Below is the announcement from Gragert regarding his run for the role of City Council President:
Jeremy Gragert, a longtime community advocate and former Eau Claire City Council member, is declaring his candidacy for Eau Claire City Council President, an at-large position on the Spring Election ballot on April 7, 2026. Emily Berge, the Council President since 2023, announced Monday that she is not seeking re-election.
“My goal as Council President will be to help bring the community together to solve problems, to take care of each other and our city, and efficiently meet the needs of residents on a tight budget,” Gragert said. “I will strive to make sure the city is part of the solution through collaboration and community engagement, finding new ways to welcome diverse perspectives to the table and be a part of decisions that will come before the City Council.”
Gragert, 44, served two 3-year terms on the Eau Claire City Council representing District 3 from 2018 to 2024, and did not seek re-election in 2024 because he bought a house outside of his district and planned to move there after his second term. Gragert was elected in 2018 with 59% of the vote against an incumbent, and re-elected in 2021 with 70% of the vote in another contested race.
A resident of Eau Claire for 23 years, Gragert is a 2005 graduate of UW-Eau Claire with a degree in history, and earned a Master of Science in Education degree from UW-La Crosse in 2010. Gragert has worked full-time as a community organizer for Citizen Action of Wisconsin since 2022, fighting on the state and national level for access to affordable healthcare, and to tackle the climate crisis. His other recent professional experience includes working for the University of Wisconsin-Stout, the Wisconsin Bicycle Federation, the Chippewa Valley Museum, and as a consultant for environmental groups Clean Wisconsin and National Wildlife Federation.
Gragert currently volunteers as treasurer of Friends of the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library, and as president of Bike Chippewa Valley, which has produced the Chippewa Valley Bike Map since 2015. While a councilmember, Gragert served on the city’s Plan Commission, the Redevelopment Authority, the Transit Commission, the Landmarks Commission, the Putnam Park Commission, and was the founding secretary of the Chippewa-St. Croix Rail Commission.
“I want to thank President Berge for her many years of service, in particular her leadership to make sure the city is a welcoming and safe community for ALL residents and visitors,” Gragert said. “It would be an honor to continue that important work as Council President.”
