Yesterday, voters went to the polls to narrow the candidate pool in several spring election races. Across the state about 7% of registered voters cast a ballot. In Dane county, turnout was a bit higher, at 13%
On ballots across the state was the race for Wisconsin State Superintendent. Pecatonica School District Superintendent Jill Underly and former Brown Deer Superintendent Deborah Kerr won out among the crowded seven-way race. They will move on to compete in the April 6th election. Underly and Kerr received 27 and 26 percent of the vote respectively.
But it’s been a bumpy campaign for Deborah Kerr, who today faced backlash after posting a racist tweet on her personal twitter account. Kerr has since apologized in a statement and deleted her personal account this morning, reports the Associated Press.
In to local elections, the Dane County Board has one competitive race for Supervisor in District 12, on the North side of Madison. Incumbent Larry Palm and former state Senate candidate Amani Latimer Burris will be moving on to the April election.
In Madison, where all alder seats are headed to the spring election, 3 races were narrowed.
In District 9 on the Madison Common Council, incumbent alder Paul Skidmore will move on to the spring election, after surviving a challenge from three other candidates. It’s the first time he’s been primaried since 2013. First-time candidate Nikki Conklin came in with the most votes, and will move on to face Skidmore in April. Candidate Nino Amato, who came just 25 votes shy of Skidmore’s second place, has been eliminated, as has candidate Doug Hyant. .
In district 16, another crowded race, Jael Currie earned nearly half of the votes and Matt Tremel came in second with 19% of the vote. Greg Dixon, Tyson Vitale, and Kim Richman were all edged out of the race.
And in district 18, incumbent Rebecca Kemble and Charles Myadze are moving on to the spring election, after Veronica Figueroa finished a distant third in yesterday’s primary. The campaign in this race now pits two candidates with different attitudes toward policing – incumbent Kemble is an ardent police critic, while Myadze is one of two candidates this season to be endorsed by the Madison police union.
In Fitchburg, the alder race for District 3 appears to have been determined by a single vote. Incumbent Jay Allen finished first and Shawnicia Youmas came in second with 185 vote. Nicholas DiMiceli came in last with just one less vote.
In Oregon, Randy Glysch and Jenna Jacobson are headed to the ballot for village president. Races for Belleville, Oregon, and Middleton Cross Plains Area school board seats were all narrowed.
The Spring Election is Tuesday, April 6th. More election coverage can be found here.
