County executive race, Portage County Board turnover highlight spring election
STEVENS POINT - Portage County government will see a major shift in leadership after the spring election.
Along with the County Executive Patty Dreier, nearly 30 percent of the Portage County Board — including board chairman O. Philip Idsvoog and second vice chairman Don Butkowski — will not seek re-election when voters go to the polls April 3.
Other races that will be on the county ballot include the Wisconsin Supreme Court, Court of Appeals-District 4, Portage County Circuit Court Judge-Branches 1 and 3, and a statewide referendum regarding the elimination of the state treasurer.
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Here is a breakdown of local races:
Portage County Board: Current board members Marion Flood, Dan Dobratz, Larry Sipiorski, Bo DeDeker, and Jerry Walters join Idsvoog and Butkowski in not seeking re-election. Each of the 25 seats on the board are up for election and carry two-year terms.
Just one of those open seats will be contested, with Andrew Boden and Chai Moua running to replace DeDeker in District 9.
Mildred Neville is running unopposed to replace Flood in District 6, Dave Ladick is running unopposed to replace Dobratz in District 7, Joan Honl is running unopposed to replace Sipiorski in District 8, Mike Splinter is running unopposed to replace Butkowski in District 12, and Dennis Raabe is running unopposed to replace Walters in District 17. There are no candidates on the ballot to replace Idsvoog in District 16, though voters are able to write in candidates..
Several incumbents will face challenges in the election. Donald Jankowski will be challenged by James Carpenter in District 13, Dale O’Brien will be challenged by Melinda Osterberg in District 19, Charles Gussel will be challenged by Ron Becker in District 20, Jeanne Dodge will be challenged by Tim Corcoran in District 21, and Matthew Jacowski will be challenged by Justin Isherwood in District 22.
Incumbent James Zdroik will face two challengers in Anne Abbott and Robert Lord in District 25. A primary election will be held on Feb. 20, with the top two vote-getters moving onto the spring election.
Incumbents running unopposed include Vincent Miresse (District 1) Chris Doubek (District 2), Meleesa Johnson (District 3), David Medin (District 4), Julie Morrow (District 5), Bob Gifford (District 10), Stan Potocki (District 11), James Gifford (District 14), Allen Haga Jr. (District 15), Larry Raikowski (District 18), Barry Jacowski (District 23), and Gerry Zastrow (District 24).
County Executive: Three candidates are vying to become next county executive after Dreier announced in July she would not seek a third term in office.
Those seeking election to a four-year term include Matt Jacowski, a member of the county board, Jami Gebert, Dreier’s executive administrative assistant, and Chris Holman, a U.S. Army veteran and farmer. The candidates will face off in a Feb. 20 primary.
Stevens Point City Council: All five incumbents will run for re-election but only one will be challenged, as Cathy Dugan will face off with Lynn Schulist and Allen Prosser in District 8 for a two-year term.
David Schorr (District 2), Heidi Oberstadt (District 4), Jeremy Slowinski (District 6), and Mike Phillips (District 10) are all unopposed.
Stevens Point Area Public School Board: School Board President Meg Erler, along with current board members Judy Rannow and Mike Wade, will each be seeking three-year terms.
Joining them on the ballot will be former board member Alexander Kochanowski. After being elected in 2014, Kochanowski resigned in April 2015 over the board's decision to seek an interim superintendent after spending about $16,000 on a search for a permanent replacement for outgoing Superintendent Attila Weninger, then not selecting either of the two finalists for the job.
Plover Village Board: Only one contested race is scheduled, with incumbent Orville Damrau facing a challenge from Steven Ransbottom for a two-year term in the village’s second ward.
Incumbents Andrew Timm in the Ward 1, and Al Tessman in the Ward 3 are running unopposed.