Giles Won’t Seek Re-Election

There will be another seat open on the Fond du Lac City Council in the upcoming April election.

KFIZ News has confirmed that Ben Giles will not seek re-election.

Fond du Lac City Clerk Margaret Hefter told KFIZ News late Thursday afternoon that Mr. Giles did file his declaration of non-candidacy.

Giles first ran for a council seat back in 2018, at the time stating he hoped to bring some fresh perspective to the Fond du Lac City Council.

In a 2018 interview with KFIZ, he said “From my perspective, I think it is bringing young folks to Fond du Lac, incentivizing them to stay in Fond du Lac and create families here. I think that is a big, big priority.” 

He also said millennials like him want to live, work and socialize in the downtown and Fond du Lac needs to offer that, and said Lakeside Park is under utilized.

Giles’ time on City Council had been marked by some turbulence, most notably regarding his involvement with the Lakeside Park project and the private donors. Giles was the subject of an Ethics Complaint, and initially had been found guilty by the City of Fond du Lac Ethics Board, but that decision was recently reversed by a Winnebago County Circuit Court Judge.

KFIZ News reached out to Mr. Giles Thursday evening for comment on his decision to not run again, but we have not yet heard back from him.