With the new year comes another election.
In some area counties, unusually high numbers of new candidates are running for county board.
"The county of Lincoln is really healthy right now," said Lincoln County Clerk Chris Marlowe. "We've got just an abundance of candidates."
The same goes for Marathon County too. Seven incumbents there have chosen not to run for re-election, a number that County Board Chair Kurt Gibbs is a bit higher than usual.
"That is a little bit concerning but I think part of that is the challenge that the pandemic has caused," he said.
But Marlowe says while he's glad there's so much interest in local government, it may not be for the right reasons.
"Partisanship is really trickling down to he county level," he said. "It's supposed to be non-partisan positions."
He's not alone in thinking this. Gibbs says this is a trend he's seeing nationwide among local governments.
"There isn't a "R" or a "D" on a pothole that needs to be fixed or a child that needs protective services or on law enforcement," he said.
But the fact remains, local government still needs candidates.
According to the Langlade County Clerk, eight of the 21 incumbents have chosen not to run again, and only one person is running for one of those seats.
"I think everyone should take a turn at it," Marlowe said. "Until you've actually done it, I don't think you should criticize what's going on at that level."
If you are interested in running for local government, you still have time. The deadline to file paperwork is January 4.
