Western Wisconsin shake-up: Congressman Ron Kind to retire

(The Center Square) – Western Wisconsin’s political future is now up in the air.

Longtime Democratic U.S. Rep. Ron Kind on Tuesday announced plans not to run for reelection for his seat in the state’s 3rd District.

“The truth is I’ve run out of gas,” Kind told reporters in La Crosse.

Kind has served in the U.S. Congress since 1997, making him Wisconsin’s longest serving member in Washington.

He also is the last Democrat outside of the Milwaukee and Madison areas. His seat in western Wisconsin was seen as an outlier and a target.

Gov. Tony Evers said Kind has served the state for years, and thanked him for his time in Congress.

“For more than two decades western Wisconsin has been able to count on Ron Kind. Thanks to his tremendous leadership, countless small businesses, farmers, and families have a brighter future ahead of them. While his voice in Congress is going to be sorely missed, his legacy as a pragmatic and selfless leader will continue to move Wisconsin forward,” the governor said in a statement.

Republicans are ready to pounce.

Former President Trump won Kind’s district in 2016, and Chippewa Valley and western Wisconsin have been trending more conservative for years.

Wisconsin Republican Chairman Andrew Hitt on Tuesday said Kind’s time in office was coming to an end, whether he chose to retire or not.

“Ron Kind’s days in Congress were numbered thanks to the tireless efforts of Derrick Van Orden. Republicans are well-positioned to win this congressional seat for the first time in a quarter century,” Hitt said.

Van Orden, the Republican candidate in Kind’s district, thanked Kind for his years of service.

“I would like to thank Rep. Kind for serving in Washington for the last 24 years, and I wish him the best in his retirement,” Van Orden said. “Our campaign has shown that the people of the 3rd are ready for a proven, tested Leader in Washington who will stand up to Nancy Pelosi’s radical agenda, and ensure that our children and grandchildren will live in a safe and prosperous nation.”

There is no word on any potential Democratic candidates to try and take Kind’s seat, but those candidates will most certainly materialize over the next few weeks.

Kind says he plans to continue to live in La Crosse after his retirement from Congress.

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