Malke Returned as Peshtigo Mayor; Kowalski Wins Post on Town BoardIssue Date: April 7, 2022 At the polls on Tuesday, April 5, Peshtigo Mayor Cathi Malke won a new 2-year term in office, defeating challenger Richard Berth III by a margin of 314 to 200. Berth, who was also on the ballot for return to office as District 1 Alderman, was unseated by challenger Chris Rohde, with 93 votes for Rohde and 52 for Berth.
In the Town of Peshtigo challenger John B. Kowalski drew 422 votes to defeat incumbent Kristen Edgar, 288 votes, for the Supervisor 4 position.
There were only a few races for the 30 positions to be filled on Marinette County Board, but incumbents were defeated in several of them, including in the City of Marinette were long-time Supervisor Ken Keller lost to challenger Tim Pelzek. Keller retained his seat on Marinette City Council.
In District 6, which includes parts of the towns of Amberg and Wausaukee, incumbent George Kloppenburg was defeated by challenger Hank Novak.
A Town of Stephenson referendum that would have allowed increasing the town property tax more than state levy limits allow to provide more funding for road improvement and maintenance purposes was defeated, with 194 votes in favor and 482 opposed. The town board had proposed the referendum at the request of electors at the annual Town Meeting, and in response to a petition from a number of town residents and property owners.
In Goodman-Armstrong Creek School District electors approved a referendum authorizing the district to exceed the state-imposed property tax levy limits by $750,000 each year for three years, starting with the 2022-2023 school year, to pay operating and maintenance costs.
Voter turnout was low in most areas of Marinette County. Incumbent District III Appeals Court Judge Thomas M. Hruz, unopposed, drew 4,784 votes for a new term in the position he has held since Aug. 1, 2014. There were 15 write-in votes cast for that position by voters in Marinette County.
Tuesday's voting was the first time for Town of Stephenson electors in Wards 4 through 6 cast their ballots in the town's new Public Safety Building at 801 Main Street in the Village of Crivitz, and the first time for electors in the Village of Wausaukee to vote at the new Municipal Building at 704 Main Street (Hwy. 141), which is the former Stephenson National Bank Building that has been renovated and re-created as a Community Center, Library and Municipal Building.
ELECTION RESULTS:
CITIES:
City of Marinette: Incumbent District 1 Alderperson Ken Keller narrowly won return to office with 134 votes to defeat challenger Kathy Korchak, who received 125 votes. Keller was defeated for return to the County Board Supervisor position he held for many years. In District 4, Alderperson Mike Wolfe, who was appointed to replace David Anderson, drew 80 votes for return to office, defeating Tom Bero, who received 64 votes. Incumbent Alderperson At-Large Dorothy Kowalski drew 631 votes, narrowly defeating challenger Tom Karban, with 613 votes.
City of Niagara: There were no contests, and all three incumbents were returned to their alderperson positions. They are Lisa Mattia, 139 votes; Dan Decker, 139 votes, and Glenn Lantagne, 166 votes.
City of Peshtigo: Mayor Cathi Malke won return to office, with 314 votes to 200 for challenger Richard Berth III. Berth also was defeated in his bid for return to office as Alderperson for District 1. Winner in that race was challenger Chris Rohde, who drew 93 votes, compared to 52 for Berth. District 2 Alderperson John Berendt filed non-candidacy papers and Allen England drew 153 votes as the unopposed candidate for that post. There were also three write-in votes. In District 3, incumbent Alderperson Katie Berman received 154 votes for return to office. She was unopposed. There were two write-in votes.
VILLAGES:
Village of Coleman: There were three Trustee positions to be filled, and three candidates seeking to fill them. Incumbents Sean Van Ermen, 65 votes, and Jeffrey Gosa, 73 votes, were returned to office, and Phillip Risner drew 74 votes to fill the position vacated by Timothy Gould, who did not seek return to office.
Village of Crivitz: There were three spots open for Trustee, but only two candidates seeking to fill them. Incumbents Ross Behrendt, 108 votes, and Stewart Swanson, 124 votes, were returned to office. Incumbent Michael Strandt had filed non-candidacy papers and was not on the ballot, but drew six write-in votes.
Village of Pound: Bethany Navis, with 33 votes, and Morgan Messenger, with 46 votes, will be new comers to the Village Board. Long-time trustee Mary Meyer, with 16 votes, lost her bid for return to office and Wayne Gross did not seek re-election.
Village of Wausaukee: There were three positions to be filled, and three candidates seeking to fill them. Incumbents Steve Stumbris, 63 votes, and James Feldmann, 53 votes, were returned to office, and political newcomer Keith Frank, Jr. drew 50 votes to fill the third position. Incumbent Derrick McGee did not seek re-election.
