APPLETON (NBC 26) -- Jake Woodford will be the next mayor of Appleton.
Voters have chosen the longtime Lawrence University employee to take over from Mayor Tim Hannah, who did not seek re-election for the first time in decades.
He earned more than 54-percent of the vote and defeated James Clemons.
Woodford said on Monday that he adjusted a heavy door-to-door campaign in the final weeks as the coronavirus spread through Northeast Wisconsin.
Now that he's been elected mayor, Woodford said the virus will continue to be a challenge.
"The immediate concern is health and safety but we also know there are other effects," he said. "When we're socially distant from each other just in terms of feeling connected to our neighbors and being in a good state of mental health. It also has economic effects for our community. "
In his campaign, Woodford touted an Appleton that was safe, welcoming, and affordable.
