After a relatively quiet year in politics in 2023, calendar year 2024 will offer many contested elections. Obviously, Americans will cast their ballots for President of the United States in November.
There will also be elections for U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives Third Congressional District, State Senate and Assembly (to be determined pending legal action), Crawford County Board of Supervisors, North Crawford and Seneca school board elections, and village and town board elections.
Elections coming up in 2024 will take place as follows:
• Tuesday, Feb. 20: nonpartisan spring primary
• Tuesday, Apr. 2: non-partisan spring election and partisan presidential primary election
• Tuesday, Aug. 13: partisan primary election
• Tuesday, Nov. 5: partisan general election
National elections
Citizens will be able to cast their ballot in a partisan primary election for U.S. President on Tuesday, Apr. 2. Voters will vote in the election for the political party of their choice, and this election will determine which candidate from each political party will appear on the ballot of the November 5 partisan general election.
Republican candidates to appear on the April 2 ballot include: Donald Trump, Chris Christie, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Asa Hutchinson and Vivek Ramaswamy. The candidate from the Democratic party will be Joe Biden.
Voters in Wisconsin will elect one member to the U.S. Senate in 2024, and the candidate filing deadline in June 3, 2024. Incumbent Tammy Baldwin is seeking another term, and it is not yet clear what candidates may oppose her. Candidates to appear on the November 5 ballot will be elected in the partisan primary election on August 13.
Voters in the U.S. Third Congressional District will decide what candidates will appear on the November 5 ballot in a partisan primary on August 13. The candidate filing deadline is June 3. Currently, Republican incumbent Derrick Van Orden is campaigning for re-election, and Democrats Rebecca Cooke (Eau Claire), Katrina Shankland (Stevens Point) and Eric Wilson are campaigning for their party’s nomination.
State elections
In a ruling on the Friday before Christmas, the Wisconsin Supreme Court, in a 4-3 ruling, declared the legislative election maps currently in use violate the Wisconsin Constitution’s requirement in Article IV, Section 4 that members of the Legislature represent districts that should “be bounded by county, precinct, town or ward lines, to consist of contiguous territory and be in as compact form as practicable.” Boundaries are typically drawn every 10 years after a census, to accommodate population shifts.
The ruling called for new maps to be prepared in time for 2024 legislative elections, which requires final action by early March in order to meet deadlines for candidates and elections officials. The justices gave the parties in the case a January 12 deadline to submit new map proposals, in case Republicans who control the Wisconsin State Legislature and Democratic Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers are not able to first agree on new lines for Assembly and Senate districts.
Last week, Republicans told the justices they could not meet the deadline, even though various groups representing all parts of the political spectrum have generated thousands of possible variations over the years. GOP leaders have also said that they will appeal the decision in the U.S. Supreme Court.
Until these matters are resolved, it is unclear how many seats in the Wisconsin State Legislature will be up for election in 2024.
County elections
According to Crawford County Clerk Robin Fisher, there will be no contested elections for the County Board of Supervisors this year. Longtime incumbent District 7 Supervisor Dave Olson had filed a declaration of non-candidacy, and Sarah Nelson is running unopposed for the District 7 seat.
Voters will go to the polls to elect the Crawford County Board Supervisors on Tuesday, April 2.
School Board elections
There are three open seats on the North Crawford School Board for three-year terms. Incumbents Terry O’Donnell and Judy Powell have filed their candidate paperwork, and incumbent Jim Dworschack will not seek re-election. Mark Fredelake has submitted his candidate paperwork, and will appear on the ballot.
In the Seneca School District, five candidates have registered to trun for two open board seats. One of those running is incumbent Charles Clark, The other incumbent, Tyler Aspenson, decided to not run again.
The other four candidates running are Eric Grimsled, Jennifer Aspenson, Kyle Berger and Sarah Wall. Only Grimsled has run for the board previously. Because five candidates are running for two open seats, a primary election must be held in February. Only, the top four voter getters will appear on the spring ballot.
Voters will go to the polls to elect school board members on Tuesday, April 2.
Village elections
In the Village of Gays Mills, three seats are open for two-year terms. Incumbents Ethan Eitsert and Kevin Murray have filed their candidate papers. Incumbent Lee Ruegg did not submit candidate papers, nor has she field a declaration of non-candidacy. There is still an opportunity for potential candidates to run as registered write-ins, although, of course, their names will not appear on the ballot.
In the Village of Soldiers Grove, three seats are open for two-year terms. Two incumbents, Brad Pettit and Harrison Heilman have filed their papers, and Shayne Chapman has filed papers to run for the third open seat.
Voters will go to the polls to elect Village Board Trustees on Tuesday, April 2.
Township elections
No information has been made available to the Independent-Scout as of press time for this edition about candidates in the town board elections in Utica, Clayton, Haney and Freeman townships. As more information becomes available, the newspaper will report on those candidates.
