Six races for town chairman in Oconto County are on local ballots as early voting begins for the April 1 general election.
Municipal boards and councils are being chosen across the county, although most candidates are running unopposed. Two statewide races and a state referendum question are also on the ballot. Early voting began March 18 and will continue until March 28.
Among the contested races, Little River Town Chairman Thomas Portier is being challenged by Randy Hahn.
Little Suamico Town Chairman Dale Mohr is being challenged by Frank Nowak in a rematch of the 2022 spring election. Little Suamico is also expanding its town board from three members to five, including the chair. Six people are running for the four available slots, including incumbents Liz Paape and Tracey Krumrei, as well as David E. Primly, Penny Helmle, Dan Herzberg and Nowak.
Incumbent Mountain Town Chairman Lindor “Skip” Maletke faces Town Board Supervisor Brenda Carey-Mielke. They were the top two vote-getters in a Feb. xx primary.
In the Town of Oconto Falls, Town Chairman Dave Alsteen faces a challenge from Robert Wolf.
And in the Town of Underhill, Town Chairman Peter Vorpahl is challenged by Mark Winkler.
A race is also on for town chairperson in the Town of Lakewood, where Scott Van Laanen chose not to run for re-election. Mike Musil and Kevin L. Ballangee will square off in April.
In several communities where incumbents decided not to run, only a single candidate stepped forward for a town chairmanship.
Those include the Town of Bagley, where Tom Bauer is running to succeed Town Chairman Greg Lechleitner; the Town of How, where Ken Holmes is unopposed to succeed William Bartz Jr. as chair; and the Town of Maple Valley, where Supervisor Mike Beyer is the only candidate to replace Town Chairman Russel Brock.
In the Town of Pensaukee, Town Clerk Jackie Nelis is not on the ballot, and Trudie Chico is the sole candidate to succeed her.
Voters are asked to make a choice in a handful of other local races.
In Gillett, Alderperson Irene Drake is challenged by Keri Hicks, while incumbents Ashley VanStraten and Jerry Luther are unopposed.
In Oconto, there are seven candidates for four positions on the city council — incumbent Bob LeBreck along with Kim Bronikowski, Rob Gunner Daul, Mike Feldt, Violet McFadden Hornick, Casey Sowle and Wibble Sowle.
Among local school boards, the biggest changes are expected in Gillett, where longtime Treasurer Cliff Gerbers and President Jamie Young opted not to run for another term on the seven-person board. Incumbent Robin Banaszynski is on the ballot along with newcomers Lorie Beyer, Tonia Kruschke and Trisha Ondik. The top three will earn three-year terms on the board.
Voters in the Suring Area School District are being asked to approve an extension of the operational referendum approved in 2020 that has allowed the district to exceed state-imposed revenue limits by $900,000 per year. The new question seeks a $1.5 million annual limit.
Two statewide races are on the ballot along with a constitutional referendum. With the retirement of Justice Ann Walsh Bradley, two candidates — Susan Crawford and Brad Schimel — are running for a 10-year term on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Superintendent of Public Instruction Jill Underly is running for a second four-year term against Brittany Kinser.
The referendum asks whether the state’s Voter ID Law should be enshrined in the state constitution. The question is, “Shall section 1m of Article III of the constitution be created to require that voters present valid photographic identification verifying their identity to vote in any election, subject to exceptions which may be established by law?”
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. April 1, or voters may contact their municipal clerk for an absentee ballot or to cast an absentee ballot in person.
The written application must include your voting address within the municipality where you wish to vote; the address where the absentee ballot should be sent, if different from the voting address; your signature; and a copy of your photo identification.
The deadline for submitting an absentee ballot application is March 27, and the last day to vote an absentee ballot in the clerk’s office is 5 p.m. March 28. By state law no in-person absentee voting may occur on the day before the election.
The municipal clerk will deliver voted absentee ballots returned on or before Election Day to the proper polling place or counting location before the polls close on April 1. Any ballots received after the polls close will not be counted.
Early voting underway for April 1 spring election
