 and 750,000 population, not less than 100 nor more than 200 electors, except as provided in sub. (3m).
(h) For supervisors in counties under 100,000 population, not less than 20 nor more than 100 electors.
(hm) For members of the metropolitan sewerage commission in districts over 1,000,000 population, not less than 1,000 nor more than 2,000 electors, in districts over 200,000 but not over 1,000,000 population, not less than 200 nor more than 400 electors, and in districts not over 200,000 population, not less than 100 nor more than 200 electors.
(i) For city offices in 1st class cities, not less than 1,500 nor more than 3,000 electors for city-wide offices, not less than 200 nor more than 400 electors for alderpersons elected from aldermanic districts and not less than 400 nor more than 800 electors for members of the board of school directors elected from election districts.
