Candidate for Elected Office

Schedule of Local Office Elections

Mayor
Elected in April 2025 to a four-year term.
Next election April 2029.

Council Member Districts 1-4 and 6
Elected in April 2023 to a four-year term.
Next election April 2027.

Council Member District 5
Elected in April 2025 (due to a vacancy) for a two year term. 
Next election April 2027.

Council Member Districts 7 - 13
Elected in April 2025 to a four-year term.
Next election April 2029.

Municipal Judge
Elected in April 2022 to a four-year term.
Next election April 2026.

2026 Elections

An election will be held in the City of La Crosse on Tuesday, April 7, 2026 to elect Municipal Judge. If a primary is necessary, the primary will be held on Tuesday, February 17, 2026. The term for municipal judge is four-years beginning May 1, 2026 and expiring April 30, 2030.

Notice of Election

Candidates may file a Campaign Finance Registration Statement with the City Clerk upon forming the intent to run for public office. However, you may not circulate nomination papers until December 1, 2025.

The deadline to file all ballot access documents is 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 6, 2026 in the office of the City Clerk.

Note: Public service hours for City Hall are Monday - Thursday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. You may file ballot access documents in person during those hours or by calling the City Clerk's Office at (608) 789-7510 for other arrangements. Candidates may also submit their documents via U.S. Mail or the green drop box at City Hall; however, the City Clerk must receive the documents no later than the required deadline.

Please read and carefully follow all instructions for the filing of candidacy forms so you will have success in getting your name on the ballot. Below are links to the documents which must be filed, along with a Candidate Handbook and other resources.

Candidates filed for the Spring 2026 Election(PDF, 112KB) (updated 01.05.2026)

Candidate Ballot Access Documents

• ELIS-7(PDF, 182KB) Ballot Access Checklist Spring 2026
• CF-1L Campaign Finance Registration Statement
• EL-162(PDF, 46KB) Declaration of Candidacy
• EL-162(PDF, 48KB) Memorandum Regarding Felony Convictions
• EL-169 Nomination Paper for Non-Partisan Office

Candidates for municipal judge must file a Statement of Economic Interests with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission in order to appear on the ballot.
View more information about Statements of Economic Interests.

Candidate Handbook(PDF, 219KB)

Notification of Non-Candidacy for Incumbent Office Holders

Campaign Finance Resources

• Candidate Committee Overview (See Local Candidates)
• Campaign Finance Overview Manual
• Lifecycle of a Candidate Committee recording (11.5 minutes) - Covering registration, filing exemption, and termination of a candidate committee.
  Lifecycle of a Candidate - PowerPoint
• Local Candidate Duties and Prohibitions recording (15 minutes) - Covering various responsibilities of a local candidate committee.
  Local Candidate Duties and Prohibitions - PowerPoint
• Campaign Finance Reporting Requirements recording (9 minutes) - A walkthrough of how to file campaign finance reports.
  Campaign Finance Reporting Requirements - PowerPoint
• ETIS-8 Campaign Finance Checklist

Questions concerning candidacy may be directed to the City Clerk's Office at (608) 789-7510 or by emailing cityclerk@cityoflacrosse.org.

To obtain voter information, walking lists or participation reports from the Statewide Voter Registration System, visit the Badger Voters online site.