Wiggins

L’ANSE — Baraga County’s newest commissioner has resigned after one month because of a conflict of interest with his job.

Will Wiggins, who represented District 2, submitted his resignation to the board on Feb. 2. He said Tuesday when he had run, he had been inaccurately told he was eligible to run by a federal ethics board.

Wiggins works for the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs as a fire management officer. Under the Hatch Act, federal employees are barred from running for a partisan office.

“It was an unfortunate situation, and it was beyond my control,” he said.

Wiggins ran as a Republican and was elected to his first term in November, defeating longtime commissioner Mike Koskinen. The vacancy will be filled on March 8, according to the county’s website.

In his resignation letter, Wiggins said he is proud of the clean campaign he ran and grateful for his term in office, however short.

“I offer my best wishes for the board’s continued success and look forward to the day I can be a part of the great organization of Baraga County,” he wrote.

Wiggins plans to retire in about six years. Once that happens, he’d like to run again.

“I’d like to thank my constituents for believing in me and voting for me,” he said. “It was out of my control.”