A candidate with a colorful past is running for school board in Wausau School District. The candidate, Kathryn Ruland, has previously said that she identifies as a ‘witch’ and has openly discussed her Pagan faith with local media.
While there is scant information available about her platform and public political positions, Ruland has openly discussed her lifestyle as a pagan witch both in interviews to local media and on her public social media.
On her Instagram profile, Ruland describes herself as a “Town Witch, craft maker, spell caster, Tarot reader, Tea drinker, Crystal Ball reader, Palmistry student, herbal mixer” in her bio.
Ruland openly advertises her services, with a post two weeks ago that offered tarot readings, “witchy craft”, and a crystal ball.
Ruland explained her views and practices further in an interview with WSAW-TV last year on Halloween, saying that she does ‘incantations’ every morning while having her coffee and has statues of Pagan idols in her household.
“I have a statue of Thor upstairs in my room, and I have a statue and little altar for Aphrodite, who inspires me on a daily basis,” she said during the interview.
The school board race in Wausau currently features six candidates running for four seats, with elections on April 7th. (RELATED: Huge Fundraising Gap to Start 2026 Wisconsin Supreme Court Race)
Ruland’s candidacy is not the first time in recent months that local candidates and elected officials in Wausau have received outside attention, with Wausau District 10 Alder Lou Larson facing calls for his resignation after comments he made in the wake of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk’s death.
“I’m the first to condemn gun violence, Regardless of what side of the fence your on. Yet in Mr Kirk’s case one has to wonder if ‘you get what you play for,” he said in September.