MONROE—Just hours after the polls closed Feb. 16, Jane Bucher and Faun Marie Phillipson were the projected winners of the Green County Circuit Court Branch 2 primary.
Bucher received 1,962 votes (41%). Phillipson followed with 1,086 votes (22%) and Peter Kelly trailed by only 33 votes with 1,053 (22%). Daniel Bartholf received 731 votes (15%).
With Bucher and Phillipson moving forward, the April election will be a historic first in Green County, as the county has never before had a woman hold the seat of judge.
“Every election is a great opportunity to move forward together,” Phillipson said. “I have respect for each of my fellow candidates, and I thank everyone who should up to vote. I believe in you, Green County — thank you for believing in me.”
Phillipson, of New Glarus, received more than 70% of the vote in her village and 50% of the vote from the Town of New Glarus. Bucher won 19 of the county's 24 precincts.
Bucher, who won the race by over 800 votes, thanked voters as well and acknowledged that there is still work to do.
“I’m very grateful for the voters,” she said. “I’m going to make my case that my unmatched courtroom experience will make me the best choice.”
Each candidate put in hundreds of hours distributing campaign information, talking to voters and preparing for the election. Following the results, the candidates reached out to the community offering thanks, congratulations and concessions.
“Although I did not prevail, I will always be proud of my campaign and of your support,” Kelly said in a Facebook post to followers Feb. 17. “My congratulations to Faun and Jane, and rest assured that I will give the next Judge for Branch 1 of the Green County Circuit Court all of the respect that office deserves.”
Bartholf also took to Facebook to address voters.
“Disappointed of course, but I am at peace with the results and will continue serving Green County as an advocate for my clients,” he said in a Feb. 16 post.
Also on the ballot was the State Superintendent of Public Instruction Primary. The seat was previously held by current Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers
Pecatonica District Administrator Jill Underly and former Brown Deer Superintendent Deborah Kerr led the polls with 88,716 votes (27%) and 86,095 votes (27%), respectively. Sheila Briggs trailed by over 30,000 votes and Shandowlyon Hendricks-Williams, Troy Gunderson, Steve Krull and Joe Fenrick followed with 11%, 8%, 6% and 4%.
More than 4,300 Green County voters voted in the race, with Underly winning 31.17% of the vote, and Kerr 21.17%.
In other area results, Trevor Johann and William R. Monroe move on in the Belleville School District Board Member race. Monroe finished just three votes ahead of Tierney Keyes, with Lisa Bowers another seven votes behind. In all, 575 Belleville voters participated in the election.
More than 4,900 voters turned out in Green County, with 1,379 coming from the City of Monroe and 509 from the Village of New Glarus.
In Lafayette County, 792 voters turned out at the polls for the superintendent race. Underly received 345 votes to Kerr’s 196. None of the other candidates received more than 65.
