OUTAGAMIE COUNTY (WTAQ-WLUK) — For Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson and his challenger Kevin Sturn, the week leading up to the spring election is about spreading the central messages of their campaigns.
“I think my record speaks for itself,” Nelson said. “We’ve had a triple — a bond rating for 12 years in a row. We’ve got declining tax rates for eight years. We’re fully funding all of our services, and we’ve got this great success story: the Appleton International Airport.”
“There is a clear choice,” Sturn said. “There’s a choice here to have the county being managed by a politician, and then there’s a choice of someone that is going to run the county as a business with management experience and business experience.”
Sturn, who previously served on the Outagamie County Board and its finance committee, said under his leadership that there won’t be partisan politics in the position.
“I will serve four full years without seeking other political office,” Sturn said. “I am the candidate that people have been looking for. They’re sick of the fighting between red and blue, and they’re also sick of all the negativity.”
Nelson’s strategy has been to build on his successes over the last 12 years while also looking at the county’s future.
“We’ve got some great projects coming down the pipe,” Nelson said. “We are focusing on expanding internet to as many places possible within the county, staying ahead of the curb, making sure we have strong infrastructure.”
Now Sturn, who’s projecting a tight race, plans to spend the final days working hard to secure any last votes.
“Get over the county, talk to people, knock on doors,” Sturn said.
And Nelson has a similar approach.
“The same time you can learn from voters by finding out from them in an open conversation what it is that’s important to them, to their family, to their community,” Nelson said.
After months of preparation, both candidates said they feel good about their chances.
“We’ve put together a solid campaign,” Nelson said. “I think we’ve got a good message, and we feel good going into the last week.”
“Like I said in the beginning, it’s going to be close,” Sturn said. “No matter what happens on April 5, win or lose, I’m still Kevin Sturn.”
This is the first county executive election since 2011 in which Nelson has faced a challenger.
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