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He will run as a Democrat in a primary race that so far has five candidates.
Kimmel made national headlines in 2006 with a controversial proposal that targeted illegal immigrants and would have made English the official language for all signs and government documents in the Trempealeau County city of about 2,400. The City Council dropped the proposal, citing the potential for lawsuits.
The 33-year-old bar manager was elected to a second term April 1 by a nearly 3-1 margin.
“That’s probably my proudest accomplishment,” he said. “We had a lot of first-time voters, young voters.”
Kimmel touted his experience as mayor and his work with representatives in Madison and Washington, D.C. He promised to bring creative thinking to problems such as skyrocketing health care and energy costs.
He targeted education as the most important issue for the state, and promised to work for higher teacher pay and funding for extracurricular activities.
Other Democrats who have filed papers include Chris Danou of Trempealeau, James K. Kraft of Durand, Margaret Baecker of Independence and Jeff Hauser of Whitehall.
Two Republicans, Dave Heggenbarth of Galesville and David Anderson of Whitehall, are actively campaigning in the district, which includes all of Buffalo and Trempealeau counties and a town in Jackson County.
Anderson, who previously had confirmed his candidacy, made a formal announcement Wednesday. The former Trempealeau County Board member and finance manager at Osseo Ford lists as priorities reducing taxes and controlling health care costs with market-driven solutions.
In 2004, Anderson ran against Gronemus, a Democrat who has represented the district since 1980, pulling 35 percent of the votes.
Chris Hubbuch can be reached at chris.hubbuch@lee.net or (608) 791-8217.
