NORTHEAST WIS. – Voters in Marinette and Oconto counties made their voices heard with voters turning out for Waukesha Judge Brad Schimel, but Dane County Judge Susan Crawford came out ahead statewide.
Contributions to the candidates totaled about $100 million, a record for Wisconsin, according to the Brennan Center for Law. Schimel’s campaign received about $54.1 million, while Crawsford’s garnered $46.3 million, the Brennan Center said.
Elon Musk’s visit to Green Bay in late March and the three $1 million checks he gave to people who signed a petition against activist judges made international news, but some – including Crawford – suggested it backfired.
“Today Wisconsinites fended off an unprecedented attack on our democracy, our fair elections and our Supreme Court,” Crawford said in a victory speech, according to the Associated Press. “And Wisconsin stood up and said loudly that justice does not have a price, our courts are not for sale.”
Crawford won a 10-year term on the Wisconsin Supreme Court with about 53% of the vote statewide, or 1.15 million votes, while Schimel, a Republican, received 1.02 million votes.
But locally the results were the opposite.
In every town, village and city in Oconto and Marinette counties, Schimel outperformed Crawford. Overall in Marinette County, Schimel received 10,023 votes, or 64%, compared with 5,656 votes for Crawford. In Oconto County, Schimel scored 11,279 votes, while Crawford netted 5,366, according to the county.
Voters in Oconto and Marinette counties also supported a statewide referendum asking whether the Wisconsin Constitution should be amended to include a clause requiring voters to show a photo I.D. to vote. Statewide, 63% of voters said yes to the amendment, while the margin was larger in Marinette and Oconto counties.
In Marinette County, 79%, or about 12,049 voters, said “yes” to the amendment, while about 3,221 said “no.” In Oconto County, 81%, or about 13,137 voters, supported the amendment, while 3,056 opposed it.
By and large, turnout was strong for April odd-year local elections. In Oconto County, about 53% of about 31,416 residents of voting age cast a total of 16,736 votes, though not every voter voted in every race, according to the County Clerk’s unofficial results. In the 2024 U.S. Presidential election, about 24,912 people in Oconto County voted.
Undervotes were common in Oconto County. An undervote occurs when voters opt not to vote for as many candidates as is allowed. For example, if four candidates are running for three spots, and a voter only votes for two candidates, it creates an undervote.
In Marinette County, about 15,790 people voted in local elections, according to the county’s unofficial results. This is out of 27,471 who were registered as of the February primary, or an estimated 57.5% of registered voters.
For local elections in both counties, the Peshtigo Times made several attempts to verify the numbers with county and municipal clerks by the April 7 print deadline. However, we encourage readers to check with their local clerk with any questions. Oconto County said its results were official as of its April 7 canvass. Due to limited resources, we are reporting results for municipalities with contested races only.
In the Marinette County Circuit Court branch 1 judge contest, incumbent Judge Peggy Miller won with 6,971 votes, while Marinette County District Attorney DeShea Morrow earned 6,833 votes, according to unofficial results. In Circuit Court branch 2, Marinette County Judge Jim Morrison was unopposed and retained his seat with 12,475 votes.
In the City of Marinette, where 2,956 people voted April 1, incumbents won the contested races for Marinette Common Council, with Board President Dorothy Kowalski receiving 1,740 votes in the at-large alder race compared with Andi Rich’s 973, according to unofficial results. Incumbent Ken Keller retained his alder 1 seat with 237 unofficial votes, while challenger Joseph McPhetridge collected 179, the county said.
In the Village of Crivitz, Ginger Deschane won a close contest for Village Board President, receiving 169 votes to Amy Grandaw’s 155, the county said. In the Village Trustee election, the top three vote-getters elected to the board include George Gocht with 210 votes, Melissa Kamps with 208 and Evan Kueber with 199. Jeff Dorschner came in fourth with 142 votes.
In the Town of Peshtigo, about 1,336 votes were cast for unopposed incumbent Town Board Chair Jennifer Friday, while unopposed Supervisor 1 Clarence Coble netted 1,408 and unopposed constable candidate Amber Lynwood received 1,353. In the contested Supervisor 2 race, Jimmer Wortner received 1,047 votes to defeat Adam Clay Steeber with 573.
In the City of Oconto, where voters chose four candidates from what started as a field of seven before Mike Feldt withdrew from the race in mid-March, the top vote-getters were Kim Bronikowski with 754 votes, incumbent Bob LeBreck with 673, Ron Gunner Daul with 622 and Casey Sowle with 589, according to the county’s unofficial results. They will serve on the City Council.
Violet McFadden Hornick received 534 votes, Wibble Sowle drew 523 and Feldt received 461 votes despite his withdrawal. The victors were elected to four-year terms, while two newly appointed council members will serve two-year terms.
In the City of Gillett’s Ward 3 contest, Keri Hicks won decisively with 102 votes to unseat incumbent Irene Drake, who netted 32. In Ward 1 uncontested Ashley VanStaten earned 98 votes and in Ward 2 uncontested Jerome Luther received 104 votes.
In the Town of Abrams, voters elected two Town Board supervisors: Dennis Ferndon with 526 votes and Erik Leonhardt with 437/ Candidate Bonnie Hearly received 367. In the Abrams Town Board Chairperson contest, Don Demeny won with 722 votes, while registered write-in candidate Troy Frank scored 110.
In uncontested ballots, Abrams Town Clerk Jean Hansen received 832 votes, Abrams Town Treasurer Tara Klug earned 816 votes and Abrams Constable Raymond Rybka netted 810 votes.
In the Town of Bagley, voters elected Mike Fischer Bagley Town Board supervisor with 109 votes, while David Leisner received 104, according to unofficial results the county provided. In uncontested Bagley ballots, voters elected Tom Bauer as Town Board chair with 118 votes, Alan Sleeter as town clerk with 130 votes, and Joe Hoerth as town treasurer with 128 votes.
In the Town of Chase, Board Chair Fary Van Lannen was unopposed and collected 1,118 votes. Supervisor Dennis Kroll won 957 votes and Jeff Van Enkevort received 565 votes.
In the Town of Lakewood’s Town Board Chair race, Mike Musil won, with 290 votes to Kevin Ballangee’s 164. For supervisor, Joanne Roy was the top vote-getter with 352 votes, while James Bostwick received 348. In uncontested races, Clerk Michelle Moczynski received 424 votes, James Beno
In Little Suamico, Dale Mohr was elected Town Board Chair with 1,357 votes to Frank Nowak’s 756. In the Supervisor race, David Pribyl won 1,231 votes, Tracey Krumrei received 981, Liz Paape earned 926, Penny Helmle netted 855, Dan Herzberg earned 816, and Frank Nowak received 695.
In the Town of Mountain, Brenda Carey-Mielke won 268 votes, defeating Lindor Skip Maletzke with 194. For supervisor, Wayne O’Barski received 304 and Jody Wydeven earned 268 votes. Uncontested Clerk/Treasurer Lynn Kauzlaric received 405 votes.
In the Town of Oconto Falls’ Town Board Chair contest, Dave Alsteen won with 313 votes to Robert Wolf’s 237. Supervisor 1 Victor Peterson received 509 votes, and Supervisor 2 Michael Kaczmarek garnered 505 votes.
In the Town of Underhill Town Board chair race Mark Winkler won 206 votes while Peter Vorpahl received 119, according to unofficial results. In the uncontested town clerk race, Tracy A. Winkler received 314 votes, while Miles Winkler netted 317 in the town treasurer contest.
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