MONROE - Election season is upon us again, and while most local seats are uncontested in Green and Lafayette counties, there are a few challengers in the spring election.
The elections for the counties, cities and school boards will be held on April 7. The Green and Lafayette county board seats are not up for election, as they run on even-numbered years. The deadline for nomination papers for the spring election was on Tuesday.
Green County
Monroe City Council: The even-numbered wards are open for elections on odd-numbered years, so wards 2, 4, 6 and 8 are up for election. Of the four open seats, there are four incumbents with one challenger. In Ward 2, incumbent Brooke Bauman is running uncontested. Jeff Newcomer, incumbent to Ward 4, is also uncontested. Chris Beer, incumbent to Ward 6, is uncontested. Reid Stangel, incumbent to Ward 8, is challenged by Dustan Beutel. City Clerk Carol Stamm said Beutel submitted his filing papers before the Tuesday deadline, but there were some errors in the document and he has until Friday to submit an affidavit to correct the errors in order to run in the election.
Monroe school board: There are three open seats on the school board and four candidates running. Three incumbents are seeking re-election and one newcomer is looking to grab a seat. School board elections allow the top three candidates with the most votes individually to gain a seat, so no singular seat is contested. The current school board president, Bob Erb, is running as an incumbent. Incumbents Amy Bazley and Mary Berger are seeking re-election. Nicole Saugstad is the challenger looking to gain enough votes to secure one of the seats.
Green County Circuit Court: Incumbent Judge Thomas Vale is uncontested in seeking a second term at his post for Branch 2. Branch 2 was created by the state in 2008, and Vale was elected as the first judge to hold that position in 2009. Incumbent Judge James Beer is seeking to hold his seat in Branch 1 for a fourth term. Beer has held the Branch 1 position since 1996, when he was appointed and won subsequent elections. New Glarus Attorney Dan Garzke is contesting Beer's seat in his second attempt to win the Branch 1 position.
Lafayette County
Lafayette County Circuit Court: Judge William Johnston will be stepping down from the seat he has held for 30 years after filing a notification for non-candidacy, and four attorneys are vying for the highly contested seat. Assistant Public Defender for Green and Lafayette counties Guy Taylor; Lafayette County District Attorney Katherine Findley; Darlington attorney Duane Jorgenson; and Dodgeville attorney Gayle Jebbia are all seeking to gain Johnston's former seat.
Darlington City Council: Three alderman's seats have open districts with two incumbents and one challenger. First alderman incumbent for District 1, David Gough, is running uncontested for re-election. Second alderman incumbent for District 2, Donald Osterday, seeks re-election against newcomer Mark Nelson. The first alderman for the District 3 seat remains open with no candidates, as incumbent Beverly Anderson did not file papers for re-election.
Darlington Schools: The Darlington School Board has three open seats with two incumbents seeking re-election and three newcomers. Incumbents Joe Riechers and Aaron Wolfe seek re-election, and Matt Crist, Bob Hermanson and Donna Jean Wiegel filed their nomination papers. The top three candidates with the most votes will gain the three open seats.
The elections for the counties, cities and school boards will be held on April 7. The Green and Lafayette county board seats are not up for election, as they run on even-numbered years. The deadline for nomination papers for the spring election was on Tuesday.
Green County
Monroe City Council: The even-numbered wards are open for elections on odd-numbered years, so wards 2, 4, 6 and 8 are up for election. Of the four open seats, there are four incumbents with one challenger. In Ward 2, incumbent Brooke Bauman is running uncontested. Jeff Newcomer, incumbent to Ward 4, is also uncontested. Chris Beer, incumbent to Ward 6, is uncontested. Reid Stangel, incumbent to Ward 8, is challenged by Dustan Beutel. City Clerk Carol Stamm said Beutel submitted his filing papers before the Tuesday deadline, but there were some errors in the document and he has until Friday to submit an affidavit to correct the errors in order to run in the election.
Monroe school board: There are three open seats on the school board and four candidates running. Three incumbents are seeking re-election and one newcomer is looking to grab a seat. School board elections allow the top three candidates with the most votes individually to gain a seat, so no singular seat is contested. The current school board president, Bob Erb, is running as an incumbent. Incumbents Amy Bazley and Mary Berger are seeking re-election. Nicole Saugstad is the challenger looking to gain enough votes to secure one of the seats.
Green County Circuit Court: Incumbent Judge Thomas Vale is uncontested in seeking a second term at his post for Branch 2. Branch 2 was created by the state in 2008, and Vale was elected as the first judge to hold that position in 2009. Incumbent Judge James Beer is seeking to hold his seat in Branch 1 for a fourth term. Beer has held the Branch 1 position since 1996, when he was appointed and won subsequent elections. New Glarus Attorney Dan Garzke is contesting Beer's seat in his second attempt to win the Branch 1 position.
Lafayette County
Lafayette County Circuit Court: Judge William Johnston will be stepping down from the seat he has held for 30 years after filing a notification for non-candidacy, and four attorneys are vying for the highly contested seat. Assistant Public Defender for Green and Lafayette counties Guy Taylor; Lafayette County District Attorney Katherine Findley; Darlington attorney Duane Jorgenson; and Dodgeville attorney Gayle Jebbia are all seeking to gain Johnston's former seat.
Darlington City Council: Three alderman's seats have open districts with two incumbents and one challenger. First alderman incumbent for District 1, David Gough, is running uncontested for re-election. Second alderman incumbent for District 2, Donald Osterday, seeks re-election against newcomer Mark Nelson. The first alderman for the District 3 seat remains open with no candidates, as incumbent Beverly Anderson did not file papers for re-election.
Darlington Schools: The Darlington School Board has three open seats with two incumbents seeking re-election and three newcomers. Incumbents Joe Riechers and Aaron Wolfe seek re-election, and Matt Crist, Bob Hermanson and Donna Jean Wiegel filed their nomination papers. The top three candidates with the most votes will gain the three open seats.