TOWNS:
Only towns with 5-member boards had positions to be filled this year. Outcomes are:
Town of Peshtigo: Incumbent Kayla Furton, unopposed, drew 587 votes for return to her Supervisor 3 position. There were a scattering of nine write-in votes for other candidates. Supervisor 4 Incumbent Kristen Edgar, with 288 votes was defeated by challenger John B. Kowalski, 422 votes. There were two write-in votes.
Town of Pound: Incumbent supervisors, Dave Pellman, 160 votes, and Mike Zeitler, 157 votes, were returned to office. Challenger Glenn Broderick was defeated in his bid for Town Board, with 52 votes, but was unopposed for return to office as District 15 Marinette County Board Supervisor, and drew 156 votes.
Town of Stephenson: Incumbents Jeffrey Lieuwen, Supervisor 2, and Andrew Rogers, Supervisor 4, had no competition. There were 541 votes for Lieuwen and 508 for Rogers, plus a scattering of write-in votes. By a margin of 194 to 482 voters rejected a referendum that would have allowed the town to exceed the state-imposed property tax levy limit by $433,132 to provide more money for road repairs and maintenance.
Town of Wausaukee: Supervisor 3 incumbent Matthew R. Jicha drew 212 votes for return to office and Supervisor 4 incumbent Dennis Taylor drew 193 votes. Neither had opposition.
SCHOOL DISTRICTS:
Beecher-Dunbar-Pembine School District: Incumbents Ryan Berger and Brian Parr were unopposed for return to the board. There were 193 votes for Berger and 180 for Parr.
Coleman School District: Long-time Board President Ryan Wendt did not seek re-election. His seat on the board will be filled by newcomer Geoff Seefeldt. Incumbent board members Barb Van Drisse and Jeremy Hoida were returned to the board with 398 votes for Hoida and 362 for VanDrisse. The board will elect new officers at re-organization after new members are seated.
Crivitz School District: There were five candidates for three openings on the Crivitz School Board. Grandaw, who is current board president, drew 681 votes, the most of all the candidates. Her tally was closely followed by 608 votes for Sonny Graese, who will be a new member of the board. Incumbent Kayla Gauthier-Ihde was returned to office with 556 votes. Incumbent Mike Frievalt, with 519 votes, lost his bid for return to the board. Challenger Cory L. Sotka was defeated, with 421 votes. There was also a scattering of 10 write-in votes.
Goodman-Armstrong Creek School District: Both incumbents were returned to office. Timothy Barribeau had 281 votes and Laura Klescewski had 271 votes. There was a scattering of seven write-in votes. By a margin of 162 to 49 electors in the Goodman portion of the school district supported a resolution authorizing the district to exceed the state-imposed property tax levy limits by $750,000 each year for three years, starting with the 2022-2023 school year, to pay school operating expenses and maintenance costs.
Lena School District: Incumbents Edward Huberty and Timothy A. Goldschmidt were unopposed for return to the School Board. Tally was 339 votes for Huberty and 316 for Goldschmidt.
Marinette School District: There were three openings and five candidates seeking to fill them. Incumbents Eric Craver, 693 votes; Terri Florek, 927 votes, and Chuck Rowell, 632 votes, were returned to office. They defeated challengers Todd Oleszak, 535 votes, and Martin Shaw, 529 votes.
Niagara School District: This district had three seats to be filled and three candidates seeking to fill them, so there was no competition. Incumbents Ann Brasure and Lisa Swanson were returned to office with 244 votes each. Kimberly Champeau-Dumke, with 247 votes, will fill the vacancy left by Patti Sparapani, who did not seek return to office. There were 13 write-in votes cast for John Osterman and one other write-in vote.
Peshtigo School District: Peshtigo School Board had three openings for Board members and four candidates seeking to fill them, including the three incumbents. With Oconto County results not yet reported, the unofficial tally says challenger Kevin Roeder drew 443 votes to defeat Kelly Jones, 243 votes, for the Seat # 4 position on the board. Running unopposed, Jenni Schwittay drew 614 votes for Seat #2, and Joe Nault drew 622 votes. There were two write-in votes for each of their seats.
Wausaukee School District: The two spots to be filled on the Wausaukee School Board were won by Robert Orlando with 457 votes and Brandon Taylor, with 421 votes. Incumbent Joe Lanich, with 282 votes, was defeated in his bid for return to office. Incumbent Sherri Schlies did not seek re-election.
