La Crosse elects first Black, gay mayor in historic race for western Wisconsin city

Shaundel Washington-Spivey will be the next mayor of La Crosse, becoming the city’s first leader who is Black and who is openly gay.

Washington-Spivey is co-founder and executive director of Black Leaders Acquiring Collective Knowledge, a La Crosse nonprofit offering youth and community support programs. He was previously elected to the La Crosse School Board and currently serves on Gov. Tony Evers’ Council on Equity and Inclusion.

Speaking to reporters at his election night party, Washington-Spivey said becoming the first Black mayor of La Crosse “means a lot,” especially after seeing growing efforts to celebrate the city’s Black community in recent years.

“The identities we hold matter,” Washington-Spivey told WXOW on Tuesday. “While race is a social construct, at the end of the day, who we are and our lived existence needs to be understood, appreciated and respected for what it is. And I just look forward to making sure that we bring this community together across differences.”

He faced La Crosse City Council President Chris Kahlow during Tuesday’s election. She would have been the first woman to lead the western Wisconsin city had she been elected.

Washington-Spivey won with just under 51 percent of the vote, according to unofficial results. In a statement, he thanked Kahlow for running a “hard fought race” and said he looked forward to “working with her and the rest of City Council in building a La Crosse where everyone belongs.”

He will replace outgoing Mayor Mitch Reynolds, who did not run for reelection. The transition comes as the western Wisconsin city faces a number of challenges, including responding to the significant increase in people experiencing homelessness since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking to WPR during his campaign, Washington-Spivey said he felt the city was on the right path to addressing homelessness through a new partnership with La Crosse County, businesses and nonprofit organizations.

“Let’s house the individual and then provide the services that they need, based on what they actually need and not what we think they need,” he told WPR. “Then [we need to] be able to sustain that process for a period of time, so that we can make sure that those individuals are set up for success.”

Washington-Spivey said in the interview that he would like to see city leadership be more transparent with constituents about how tax dollars are being spent. He said like most communities, La Crosse is facing higher costs from inflation and the end of pandemic-era federal aid.

“All of that money is leaving the city, and so where does that leave us?” he told WPR. “We have to really come together with the community to address: ‘What amenities do we want in this city?’ But then also be realistic about the fact that our taxes are high.”