By Charlie Mahler
Joining two of her Northfield City Council colleagues, Ward 1 Councilor Kathleen Holmes told KYMN that she too won’t seek re-election this fall. Holmes earned her seat on the council in 2022, running unopposed.
“So, it was a tough decision because there’s so much of the work that I really love – and admittedly there’s some that isn’t that great and that I know I could do a better job at,” Holmes said, “But, when looking at where I want to spend my time, I have two younger children who want me to be home more, I have professional commitments I’m making and really want to grow in. So, of those three things, my work, my family and council, I can’t be great at all three, so I’m going to let it go to be able to allow for someone great to come in and carry that work forward.”
Holmes joins Jessica Peterson White and Davin Sokup, who recently announced they would not seek re-election to the Council.
Holmes said she is most proud of her community engagement and approach.
“I feel like I’ve really approached the challenges and things that have come before us in a really thoughtful way. I feel really good about how I’ve engaged with the community, the staff, my fellow colleagues in helping really think through and bring some logic and rationale to the work, not to say that other people aren’t doing that.”
Holmes noted her term is not over and choosing not to run for re-election doesn’t mean she’s backing away from her council responsibilities.
“We still have eight more months to go,” she said. “This isn’t like lame duck, I’m not going to do anything. I’m committed; I have a mandate to get the work done until December. So, I’m very much committed to being engaged and keep pushing forward things.”
Mayor Erica Zweifel praised Holmes’ work style.
“I am grateful to Councilor Holmes for her service to the community,” she said. “She approaches her council work with a combination of precision and systems-level thinking. Councilor Holmes also served on the Planning Commission and brought a valuable planning and zoning lens to our discussions.”
Holmes, Peterson White, and Sokup’s decision mean all three City Council seats on this November’s ballot will lack an incumbent candidate.
The city council candidate filing deadline is June 2.
Charlie Mahler is a Senior Reporter with KYMN News. Contact him at charlie@kymnradio.net
