Fall Creek, Menomonie school boards have primaries approaching

Andrew Dowd, The Leader-Telegram, Eau Claire, Wis.
·3 min read

Feb. 2—EAU CLAIRE — Drive-thru voting starts next week in Eau Claire for the upcoming Wisconsin State Supreme Court primary.

All voters in the state will be able to cast a ballot for that Feb. 21 primary, but there are also a few local races scattered about the Chippewa Valley for positions that attracted numerous candidates.

School boards in Menomonie and Fall Creek, as well as the post of clerk in the Chippewa County Town of Wheaton attracted enough contenders to warrant primaries that will decide who advances to the spring election on April 4.

Winnowing the field of Wisconsin State Supreme Court candidates from four to two will be done this month.

Running for the seat on the state's high court are liberal candidates Janet C. Protasiewicz and Everett D. Mitchell and conservative candidates Daniel Kelly and Jennifer Dorow.

Eau Claire City Clerk Nicholas Koerner is prepared for above-average voter turnout for the hotly contested primary.

"We're expecting somewhere around 8,000 to 10,000," he said.

State justice primaries have attracted between 5,000 and 7,000 voters in Eau Claire, Koerner said, with the most recent ones being in 2018 and 2020.

He's expecting a larger turnout for this month's primary due to early enthusiasm about the race and the political split in state government. With the governor's office held by a Democrat and the state Legislature controlled by Republicans, Koerner said it puts added attention on the judicial branch.

Eau Claire residents can start early voting on Tuesday from the parking lot behind City Hall, 203 S. Farwell St. From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays from Tuesday through Feb. 17, voters can park their vehicle behind the building and call the clerk's office to get a ballot brought out to them.

A service the city began in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and has opted to continue, drive-up voting has been available in days leading up to elections.

People who would like to vote absentee through the mail have until 5 p.m. on Feb. 16 to request a ballot from City Hall.

And then on Feb. 21, polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. statewide.

Local primaries

Here are local primaries that will be held Feb. 21 in Eau Claire, Chippewa and Dunn counties:

Menomonie school board: Seven candidates are running for three seats. Incumbents Amy Riddle-Swanson, Charlie Schneider and Dale Dahlke are facing challengers Stephen Machesky, Amber Kersting, Brittany Weiker and Scott Parker. The top six vote-getters will advance to the April 4 election.

Fall Creek school board: Five candidates are vying for two seats. Incumbents Jill Geske and AnnMarie Anderson are being challenged by Amy Kurtz, Jessica Mattson and West Bennett. The lowest vote-getter will not advance to the spring election.

Wheaton town clerk: Incumbent Scott Deutscher faces challengers Cindi Pulver and Nicole Gardner. The top two candidates will move onto the April 4 election.