Menomonie mayoral winner cites data center transparency as key to victory
Matthew Crowe was elected mayor of Menomonie, Wisconsin, largely due to his strong opposition to a proposed data center project. He has vowed that the project will remain dead and plans to update city zoning codes to deter future data center developments. The outgoing mayor acknowledged his handling of the data center issue impacted the election results.
Matthew Crowe was elected mayor of Menomonie, Wisconsin, ending a 16-year term for incumbent Mayor Randy Knack. Crowe's victory was significantly influenced by the controversial data center project, which residents raised concerns about regarding its scope and scale since its announcement in 2025.
Crowe attributed his win to voters desiring change due to a perceived lack of transparency and growth planning from the previous mayor's office. He characterized the data center as a "symptom" of this stagnation.
As the new mayor, Crowe has committed to not supporting the data center project, explicitly stating it "will remain dead" even if the developer resubmits a proposal. He also announced plans for the city to update its zoning codes to deter future data center developments.
Outgoing Mayor Randy Knack acknowledged that his handling of the data center issue impacted the election results. While he stated he did everything he could to prevent the data center, he expressed regret over not involving more people in the discussion earlier. Knack offered to assist Crowe with the transition into his new role.