By Jalen Maki
Tomahawk Leader Co-Editor
NORTHERN WISCONSIN – In the 2020 spring elections, the City of Tomahawk mayor will again run unopposed, two longtime Tomahawk School Board members will not seek re-election and multiple contested races for county board and city council posts will take place.
City of Tomahawk Mayor
City of Tomahawk Mayor Steve Taskay will run unopposed on the April ballot. Taskay, elected in 2016, also did not have an opponent in the 2018 election.
City of Tomahawk Common Council
District 1 alderperson Patricia E. Haskin and District 2 alderperson Dale Ernst, both incumbents up for re-election, will run unopposed. District 3 alderperson Steve “Ding” Bartz will not run for re-election, and no other candidate filed candidacy paperwork in the district. A write-in candidate will likely fill the seat after the April election.
Tomahawk School Board
Tomahawk School Board president Cathy Meyer and treasurer Curt Powell, board members since 2014, will not seek re-election.
Mark Martello and David Long filed candidacy paperwork to fill Powell’s seat, which represents the Towns of King and Harrison.
Two seats that represent the Towns of Bradley, Birch, Skanawan, Tomahawk and Rock Falls, including Meyer’s, will be open and will be sought by Ron Zimmerman and Kay Kissinger Wolf. Wolf is currently the longest serving member on the board.
All school board elections will take place in April.
Lincoln County Board of Supervisors
The only contested Lincoln County Board race is slated to take place in District 6, where Landis Holdorf will challenge incumbent Norbert Ashbeck.
District 3 incumbent Tyler Mueller and District 4 incumbent Derek Woellner did not meet the Wednesday, Jan. 8 deadline to file non-candidacy papers. The deadline was extended to Friday, Jan. 10 for any other candidates to file in those districts.
Elizabeth McCrank filed paperwork in District 3. In District 4, Joshua Thomas Wendt filed candidacy papers.
District 5 Supervisor Frank Saal filed non-candidacy papers, and no candidacy papers were filed there. The seat will be filled by a write-in candidate.
Chuck Bolder, who represents District 9, filed non-candidacy papers. Don Friske will be the only District 9 candidate on the ballot.
Also filing non-candidacy papers was District 21 Supervisor Corey Nowak. Eugene R. Simon was the only person to file candidacy papers in that district.
Nomination papers were filed by the remaining 16 incumbent Supervisors, and none will face opponents in their respective districts. They include William R. Bialecki in District 1, Robert Weaver in District 2, Greta Rusch in District 7, Christopher Heller in District 8, Jeremy M. Ratliff in District 10, Hans Breitenmoser Jr. in District 11, Paul Gilk in District 12, Calvin Callahan in District 13, Brian Hafeman in District 14, Robert J. Lee in District 15, Michael Loka in District 16, Kevin Koth in District 17, Patricia Voermans in District 18, Julie L. Allen in District 19, Dora Gorski in District 20, and Timothy Panfil in District 22.
Oneida County Board of Supervisors
The Oneida County Board will see three competitive races.
District 9 incumbent Jack Sorensen will go up against Rhody Jakusz.
In District 10, Bob Metropulos is challenging incumbent Jim Winkler.
Robert J. Thome Jr. and incumbent Robb W. Jensen will face off for the District 11 Supervisor post.
No candidates filed paperwork in District 18, but a candidate can still file to run as a write-in in April.
Price County Board of Supervisors
Two contested races will take place in Price County.
James Adolph and Ginny Strobl will face off in District 2.
In District 8, Alan Barkstrom will go up against Peter Dahlie.
No papers were filed in District 11.
City of Merrill Common Council
The City of Merrill Common Council will see three contested races.
In District 1, incumbent Paul Russell will face Gary Broesch and Becky Meyer in District 1.
Shannon Collins will challenge incumbent John Van Lieshout in District 5.
District 6 incumbent Mike Rick will go up against challenger Kyle Gulke.
Non-candidacy papers were not filed by District 7 incumbent Rob Norton, meaning the deadline for candidates to file in that district was extended to 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10. Mark Weix Jr. was the only candidate to file papers in the district.
Merrill School Board
Kevin J. Blake, Ronald Liberty and Paul C. Proulx are the three candidates vying for three seats on the Merrill Area Public School District Board.
Prentice School Board
Incumbents Randy Erickson, Helen Palmquist and Darrell Pierson will run unopposed for the Prentice School Board.