Suring: After serving 21 years on the board, many of them as board president, Incumbent Wayne Sleeter, with 317 votes was defeated by challenger Rhonda Stuart, with 540 votes. Incumbent Amanda Seibert, unopposed for another term on the board, received 694 votes.
COUNTY BOARD:
Competition was slight for County Board Supervisor positions, with contested races in only six of Marinette County's 30 districts.
District 1: Former Supervisor Gilbert Engel challenged incumbent Roger Allen. Allen retained his seat on the board with 106 votes to 64 for Engel.
District 2: Incumbent Al Sauld, unopposed, received 155 votes.
District 3: In a hotly contested race, incumbent Bill Stankevich, Goodman, was returned to office with a narrow margin over challenger Thomas A. Oldenburg, Amberg. Tally was 176 votes for Stankevich to 161 for Oldenburg.
District 4: Incumbent Clancy Whiting, Beecher, with 52 votes, lost to challenger Kenneth Hanson, of Pembine, who won with 98 votes.
District 5: Political newcomer Christopher Norton of Silver Cliff, unopposed, drew 163 votes in the recently re-organized district. Tricia Grebin, of Dunbar, who was supervisor of the former District 5, did not seek re-election.
District 6: Incumbent George Kloppenburg, Amberg, lost to challenger Hank Novak of Wausaukee. There were 146 votes for Kloppenburg and 213 for Norton.
District 7: Incumbent Bonnie Popp, Town of Stephenson, unopposed for return to office, received 211 votes.
District 8: Incumbent Robert Hoyer, Crivitz, unopposed, received 246 votes.
District 9: There were 184 votes for unopposed incumbent John Guarisco, who also is current County Board Chair.
District 10: Incumbent Stan Gruszynski, Porterfield, unopposed, received 133 votes.
District 11: There were 147 votes for unopposed incumbent Robert Holley, who currently is County Board Vice-Chair.
District 12: Incumbent Ginger Deschane, Crivitz, unopposed, drew 162 votes.
District 13: Incumbent Penny Chaikowski of Porterfield did not seek re-election. Former Marinette County Board Chair Mark Anderson won the position with 128 votes, defeating Kevin Schutte, who had 97 votes. Several years ago, before his recent move to the Town of Lake/Porterfield area, Schutte had been Pound Village President and then was director of public works there.
District 14: Incumbent Thomas Buelteman, unopposed, was returned to office with 120 votes.
District 15: Incumbent Glenn Broderick, Pound, unopposed for return to his County Board Supervisor position, drew 156 votes. He lost a bid for a spot on the Pound Town Board.
District 16: Incumbent Supervisor Connie Seefeldt, unopposed, received 153 votes.
District 17: Incumbent Supervisor Thomas Mandli, Peshtigo, unopposed, received 137 votes.
District 18: Incumbent Supervisor Christopher Gromala, Peshtigo, unopposed, drew 178 votes.
District 19: Incumbent Jillian Schutte did not seek return to office. There were 199 votes cast for Rick Thill, who was the sole candidate.
District 20: Incumbent Mike Behnke did not seek return to office. There were 189 votes for Allen England, who was the sole candidate.
District 21: There were 196 votes for Incumbent Tom Gromala, who was unopposed.
District 22: Incumbent Don Pazynski, Town of Peshtigo, unopposed, received 236 votes.
District 23: City of Marinette. Incumbent supervisor Ken Keller was defeated, 101 to 162, by challenger Timothy Pelzek. Keller retained his position as an alderperson on Marinette City Council.
District 24: City of Marinette. Incumbent Gail Wanek, unopposed, drew 74 votes.
District 25: City of Marinette. Incumbent Paul Gustafson, unopposed, received163 votes.
District 26: City of Marinette. Shirley Kaufman, unopposed, drew 123 for return to her position as County Board Supervisor for District 26.
District 27: City of Marinette. Veteran Supervisor Ted Sauve, who has served 50 years on County Board, did not seek re-election. His position will be filled by Wally Hitt, who drew 81 votes as the sole candidate. Hitt formerly was an Alderman on Marinette City Council, and for many years was Youth Educator with UWEX.
District 28: City of Marinette. Incumbent Tom Mailand, unopposed, received 56 votes.
District 29: City of Marinette. Incumbent Rick Polzin drew 101 votes, to defeat challenger Andi Rich, who received 45 votes.
District 30: City of Marinette. Political newcomer Denise Oleszak, as the only candidate on the ballot, won the position with 126 votes. Incumbent Al Mans had filed for re-election, but passed away on February 1, so his name did not appear on the ballot. James Bird, as a registered write-in candidate, received 50 votes.
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