LA CROSSE, Wis. – Most candidates running for office take all of the support they can get, but that's not the case in one local race where a candidate for mayor only wants the backing of the people—not political parties.

What You Need To Know

  • City of La Crosse mayoral candidate Vicki Markussen identifies as a moderate and doesn't want a party or organizational endorsement

  • She sent a letter to both local parties stating she isn't accepting political backing

  • Voters will cast their ballot for La Crosse mayor in the upcoming spring election on April 6

As Wisconsin politics moves farther from the middle, Vicki Markussen is trying to bring it back.

If you ask Markussen about her political beliefs, she will tell you she is a moderate. Markussen doesn't want to put a 'D' or an 'R' by her name because she knows how divisive that can be these days, even in a race that is supposed to be nonpartisan.

“I am a moderate,” Markussen said. “That's honestly why I didn't want to put a 'D' or an 'R' next to my name. This is about being welcome to all voices. They are able to support me as individuals, but I was not looking for those organizational endorsements.”
 


Markussen is on a mission to become La Crosse's next mayor, but she wants to be elected because of one thing: her values.

“I didn't want to have conversations that divided because as soon as you start to align with one way or another, you start to alienate people,” Markussen said.

Though there were plenty of opportunities for support, Markussen ultimately sent a letter to both parties saying she wasn't taking endorsements, and to go one step further even from organizations too.

Letter To La Crosse County Democratic Party

Vicki for Mayor - Political Endorsements - Letter to LCDP by Anthony DaBruzzi on Scribd

 

Letter To La Crosse County Republican Party

Vicki for Mayor - Response on Political Endorsements by Anthony DaBruzzi on Scribd


“I knew I wanted to keep it nonpartisan and I did get a questionnaire from the Democrats, and I began filling it out, and then I realized this isn't why I'm running,” Markussen said.

The La Crosse County Democratic Party hasn't endorsed a mayoral candidate in the last few elections, but William Garcia, who is the chair of the county party, said it is not unusual to back someone.

“Any candidate has any right to accept or decline an endorsement,” Garcia said. “Let's say in La Crosse you have two candidates who are both very progressive. We would probably not endorse in that case because both candidates are, you know aligning with the philosophies of our party.”
 


Though Markussen can decline all the endorsements she wants, she ultimately can't control who gets involved in the race.

“The challenge is they [endorsements] are going to my opponent, so that is happening,” Markussen said. “If we can't endorse you, we kind of have to endorse your opponent, so that does work against me.”

It hasn't made canvassing neighborhoods any easier either.
 


“I will tell you, so many people, as I'm going door to door, ask me the question: Which letter are you?” Markussen said. “Or they'll ask questions that start to implicate which way I am, so our community really struggles with it.”

At the end of the day, no matter how much thought or effort goes into a campaign, only time will tell if the strategy pays off.

Voters will cast their ballot for La Crosse mayor in the upcoming spring election on April 6.