Candidate Profile: Mayoral Candidate Ryan Sorenson

by Kevin Zimmermann

(Ryan Sorenson will face Incumbent Mayor Mike Vandersteen in Tuesday’s April 6th election.)

Sheboygan Mayoral Candidate Ryan Sorenson says that “Sheboygan is at a crossroads and the Spring Election will decide the future of our community.”  

Sorenson represents a clear contrast in many ways with incumbent Mayor Mike Vandersteen.  As an example, the 26-year old Sorenson, who was elevated to Common Council President last June, made his campaign announcement the new-fashioned way, on social media along with the now-usual email and media releases.  He sees past ways as a problem getting past the pandemic, and beyond to a city with an economy that is “more sustainable” for all who live here.

When interviewed by WHBL, Sorenson frequently brought up his experience in non-profit organizations, and emphasized the need to include them, and other community groups, in any discussions that can make real progress against societal problems affecting Sheboygan.

He said: “I also do think that human trafficking and the opiate problem is largely ignored, but more folks in the community are much more aware about it.  And I really applaud the Sheboygan Police Department and the work that they’re doing on this issue.  You know, I worked for a nonprofit that supported survivors of human trafficking, and I know that there’s so many different components of that that need to be fought in the plan as well, and housing is a key thing about that…transportation, jobs, access to, and quality of health care, are all components of how we address poverty, and how that is all related to human trafficking.  So if we’re ignoring those components with addressing these issues, I think we can make some strong progress on that as well as developing stronger relationships with different nonprofits and other community groups that are prepared and can serve and support survivors to get them out of the cycle of violence and human trafficking.”

And the housing situation, Sorenson said, has to change.

“Housing…housing…housing...is a big component that is being ignored as well.  If you go by the HUD standards of what affordable housing is, it’s no more than 30% of one’s income, and if you look at the standard salary of an average Sheboyganite, and what that comes down to, the equation they use says: an individual for a one-room apartment should not be paying more than $700 a month for rent.  If you look at what the average cost is, for a place to stay in Sheboygan, that number is much more than what is available.”

Mid-to-upper-level income housing has been on a boom, much of it in expectation of a growing innovation district.

“You know we talk about the innovation district, well that’s been vacant.  I mean that was first announced when I was first elected to the City Council, and now still, we’ve go an empty lot there.  And we still don’t have a full-fledged plan of what’s going to get filled there.  And I know folks at the CDC are trying, and COVID has really kind of put a wrench in a lot of the planning for that as well, but they may need to step back and re-think what our plan is and how we address those needs as it relates to housing as well.”

At 26 years of age, Sorenson expects some to point to a lack of experience, but he said, “It’s not necessarily about your age.  It’s about the energy and passion that you have to put into the job,” something he says he always brings to the table.

While Sorenson may somewhat represent the “new guard,” he still sees plenty of room for proven ideas, with his campaign announcement closing by saying: “The road to a Stronger Sheboygan depends on all of us uniting together and working hard.  As Mayor, Ryan will listen and bring people together to work on hometown solutions for hometown problems.”