Sheboygan voters elect liberal local candidates — and 4 more takeaways from Tuesday's county election results

Maya Hilty, Sheboygan Press
·6 min read
2

SHEBOYGAN - The makeup of Sheboygan’s city council and school board remain mostly the same after Tuesday’s election.

Voter turnout in the county nearly doubled compared to last spring.

In April 2022, fewer than 6,000 people in the city of Sheboygan and fewer than 19,000 people in Sheboygan County cast a ballot.

On Tuesday, almost 12,000 people in Sheboygan and more than 37,000 people in Sheboygan County voted.

Here are five takeaways from the unofficial election results.

1. Natasha Torry and George Limbeck were elected to the Sheboygan County Circuit courts

Natasha Torry is one of a growing number of Black women judges in Wisconsin. Torry was the fourth Black woman elected judge in Wisconsin — and the first outside of Milwaukee — when she was elected as the Sheboygan area municipal judge in 2015.

"I don't want to keep focusing on race, but it's a big deal," she said. "I have been the only Black attorney in Sheboygan for 20 years, and now I got elected judge?

"I really felt like I couldn't lose because even if I didn't get elected, I've had so much support," she said. "That was amazing. It was really like the community coming together."

She posted on Facebook: "What we have here is the realization of the efforts of people from all political backgrounds, faiths and livelihoods that came together to support a black woman in Sheboygan County who dared to seek a state office in the home that she has served and loved," saying she is humbled.

She said: "Now, I don't look at it like I'm done. I look at like, people picked me because I they trust me to do this job, and now I have this job to do. So I just need to study, get ready and be present and be able to answer that call when it comes."

George Limbeck, also elected, thanked his supporters on Facebook.

Branch 5 Judge

  • George Limbeck: 16,283 votes

  • Cassandra Van Gompel: 15,417 votes

George Limbeck
George Limbeck

Branch 2 Judge

  • Natasha Torry: 17,516 votes

  • James Haasch: 15,807 votes

Natasha Torry
Natasha Torry

More: Sheboygan-area election results

2. Incumbents won every race on Sheboygan's city council

Although every seat was contested, elections did not change Sheboygan's city council. Voters re-elected Barbara Felde, Amanda Salazar, Angela Ramey, Grazia Perrella and Trey Mitchell.

Challengers Aaron Guenther, Paul Bolgert, Mark Kooistra and Paul Hankins ― all candidates supported by the Republican Party of Sheboygan County ― as well as Julie Konik were not elected.

"I am proud of each and every Council incumbent," council president Felde said. "Everyone worked hard to reach out to the city of Sheboygan residents. We are very happy with the results of this election."

District 1

  • Barb Felde: 794 votes

  • Aaron Guenther: 651 votes

Barb Felde
Barb Felde

District 3

  • Amanda Salazar: 738 votes

  • Paul Bolgert: 386 votes

Amanda Salazar
Amanda Salazar

District 5

  • Angela Ramey: 613 votes

  • Mark Kooistra: 531 votes

Angela Ramey
Angela Ramey

District 7

  • Grazia Perrella: 396 votes

  • Paul Hankins: 294 votes

Grazia Perrella
Grazia Perrella

District 9

  • Trey Mitchell: 549 votes

  • Julie Konik: 487 votes

Trey K. Mitchell
Trey K. Mitchell

3. GOP candidates did not win seats on Sheboygan's school board

Both incumbents in the race, Sarah Ruiz-Harrison and Kay Robbins, will remain on the Sheboygan Area School District board for another three-year term. Heidi Boehmer will join the board.

Six candidates ran for three seats on the board. The full board has nine members.

With a recent book ban and ongoing review of the middle school sex-ed curriculum, LGBTQ+ representation emerged as a key issue in this year’s school board race on which candidates’ views diverged.

All three members elected voiced support for LGBTQ+ students. Voters did not elect any of the three candidates endorsed by the Republican Party of Sheboygan County, who in newspaper interviews or public comments expressed views including that students should not learn about transgender identities.

