Wisconsin voters head to polls Tuesday

Tuesday is Election Day in Wisconsin.

A race for an open seat on the state Supreme Court will appear on ballots statewide, but there are local contests and ballot initiatives across the state, including here in Iron County.

Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Former state Supreme Court justice Daniel Kelly and Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Janet Protasiewicz are battling for a 10-year term on the state’s high court in a race that will decide the ideological balance of the court.

The vacancy comes from Justice Patience Roggensack’s retirement as his term expires on July 31.

While Supreme Court elections are officially nonpartisan, the court is considered to have a 4-3 conservative majority with the retiring Roggensack as one of the conservatives.

Protasiewicz is considered the liberal candidate in Tuesday’s election, while Kelly is the conservative candidate. He was appointed to the high court by former Republican Gov. Scott Walker in 2016, but lost an election to retain his seat in 2020 to liberal Justice Jill Karofsky.

In Iron County, there are many town positions on the ballot with little competition in sight, as well with the city of Montreal and the Hurley and Mercer school boards.

But voters in the town of Mercer are asked to choose between John Sendra and Eric Snow for town board chairman, and to select two people for the town board of supervisors from a list three candidates — Opal Roberts, James Schmidt and Charles Schroepfer. Debbie Hohner is running unopposed for town clerk and Kelly Lynn Joustra is unopposed for town treasurer.

Voters in the Mercer School District face a referendum asking authorization to exceed the revenue limit in order to raise $745,000 per year for three school years (2023-24 through 2025-26) for “maintaining current operations, programs and facilities.”

Also in Mercer, Susan Loth and Zach Wilson are running for re-election for two open seats on the school board.

Bill Brundage is running unopposed as a commissioner for the Mercer Sanitary District.

In the Hurley School District, incumbents Kathy Levra and Kathy Saari are running for two seats on the Hurley school board.

The city of Montreal has two wards, and one person running unopposed for city council from both — Maleah Cummings in Ward 1, and Ashley Sorrels in Ward 2.

In the town of Sherman, there are three candidates running for two seats on the town board — James Walters, Todd Faller and John Heimburger. Also on the Sherman ballot, Kurt Wolff is running unopposed for town chairman, as is Laurie Olafson for town clerk.

Among the other unopposed candidates across the county on Tuesday’s ballot are:

—In the town of Anderson: Patrick Hanson for town chairman, and Rodney Vlach and Scott Heiden running for two town board seats.

—Town of Carey: Jim Durkee for town chairman, with no names on the ballot for two seats on the town board.

—Town of Gurney: Tom Innes for town chairman, Christina Ofstad for town clerk, Jessie Bender for town treasurer, and Rick LaFortune and Kyle Thompson running for two seats on the town board.

—Town of Kimball: Randall Stoltenberg for town chairman, Irene Salzman for town clerk, Pam Backman for town treasurer, and Carol Decker the lone person on the ballot for two seats on the town board.

—Town of Knight: Daniel Soine for town chairman, and Owen Garro and Mary Koski for two town board seats.

—Town of Oma: Steve Finco for town chairman, Alex Mabie for town clerk, Clara Maki for town treasurer, and Larry Erickson and Lana Maki running for two town board seats.

—Town of Pence: Michael Paternoster for town chairman and Joe Olson the only person on the ballot for two town board seats.

—Town of Saxon: Andrew Rowe for town chairman, Kathryn Brauer for town clerk, Stephanie LaFortune for town treasurer, and Kelly Thurow and Karl Krall running for two seats on the town board.

Finally, in the town of Sherman, voters in the Chequamegon School District will see Roger Strand running unopposed for a seat on the school board representing the town of Sherman and the town of Eisenstein in Price County.