11 competitive county board races; District 2 primary slated for February
By Jalen Maki
Tomahawk Leader Editor
LINCOLN COUNTY – Local races for the 2024 Spring Election have taken shape.
Candidates for numerous positions, including City of Tomahawk Mayor, the City of Tomahawk Common Council and the School District of Tomahawk Board of Education, will run unopposed on Tuesday, April 2.
For the Lincoln County Board of Supervisors, 11 competitive races will take place in April, and a primary election will be held in District 2 on Tuesday, Feb. 20.
City of Tomahawk Mayor
City of Tomahawk Mayor Steven E. Taskay will not face an opponent in his bid for a fifth two-year term.
In 2022, Roxanne Consolver unsuccessfully challenged Taskay for the office, marking the city’s first competitive race for Mayor since Taskay was elected in 2016.
City of Tomahawk Common Council
The makeup of the City of Tomahawk Common Council is expected to remain the same as it has since 2019, as three incumbents will run for reelection unopposed this spring.
District 1 Alderperson Ed Nystrom, District 2 Alderperson Will Garske and District 3 Alderperson Mike Loka will not be challenged in their bids to return to the council for three-year terms.
School District of Tomahawk Board of Education
Two current School District of Tomahawk Board of Education members will seek reelection, while another will not run for another three-year term.
Shar Kirsch, who represents the City of Tomahawk on the board, filed a Declaration of Candidacy.
Cherie Hafeman, who represents the Towns of Birch, Bradley, Rock Falls, Skanawan and Tomahawk, filed a Declaration of Non-Candidacy.
Deb Velleux, who currently represents the City of Tomahawk on the board, filed a Declaration of Non-Candidacy for that post and filed a Declaration of Candidacy for the open Birch, Bradley, Rock Falls, Skanawan and Tomahawk townships seat after relocating into the position’s footprint.
No candidacy paperwork was filed for the open City of Tomahawk position on the board. The seat will appear on spring ballots as a write-in.
Lincoln County Board of Supervisors
A total of 11 competitive races for the Lincoln County Board of Supervisors will be held in April, and a primary for one district will take place next month.
Thirty-four candidates filed candidacy paperwork to run for a seat on the 22-member nonpartisan board.
Incumbent District 1 Supervisor William R. Bialecki will run for reelection unopposed.
A primary election will be held in District 2 on Tuesday, Feb. 20. Incumbent Supervisor Lori Anderson-Malm will face off against Keras Rubka-Nimz and Scott Doerr. The top two vote-getters will go head-to head in April.
In District 3, incumbent Supervisor Elizabeth McCrank will not face an opponent.
Incumbent District 4 Supervisor Steve Osness Jr. will not seek reelection. Derek Woellner will run unchallenged.
Incumbent District 5 Supervisor Don Wendorf will not run for another term. Andrew Zelinski will run unopposed.
In District 6, no challengers will face incumbent Supervisor Norbert Ashbeck.
Incumbent District 7 Supervisor Greta Rusch filed non-candidacy paperwork. Wallace Downey and Donald Dunphy will square off for the seat.
Todd Frederick will challenge incumbent District 8 Supervisor Laurie J. Thiel.
Incumbent District 9 Supervisor and Board Chair Don Friske will go up against Christine Vorpagel.
Sheryl Chism is slated to take on incumbent District 10 Supervisor and Board Vice-Chair Jesse Boyd.
In District 11, incumbent Supervisor Randal John Detert will face challenger Mark Raymer.
Incumbent District 12 Supervisor Julie DePasse will go head-to-head with Paul Gilk.
In District 13, current seat holder George Brixius did not file candidacy or non-candidacy paperwork by the Tuesday, Jan. 2 deadline, leading to an extension of the deadline to Friday, Jan. 5. As of the extended deadline, two candidates – Alan Bishop and Jeffrey Fisher – had officially declared their intentions to seek the post.
Incumbent District 14 Supervisor Brian Hafeman will not seek another term on the board. Marguerite Lyskawa will run unchallenged.
Incumbent District 15 Supervisor Marty R. Lemke will not face an opponent.
No challengers filed paperwork to take on incumbent District 16 Supervisor Dana Miller.
In District 17, incumbent Supervisor James Meunier will run unopposed.
Susan Dierksen will face off against incumbent District 18 Supervisor Kenneth L. Wickham.
District 19 Supervisor Julie Allen filed non-candidacy paperwork. Joseph Dorava and Dan Friske will face off for the position.
Incumbent District 20 Supervisor Angela Marie Cummings will face challenger Doug Curtis.
In District 21, incumbent Supervisor Eugene Simon will run unopposed.
No challengers filed paperwork to take on incumbent District 22 Supervisor Greg Hartwig.