  • Heidi Boehmer: 7,657 votes

  • Sarah Ruiz-Harrison: 7,377 votes

  • Kay Robbins: 7,259 votes

  • David Ross: 7,020 votes

  • Julie Kelly: 6,930 votes

  • Haley Stuckmann: 6,667 votes

Heidi Boehmer
Heidi Boehmer
Sarah Ruiz-Harrison
Sarah Ruiz-Harrison
Kay Robbins
Kay Robbins

4. Write-in candidates won city council seats in Sheboygan Falls, Plymouth

No candidates were on the ballot for a city council seat in Sheboygan Falls and in Plymouth.

In Sheboygan Falls, write-in candidate Pete Weber won the District 2 city council seat with 36 of the 79 votes. The next-closest contender was former city councilperson Paul Jensen, with 3 votes.

In Plymouth, write-in candidate Jeff Tauscheck won the District 3 city council seat with 21 votes.

Other results for contested races in Sheboygan Falls and Plymouth include the following:

Sheboygan Falls school board

Michele Meerdink and Gary Thelen were elected to three-year terms on the Sheboygan Falls School District board.

  • Michele Meerdink: 1,629 votes

  • Gary Thelen: 1,582 votes

  • Vicky Bramstedt: 1,483 votes

  • Robyn Denning: 1,031 votes

Plymouth City Council District 2

  • John Nelson: 359 votes

  • Carole O’Malley: 252 votes

5. Sheboygan County voters backed conservative state Supreme Court Justice Dan Kelly, but he didn't win statewide

Liberal candidate Janet Protasiewicz won a consequential election for the Wisconsin Supreme Court over conservative candidate Dan Kelly.

Here’s how Sheboygan County voters cast their ballots:

  • Janet C. Protasiewicz: 16,620 votes

  • Daniel Kelly: 20,155 votes votes

More local election results

  • Cedar Grove-Belgium Area School District board: Eric Meinnert defeated Aileen Dahlke 824 votes to 267 votes

  • Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah School District board: Ryan Vanderkin (942 votes) and Erica Spatz (906 votes) defeated Vera Petrova Dickinson (359 votes)

  • Oostburg School District Board: Jim Swart (1,632 votes), Terry Lemkuil (1,282 votes) and Jack Stokdyk (1,145 votes) defeated Sandy TenHaken (859 votes), Bonnie Huenink (840 votes) and Megan Mentink TenHaken (634 votes)

  • Kohler village board: Brett Edgerle (451 votes), Mike Zimmerman (404 votes) and Michael Wandschneider, Jr. (397 votes) defeated Brian Post (356 votes), Kristine Young (263 votes) and Houston Hoskins (83 votes)

  • Adell village president: Jim Jentsch defeated Leighton Holtz 89 votes to 79 votes

  • Adell village board: Bill Krueger (107 votes), Jim Jentsch (89 votes) and Leighton Holtz (83 votes) defeated Arush Chahal (78 votes) and Tanya Finch (53 votes)

  • Cascade village board: Jason Harrison (145 votes), Levi Melius (142 votes) and Jim Larson (138 votes) defeated Ron Holder (72 votes)

  • Howards Grove village president: Dale Wuestenhagen defeated Michael Winter 530 to 483 votes

  • Random Lake village board: Barbara Ruege (310 votes), Jeff Schultz (281 votes) and Eric Kent Stowell (275 votes) defeated Blaine Werner (266 votes) and Warren Dutter (142 votes)

  • Greenbush town board chair: John Halbach defeated Michael Limberg 363 votes to 217 votes

  • Mosel town board: David Wagner (182 votes) and Aaron Schmidt (133 votes) defeated Randall Ostermann, Jr. (111 votes)

Reach Maya Hilty at 920-400-7485 or MHilty@sheboygan.gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Sheboygan Press: Sheboygan, Plymouth, Falls 2023 city, school board election results