What is new for Northwoods Drifter in 2026
Rhinelander residents stayed up past midnight Tuesday watching one of the closest mayoral races in recent memory. When the final votes were tallied early Wednesday morning, incumbent Kris Hanus secured his second term by just 15 votes over challenger Tom Barnett.
The 798-783 margin means every single vote mattered in this April 7 election. Barnett, who’s served as District 1 Alderman since 2020, came remarkably close to unseating the incumbent in a race that reflects how invested Rhinelander voters are in their city’s direction.
For a community of around 7,700 people, this wasn’t just another election — it was a decision about whether to continue current projects or shift course entirely.
Fifteen votes. That’s the population of maybe three or four families in Rhinelander. The razor-thin margin shows how divided the city is on key issues facing the community.
Hanus ran on his administration’s track record — infrastructure improvements on the west side, new Tax Increment Financing districts, housing development, and enhanced green spaces. His pitch was simple: don’t interrupt the momentum when projects are already underway.
Barnett’s campaign focused on transparency, family support, and youth involvement. As someone who’s been on the Common Council for six years, he knows city government from the inside and offered a different vision for engaging residents in decision-making.
The fact that nearly half of voters wanted change suggests Rhinelander folks aren’t entirely satisfied with the status quo, even if they’re willing to give current leadership another chance.
Hanus emphasized during his campaign that staff turnover has been Rhinelander’s Achilles heel for years. When administrators keep leaving, projects stall and opportunities slip away.
Here’s what’s currently in motion that the election outcome affects:
These aren’t small potatoes for a Northwoods city. Rhinelander serves as the commercial hub for much of Oneida County, so what happens here ripples outward to surrounding communities.
Continuity in local government isn’t glamorous, but it’s what allows small cities to actually finish what they start — especially when competing with larger communities for state grants and private investment.
Like most Northwoods communities, Rhinelander’s economy shifted decades ago from its lumber town roots to tourism, healthcare, and light manufacturing. That transition is ongoing, and it’s not always smooth.
The city’s focus on parks and green spaces isn’t just about pretty views — though those help when you’re trying to attract visitors who have their pick of lake towns. It’s about quality of life for year-round residents who need reasons to stay when job opportunities might be better elsewhere.
Housing development came up repeatedly in both campaigns because Rhinelander, like communities across the region, struggles to house workers. You can’t grow your economy if people can’t find places to live, and you can’t maintain a tax base if young families keep moving to Wausau or Green Bay.
The well treatment projects Hanus mentioned aren’t sexy campaign issues, but anyone who’s lived up north knows water quality matters. Whether it’s forestry runoff or aging infrastructure, keeping drinking water clean is non-negotiable.
Hanus will take office knowing that nearly half the city voted for someone else. That’s both a mandate to deliver results and a warning not to take support for granted.
The spring election also saw contested mayoral races in Merrill and Tomahawk, suggesting voters across the Northwoods are paying closer attention to local leadership than they have in years. Maybe it’s pandemic recovery, maybe it’s changing economies, or maybe folks are just tired of watching their towns shrink while lake properties get bought up by out-of-staters.
For Rhinelander specifically, the next two years will test whether continuity was the right choice. Will those west-side infrastructure projects actually get done? Will housing developments break ground? Will the TIF districts attract the kind of businesses that create jobs, not just low-wage service positions?
The voters who showed up at the Hodag Dome on April 7 clearly care about the answers. In a region where civic engagement can be hit-or-miss, that level of investment in local government is something worth celebrating — regardless of which candidate you supported.
There’s something distinctly Wisconsin about a mayoral race decided by 15 votes after midnight. No drama, no contested results, just neighbors accepting the outcome and moving forward.
Both candidates emphasized family support and youth involvement during their campaigns, which tells you what Rhinelander voters care about. This isn’t a retirement community content to coast — it’s a working town trying to figure out how to keep the next generation around while maintaining the Northwoods character that makes it special.
The close result means Hanus will need to reach across the aisle to Barnett’s supporters if he wants to build consensus for major initiatives. In a city small enough that the mayor probably knows half the voters by name, that’s not just good politics — it’s how small-town democracy is supposed to work.
Whether you voted for change or continuity, Rhinelander’s future depends on residents staying engaged beyond election day. The hard work of governing happens in Common Council meetings and planning commission sessions, not just at the ballot box.
Written by
Mike has been coming up or living in the Northwoods since his childhood. He is also an avid outdoorsman, writer and supper club aficionado.
NewsMichael Habeck won Tomahawk’s mayoral race with 655 votes, ending a decade without contested leadership. The 40-year resident faces immediate challenges with road repairs and budget deficits.
NewsRhinelander Mayor Kris Hanus secured reelection by just 15 votes in a nail-biter decided at 12:30 a.m. He’s focusing his second term on housing, infrastructure, and rebuilding public safety facilities.
NewsRhinelander Mayor Kris Hanus secured his second term by just 15 votes in a race that wasn’t called until after midnight. His agenda focuses on economic development, west side infrastructure, and a new public safety facility.
NewsMichael Habeck takes office as Tomahawk’s first new mayor in a decade, facing deteriorating roads and a budget deficit after voters rejected a funding referendum.