The top government official in Outagamie County is running for Congress.
County executive Tom Nelson announced Thursday he plans to run for the 8th Congressional District seat currently held by Republican U.S. Representative Reid Ribble, who is not seeking another term next November.
Nelson, former Democratic leader in the state Assembly who also ran for Lt. Governor in 2010, has spent the past five years in a non-partisan office – something he argues would be helpful in Washington. “The only way that I can be successful at my job is to figure out a way to work with Democrats, Republicans, Independent…and I think the results speak for itself,” he said. “We’re one of the handful of counties that have a AAA bond rating, we have a stable tax rate, and we continue to provide essential services to the people.”
Nelson says he supports several bi-partisan proposals Ribble backed, such as creating a two-year budget cycle for the federal government.
The Appleton resident is the first Democrat to enter the race, which already has three Republicans announced as candidates so far.
