By Brandi Makuski

Custer resident Chris Holman has announced his candidacy for Portage County Executive.

Holman, a U.S. Army veteran and farmer, made his announcement on Thursday.

“As a newcomer to the race who is neither a current member of the county board nor the previous administration, I believe that I am uniquely suited to this task,” Holman wrote in his announcement.

For almost a decade Holman has been as a university lecturer. He currently serves on the Wisconsin Farmers Union Board and the National Farmers Union Board, and helped update the Portage County Farmland Preservation Plan.

In his announcement, Holman listed five issues he would prioritize if elected:

• Continue work started by the Farmland Preservation Committee.
• Work with areas in the county that are “struggling to survive” and collaborate to identify creative solutions.
• Work with municipal governments across the county, providing support and resources needed to strengthen their approach to government.
• Working with County Board in attempt to “put our budget on stronger footing for the long-term”.
• Through a “comprehensive, open, and inclusive process”, evaluate the position of Portage Co. Executive to determine if it is the best option for the county.

Holman said he would bring a “fresh perspective” to the position, pointing to his participation in the Global Forum on Food and Agriculture in Germany, as well as a USDA Market Summit in Washington, D.C.

Holman is invites residents in Portage Co. to participate in a three-question survey on what is and isn’t working in the county. The survey is located at facebook.com/holman4exec.