All three cities in Oconto County will go into their annual organizational meetings on April 16 with new mayors.
Incumbent mayors Brad Rice in Oconto Falls and John Panetti in Oconto were upended in the April 2 election, and Jonathan Blaskowski was unopposed in his bid to succeed former mayor Josh McCarthy in Gillett.
• Rice was denied a seventh two-year term in the April 2 election, outpolled by Clint Braun, co-owner of the PROCAR automotive repair shop in Oconto Falls. The unofficial results showed Braun with 341 votes to 223 for Rice, or 60.4% to 39.6%.
• The city of Oconto will also have a new mayor, as Cliff Martin defeated incumbent John Panetti by a vote of 710 to 349, or 67% to 33%. The race was a rematch of the contest that Panetti won in 2022.
• Elected to the Oconto City Council were Lori Stensrup (587 votes), Darrell Anderson (499), Dee Donlevy (496) and Dan Zoeller (473), followed by Kim Bronikowski (442), Mike Feldt (437), Casey Sowle (365) and Jamie Younger (292).
• Blaskowski has been attending Gillett City Council meetings this year after becoming the only candidate for the job. McCarthy first indicated he would not run for reelection, then resigned and moved out of the city in January.
“I look forward to joining you guys and working for the city,” Blaskowski told the council at its April 4 meeting.
No one was on the ballot for two of the three open positions on the council, so write-ins determined the winners. David Bunker was elected alderperson in Ward 1, and former Alderperson Sandra Hubbard will return in Ward 2. Nanette Mohr was unopposed for reelection in Ward 3.
• The longest-serving county board supervisor in Wisconsin has been elected for another two years. Elmer Ragen tallied 142 votes to 72 for challenger Rhonda Strehlow in District 1, which covers part of the Town of Little Suamico.
• County Board Supervisor John Wittkopf was reelected by a single vote over Riley Sowle in District 13, which includes part of the city of Oconto. The unofficial tally was Wittkopf 152, Sowle 151.
• In District 26, where Supervisor Doug McMahon decided not to run for reelection, Mike Beyer defeated Todd Carlson in the race to represent the village of Suring and Town of Maple Valley. The vote was Beyer 180, Carlson 145.
• Supervisor Judy Buhrandt was defeated by challenger David Van Zeeland in District 29, covering all of the Town of Mountain and part of the Town of Riverview. The tally was Van Zealand 204, Buhrandt 142.
• Challenger Rodney Gretzon was the top vote-getter for Brazeau Town Board, and only one vote separated second and third place for the two available slots. The unofficial results showed Gretzon with 193 votes and incumbent Supervisor Randy Nasgovitz with 169, followed by incumbent Supervisor David Parmentier with 168 and the other challenger, Matthew Milatzo, with 54.
• Incumbents Jacob School (95 votes), Randy Schuettpels (80) and Richard Kramp (71) were reelected to the Suring Village Board. Challenger Angie Whiting had 16 votes.
• Paul Thomson was elected to the Suring School Board representing the Town of Breed. Thomson outpolled Jennifer Kruse 692 to 455 in the race to succeed Wendy Wozniak, who chose not to run for reelection.
There was no one on the ballot seeking the school board seat representing the Village of Suring, after incumbent Dennis Piepkorn decided not to run again. Registered write-in Nick School secured the position with 256 votes.
• Challenger Kim Hanson (796 votes) and incumbent Kris Heidewald (723) were elected to the Crivitz School Board, defeating incumbent Gary Huc (656).
• Steve Liegl defeated Jennifer Rybicki 2,666 to 1,620 to win an at-large seat on the Pulaski School Board, succeeding Megan Mills-Koehler.
• Dawn Jakubiec (455 votes) and Penny McLaughlin (406) were elected to a Forest County seat on the Wabeno School Board, outpolling Raletta Shampo-Ashbeck (306) and Andrea Brugger (261).
Jason Boor ran unopposed for an Oconto County seat. While candidates must live in the area they represent, all district voters choose the members of the school board, which covers parts of Oconto, Forest, Langlade and Marinette counties.
wbluhm@newmedia-wi.com
New mayors ready to get started
