Lenz fends off write-in candidate to claim title of village president

A strong showing by  write-in candidate Eric Stowe did not lead to a loss for unopposed newcomer Peter Lenz in the race for Village of Fredonia president on Tuesday.

Stowe registered as a write-in candidate last week after seeing a post from Lenz’s wife expressing frustration with the direction of the country in the wake of President Donald Trump’s election.

He had said the post was “concerning” and “lining up with Democratic ideas.”

However, Lenz argued the race is nonpartisan and his wife’s post had nothing to do with Village of Fredonia government.

Now that he’s elected, Lenz said Tuesday, he wants to show the fears shared by Stowe are “unwarranted.”

“I know a bunch of people were concerned, and I appreciate that they ran somebody,” he said. “I hope they will give me a chance to prove that I want to make this a better place to live and not anything wacky.”

Lenz received 451 votes to Stowe’s 355, according to unofficial results reported by Fredonia Village Administrator Christophe Jenkins Tuesday.

Lenz said Stowe “made a good showing” and acknowledged he put a lot of effort into his campaign.

He noted that there will be an opening on the Village Board since Lenz was also elected to a trustee seat and encouraged Stowe to apply for it.

If he is picked for the position by the board, Lenz said, “we could work together then.”

Incumbent Trustee Don Dohrwardt was re-elected with 561 votes and newcomer DJ Syring was elected with 516. In the trustee election, Lenz received 389 votes.

Lenz, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, said his vision is to make Fredonia “a place where people can spend an evening.”

He said the village has come a long way since he moved to Fredonia, but he would like more dining and shopping options.

“When I moved, the downtown area was a little store, lumberyard and gas station,” he said. “The Dollar General is nice but it would be good to have something bigger.”

At the same time, Lenz said, he wants measured growth.

“Slow but steady. I don’t want Fredonia to become the next Milwaukee, obviously,” he said.

Lenz said he will advocate for putting a lighted crosswalk on Fredonia Avenue to make crossing the street safer for pedestrians, especially for children coming from the north side of the village to reach parks like Marie Kraus or Fireman’s on the south side.

Syring, a technical writer for a construction equipment company, said in January that he ran for the board because he has a young family and recently moved to the village.

Dohrwardt has served on the Village Board for most of the last three decades, at times as president. He also served as an Ozaukee County Board supervisor from 2000 to 2020.

Lenz will replace President Dan Gehrke, who did not seek re-election.