March 17, 2026
VIROQUA, Wis. — Viroqua voters will have the opportunity to hear directly from the city’s two mayoral candidates at an upcoming community forum on Sunday, March 22.
The event, titled “Shaping the Future of Viroqua,” will be held from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Viroqua VFW, located at 751 S. Washington Ave. Hosted by Threefold Driftless, a non-partisan volunteer group, the forum will center on the theme of what “Growing Forward” looks like for the city. The format will include questions from moderators, a listening session to hear resident priorities, and a Q&A segment with the audience.
The mayoral race features candidates Krista Browne and Roger Call, who are competing for the seat left open by incumbent Mayor Justin Running. Running filed a notification of non-candidacy in December and chose not to seek re-election.
The Candidates
Krista Browne is a Wisconsin native, UW-Madison graduate, mother of three, and a local small business owner. She is also a licensed and certified interior designer with a passion for “community-based third places,” such as parks, libraries, and coffee shops. Browne frequently attends city council meetings, advocating for issues related to parks, streets, zoning, and comprehensive planning. She states she is running for mayor because Viroqua is a rare place worth protecting, preserving, and enhancing. Her campaign is focused on building the city’s long-term “Staying Power,” and she has advocated for an inclusive approach of “potlucks over partisanship”. More info at Krista Browne for Mayor.
Roger Call is a retired plant operator and manager for Dairyland Power Cooperative who has lived in Viroqua for the past 30 years. Raised on a small dairy farm in Vernon County, his diverse professional background includes experience in farming, electrical power generation, computer systems administration, nuclear decommissioning, and real estate. Call previously served on the Vernon County Board of Supervisors from 2018 to 2022 and recently resigned as the chairman of the Vernon County Republican Party to run for the non-partisan mayoral office. A member of the local Eagles and Lions clubs who helped build the original Dragon Park, his platform emphasizes controlling taxes, completing local construction projects, bringing new businesses to the city, rebuilding the Eckhart Park Dragon playground, and opening a new Information Center. More info at Roger Call for Mayor.
Election Information
The mayoral race will be decided during the spring general election on Tuesday, April 7.
Residents looking to register to vote, check their registration status, or find their polling place can visit myvote.wi.gov or contact the Viroqua city clerk. To vote in the election, residents must be U.S. citizens, be at least 18 years old on Election Day, and have lived in their election district for at least 28 consecutive days prior to the election. Voters will also be required to present a valid photo ID at the polls. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m..
Add comment