Here are elections that Bolts will be watching closely. (These elections are technically nonpartisan, though many candidates have drawn support from the Democratic and Republican parties.) Bolts will update the page as results come in on and after Election Night.
Milwaukee
Milwaukee Mayor
Wisconsin’s largest city is choosing between Acting Mayor Cavalier Johnson and self-described conservative Bob Donovan.
Johnsonwins.
County Board
Former lawmaker Josh Zepnick faces union organizer Juan Miguel Martinez, backed by many left-leaning groups, for a board seat.
Recount
School Board
Eau Claire
Three conservative candidates (C. Cronarth, N. Everson, M. Winter) are attacking Eau Claire’s inclusive LGBT policies, in the context of death threats against the board.
Conservative slate loses.
Kenosha
Conservatives failed to recall a board member, but now a conservative slate (Eric Meadows, Jon Kim and Kristine Schmaling) is taking aim at incumbents. (Recall organizer Amanda Nedewski is seeking a seat on the county board.)
Conservative slate wins.
Waukesha
Here too, a conservative slate (K. Kozlowski, M. Borowski, and M. Moorer) is opposing school teachings about racism and LGBTQ-inclusive policies.
Conservative slate wins.
Menomonee Falls (in Waukesha Co.)
Here too, a candidate running for school board (C. Stueland) has focused on book banning.
Stueland wins.
DC Everest (in Maraton Co.)
A candidate (S. Frazier) is running by accusing incumbents of engaging in “Marxism” and “Critical Race Theory.” He and fellow challengers S. Grabko and A. Hartinger are backed by the GOP.
Grabko wins; Hartinger and Frazier lose.
Local Offices that Touch on Voting
De Pere Council
Kelly Ruh was one of the nation’s 84 fake electors for Donald Trump in 2020; she is now running for re-election as an alderperson versus Pamela Grantz.
For a seat on the state’s second highest-court, Democratic incumbent L. Kornblum faces M. Lazar, who is touting the endorsement of figures who were part of the efforts to overturn the 2020 election. (Election also has implications for other issues like criminal justice.)
Lazar wins.
Kenosha County Executive
Republican lawmaker Samantha Kerkman, who co-chaired the state’s audit commission when it voted along party lines to order an audit of the 2020 election last year, now seeks to become a county executive.
Kerkmanwins.
Green Bay Council
In a city with rocky conflicts on election administration, candidate Melinda Eck, who helped organize a local “Stop-the-Steal” rally on Jan. 6, 2021, seeks a city council seat.
Eckwins.
Waukesha Mayor
Mayor Shawn Reilly faces a challenge by Julie Saib, who has cheered a recent report that alleged widespread fraud in the 2020 elections.
Reilly wins.
Brown County Board
Leanne Cramer and Kimber Rollin, running for two board seats, are among the candidates identified by the Green Bay Press-Gazette as echoing the Big Lie.
