Meet the candidates running for the Brown County Board District 2 seat

(Editor's note: These are the answers the candidates gave for the primary.)

A city attorney and a De Pere pastor are facing off to serve District 2 on the Brown County Board.

Luke Farwell and Rachel Maes were the top two-vote-getters in the primary and will be on the ballot April 7. District 2 is made up of part of Green Bay's far east side. The incumbent Tom DeWane did not seek reelection.

For the primary, the Press-Gazette asked the candidates to provide their backgrounds and answer three questions ahead of the primary. Their answers were limited to 150 to 250 words.

Here are their responses, which were trimmed lightly for grammar and clarification. Information about your polling place and registering to vote can be found on the MyVote Wisconsin website at  myvote.wi.gov/en-us .

Luke Farwell

• Age: 47

• Occupation: Minister, First United Presbyterian Church

• Relevant experience: I bring real-world experience, steady leadership, and a proven commitment to serving others. I have been a pastor for 18 years and served as pastor and head of staff for 13 years in De Pere, giving me extensive experience in leadership, budgeting, conflict resolution, and caring for people during both good times and crises. As a husband to my wife, Meggan, for 18 years and a father of our two children in the Green Bay Area Public School system, I understand firsthand the challenges families and individuals face today. I am active in the community and grounded in traditional values, with a practical, common-sense approach to solving problems. I believe government works best when it focuses on safety, affordability, and opportunity –not ideology. I am prepared to listen, work hard, and represent Brown County with integrity.

• Campaign Facebook page:  Luke Farwell - for Brown County Supervisor District 2

Rachel Maes

• Age: 41

• Occupation: Assistant city attorney of Green Bay

• Relevant experience: I grew up in Green Bay. This is my hometown, and I have deep roots in this community. After graduating from Green Bay Southwest High School, I earned bachelor degrees in political science and Russian language and civilization, graduating with honors in the top 10% of my graduating class from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After working in restaurant management in the Twin Cities for a few years, I earned my juris doctor degree from the Hamline University School of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota. After passing the Wisconsin Bar Exam, I worked in Superior for a little over three years. I was half-time as a criminal prosecutor in the district attorney's office and half-time as assistant corporation counsel for Douglas County. I jumped at the opportunity to come back home in early 2018, when I accepted my current role with the City of Green Bay as an assistant city attorney and the municipal prosecutor.

• Campaign Facebook page:  Rachel Maes for Brown County Supervisor - District 2

Why are you running for County Board?

Farwell:I am running for Brown County Board because I love this community and want to help keep it a place where families and individuals can afford to live, work, and thrive. My family chose to live in Green Bay because it is a wonderful place to raise children, and I want to ensure it stays that way for the next generation. As a pastor for 18 years, I have walked alongside families facing rising costs, crime concerns, struggling schools, and housing insecurity. I believe public service should be about living your values – honesty, respect, hard work, and fairness – while serving people of all backgrounds. On Tuesday, April 7, 2026, I am asking for your vote so I can bring a common-sense, community-focused voice to county government.

Maes:I am running for County Board to make a positive impact on the Brown County community, to serve all of my neighbors, and to ensure that partisan interests do not take over local governance. I will listen to input from anyone, gather information, and make up my own mind about what is in the best interests of District 2 and Brown County.

I want to ensure that our county government is transparent by streaming and recording committee and board meetings, so residents don't have to come to downtown Green Bay on a weeknight to know what their elected officials are working on and saying. Elected officials should be accountable to their voters.

I am also a lawyer who understands the very real impact that local ordinances and policies have on residents' lives. I want to help support and provide oversight for our local justice system and ensure specialty courts thrive.

What makes you the best candidate? 

Farwell:Leadership is ultimately about trust – and trust is built by showing up, listening well, and acting with purpose. I have spent nearly two decades leading through challenge and change, bringing people together, making hard decisions, and keeping organizations focused on their mission. I have worked shoulder to shoulder with volunteers and community partners to meet real needs, from hunger to housing insecurity, and I have seen what works when compassion is matched with accountability. Those experiences have shaped a leadership style rooted in clarity, humility, and service. I don't believe public office is about power or ideology; it's about responsibility. Brown County deserves leaders who understand people, steward resources wisely, and are willing to do the hard, often unseen work that strengthens a community. I am ready to bring that kind of leadership to Brown County.

Maes:I have deep roots in Brown County. This is my hometown, and this is where I intentionally chose to return to in order to raise my family. I am a cheerleader for Brown County, how great it is, and I have the passion and drive to protect what we have and keep realizing progress. My leadership roles and board experience with local nonprofit organizations give me both the experience necessary to be effective from day one and insight into the needs of our local community.

As an attorney, I understand the impact unintended consequences can have when drafting ordinances and resolutions. The County Board is a legislative body, and my legal and analytical skills on the County Board will be an asset to our community.

I am an independent thinker whose experience and qualifications make me the best candidate to represent District 2 on the County Board.

What two issues need to be addressed and how would you address them? 

Farwell:Cost of living: Like many families, mine has felt the impact of rising grocery prices, housing costs, and wages that have not kept up with inflation. Brown County must remain a place where working families can afford to live and raise children. I will support fiscally responsible policies, oppose unnecessary spending, and focus county resources on core services to help keep taxes and everyday costs under control.

Crime and public safety: Everyone deserves to feel safe in their home and neighborhood, and children should be able to play outside without fear. I support zero tolerance for violent crime, stronger consequences for repeat offenders, and increased support and funding for law enforcement. Respecting the rule of law means putting victims and families first while ensuring our officers have the tools they need to keep our communities safe.

These priorities reflect my commitment to safer neighborhoods, lower costs, and a practical, compassionate approach to local government.

Maes:Our local justice system needs support. I will work with county and state officials to add additional branches to our circuit court to address the backlog of cases and reduce pretrial incarceration delays. This has to be a partnership with the state, as some roles are funded by the county, and others by the state.

Brown County is also a leader in the state, if not the country, in administering specialty courts. These specialty courts are the best way to provide compassionate accountability and pursue true justice – through both rehabilitation and consequences, as appropriate. Brown County currently has seven specialty courts including Drug Court, OWI Court, Veteran's Court, Young Adult Specialty Court, Heroin Court, Family Recovery Court, and Mental Health Court. I have been a vocal advocate for creating a specialty court addressing the needs for services, treatment, and housing for unhoused residents of Brown County as they intersect with the justice system. I look forward to continuing conversations with local leaders discussing what a pilot program could look like.

Resources for unhoused residents also must be addressed. Service providers, shelters, food pantries, and other resources are all located in Green Bay, but we would be naive to think that there are no unhoused individuals living outside of Green Bay. I will work with county departments to ensure programs reach all of Brown County and have discussions about whether it makes sense to decentralize and spread out services to meet the needs of these vulnerable residents where they are located.

Contact Benita Mathew at bmathew@usatodayco.com.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Maes and Farwell answer District 2 Brown County Board Q&A