Oshkosh Council Members Floam and Nichols will not seek reelection

OSHKOSH, WI—(WISS)— Two Oshkosh Common Council Members announce they will not seek reelection in April. D.J. Nichols and Jacob Floam both made their announcements in Facebook posts on Tuesday morning. 

Floam and Nichols joined the Common Council in April 2024, along with Kris Larson, who has since resigned. All three were newcomers to Oshkosh Government; however, Floam had been a Winnebago County Supervisor in District 16. 

DJ Nichols

In his Facebook post, Nichols said that the demands at his full-time job as a VP and Assistant General Counsel for Great Wolf Lodge do not allow him to give Oshkosh the commitment it deserves.

“I’m proud of the progress we’ve made together,” his post reads. “We’ve pushed for government transparency, responsible spending, and opportunity for everyone.”

In his two years on the Oshkosh Common Council, Nichols has been transparent about the workings of city government. His social media posts were extraordinarily detailed. 

He also penned several opinion pieces for the Oshkosh Northwestern, addressing the thought processes and the “why” for many of the city council’s actions and votes.

Jacob Floam

Floam, who serves as the Outreach Representative for Congressman Glenn Grothman, also used social media for transparency about Common Council matters. 

In a press release announcing his intention not to run, Floam said, “Together we’ve made progress. We’ve tackled a lot as a city council over the past two years and done work that I’m genuinely proud to put my name on.”

He stated that he is prioritising his new family and preparing for the future ahead.

“Our city still faces both challenges we need to address and opportunities we need to take advantage of,” Floam said in the press release. “While I’m stepping away from elected office for now, I’m not done with public service yet.”

Candidates for Common Council

Two candidates have come forward saying that they will run for the Common Council in April. Jacob Amos was recently appointed to fill the seat vacated by Kris Larson’s resignation. Alec Lefeber, who was one of the 14 people who applied to fill the remainder of that term, has also indicated that he is running. Former Common Council Member Paul Esslinger posted on Facebook that he is considering running again.