City of Green Bay
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Questions continue about potential candidates for Green Bay mayor.
As we first reported Thursday, incumbent Mayor Eric Genrich said he won’t run again.
As of now, former Mayor Jim Schmitt is the only person who has officially announced a campaign for the April 6th election.
Schmitt served four terms as Green Bay’s mayor from 2003 to 2019.
He said Mayor Eric Genrich’s decision to not run doesn’t change his trajectory.
“I’ve made a decision a while ago that this is what I’m going to do… My plans are my plans and you know my desire to have the job doesn’t change whether no matter who’s running,” Schmitt said.
Schmitt was Green Bay’s mayor before Genrich for 16 years, but Schmitt said he feels like he has unfinished business to take care of.
His top priorities include increasing economic development and addressing homelessness.
“We have to just make sure that the services that we offer are complete and that if you are going to be in that space in that industry I’d like to hold the agencies accountable that you’re open all year,” Schmitt said.
State Rep. Amaad Rivera-Wagner, D-Green Bay has also been spoken about as a potential candidate.
Currently, his assembly seat is up for election in November.
He said he has not made a final decision on whether or not he will jump into the race for Green Bay Mayor.
“I’m right now committed to running for re-election, and on Nov. 3, I will be making, after that, after Nov. 3, I’ll be making a decision and making that decision public,” Rivera-Wagner said.
Rivera-Wagner previously served as chief of staff for Genrich.
He believes another term of Schmitt would be a step backwards for Green Bay.
“I believe that we’re gonna need new voices in the conversation to make sure that we build a Green Bay that works for all of us,” Rivera-Wagner said.
City Council President Alyssa Proffitt is also thinking about running for mayor.
In a statement on Thursday she said:
I’m strongly considering a run for Green Bay Mayor. I’ve had outreach from a number of neighbors and community leaders who’ve expressed interest and excitement in a 2027 mayoral campaign.
Potential candidates have until Jan. 5 to file to nomination papers.
If there are more than two candidates, there would be a primary in February.
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