STEVENS POINT – Portage County Board chairperson and District 25 supervisor Ray Reser on Dec. 11 officially announced his candidacy for Portage County executive in the April 2026 spring election.
“In the past two years, I have helped pull the County Board together into a functional, collective body working towards shared goals,” Reser said in a press conference in front of a several dozen supporters inside the Pinery Room at the Stevens Point branch of the Portage County Public Library.
“We don’t have the luxury of losing this momentum. Votes and consensus don’t just happen. They take leadership, fairness and respect,” Reser said.
Reser is the second candidate to announce a campaign to be elected to the seat following Eric Olson, who ran for the seat previously in 2022. Current County Executive John Pavelski will not seek reelection after serving a full four-year term in the role. Reser is currently serving his second two-year term on the County Board after being elected in 2020 and 2024.
“Portage County is making real progress in my view and what we need now is stability and continuity,” Reser said. “Leadership that keeps an eye on the endgame and that benefits the entire county.”
Reser touts knowledge and experience in pursuit of role
Reser grew up locally on a farm in New Hope and attended high school and received his undergraduate degree from local schools, he previously told the Stevens Point Journal. He founded a successful regional construction business and has a strong background in the trades as a former union member and professional training as a geoscientist.
“Many of you know the time I have put in in the last few years. Time in trying to get things right on a host of fronts. Time well spent. Time that had to be put in,” Reser said of his recent work in leading the County Board as chairperson. He said this experience gave him knowledge of the complexity of the county’s vast operations and its challenges.
“Knowledge and experience like this are virtually impossible to replicate and cannot be substituted,” Reser said. “You either put in the time and possess it or you don’t.”
Reser’s experience extends to temporarily carrying out the duties of the county executive’s office for about two months in mid-2024 while Pavelski was on leave due to a medical issue.
Reser and Pavelski also circulated a petition in late 2024 seeking to abolish the office of county executive in Portage County due to issues they both identified with the office’s role in county governance. The two were unsuccessful in gathering an adequate number of signatures to put the question up for referendum in front of Portage County voters.
In response to a question during the press conference, Reser said he still supports abolishing the office but since it was created through a referendum initiated by a petition it would need to be abolished through the same method and that is not currently an option.
What key concerns did Reser identify in his announcement?
Reser highlighted previous divisions among County Board members, a series of necessary and significant capital improvement projects, and environmental issues as items he aims to address in the executive leadership role.
“In the past two years, I have helped pull the County Board together into a functional, collective body working towards shared goals,” Reser said of his recent two years serving as County Board chairperson.
“I recently shepherded two unanimous votes related to critically needed project design and funding, one at 23-0 and one at 25-0,” Reser said of recent votes approving funds for constructing a new jail and law enforcement center and for renovations at the courthouse. “We have not seen those votes on projects in decades.”
Reser also expressed an intention to make progress on nitrate contamination in water wells across the county. Residents of the village of Nelsonville continue to face contamination of their homes’ drinking water and a program monitoring the movement of the contaminants in the area’s groundwater is ongoing.
Portage County Sheriff Mike Lukas makes endorsement
Portage County Sheriff Mike Lukas also spoke during the press conference to give his endorsement to Reser.
“Ray understands the needs here in Portage County,” Lukas said of Reser as he gave the third endorsement of his 11-year career in the county.
“I do not agree with Ray on everything, but he is always available, he listens to all the department heads, he respects them, and when we come out of a meeting I truly believe that he’s doing the best for the citizens of Portage County,” Lukas said.
Lukas said he hopes county residents understand the importance of the race and that they have someone like Reser who is proven by attending meetings, understanding the problems and offering solutions.
“I wholeheartedly support Ray on this. I will do whatever it takes for Ray to be our next county executive,” Lukas said.
What happens next?
Candidates for Portage County executive could begin collecting signatures on nomination papers to appear on spring election ballots on Dec. 1. If more than two candidates qualify to appear on the ballot, a primary election to narrow the field to two candidates will be held Feb. 17, 2026.
Only four people have held the Portage County executive role since its creation through referendum in 2005. Mark Maslowski was elected to the position’s first four-year term in 2006; Patty Dreier was elected to two terms between 2010 and 2018; and Chris Holman served one four-year term before receiving fewer votes than both Pavelski and Olson in the 2022 primary election.
Erik Pfantz covers local government and education in central Wisconsin for USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin and values his background as a rural Wisconsinite. Contact him at epfantz@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Stevens Point Journal: Ray Reser announces run for Portage County executive to supporters
Reporting by Erik Pfantz, Stevens Point Journal / Stevens Point Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
