Kind easily wins re-election

Ron Kind led a quiet, confident campaign for re-election to Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District. With his overwhelming victory Tuesday night, he will become the region’s undisputed political heavyweight: popular GOP predecessor Steve Gunderson served 16 years before stepping aside in 1996.

Kind, a 49-year-old La Crosse Democrat, faced retired U.S. Army Col. Ray Boland of Sparta. The 74-year-old headed the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs from 1992 to 2003.

Kind had 64 percent of the vote with 85 percent of precincts reporting. The count was roughly 155,000 to 87,000.

There was little chance that Boland, who had little money and little help from his party, would win in a district that leans more Democrat this year than it did in the past. Redistricting after the 2010 census added liberal counties while some of the former 3rd District’s conservative spots went into to 7th Congressional District.

The 3rd District covers 19 counties and extends from La Crosse to Hudson.

The race was cordial to a fault. That reflected both men’s natures.

“To accomplish anything, we have to put partisanship aside, come together, find the common ground that I know exists, and make the tough decisions to get our economy moving again,” Kind told RiverTown Newspaper Group in his campaign questionnaire. “It’s not going to be easy but our future depends on it."

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