February 15 Primary Election will narrow the field in one race
TINA L. SCOTT
EDITOR
The deadline to file paperwork declaring candidacy for local offices, along with the appropriate nomination signatures, was Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022, at 5:00 p.m.
There will be some new names on the ballot in April, and some races will be hotly contested. In some cases, incumbents filed notification of non-candidacy paperwork and will not be running for office this year, while a couple have not, so the timeframe for additional candidates to file candidacy paperwork for those positions was extended to Friday, Jan. 7, 2022, at 5:00 p.m., but no additional candidates stepped forward to run in those races. And, of course, a number of candidates (some new, some incumbents) are running unopposed in the Spring 2022 election on April 5, 2022.
February Primary Election
There will be a Primary Election on Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022, to decide the two candidates who will face off in the April 5 Spring Election for Lincoln County Board Supervisor for District 12. Three candidates filed papers to run for office in that race. The two candidates who receive the highest number of votes in the Primary Election will go head-to-head against one another on the April 5 ballot. The District 12 Primary Election will be held at the Town of Corning, Town of Harding, and Town of Tomahawk Town Halls, respectively.
Multi-jurisdictional race
The position of Multi-Jurisdictional Judge in Merrill/Lincoln County will be a contested race this year. Robert W. Lass is challenging incumbent Ned R. Seubert in the April 5 Spring Election for the position.
City of Merrill races/candidates
Merrill will elect a new Mayor in April. Derek Woellner, the City’s current Mayor, has filed a notification of non-candidacy and will not run for re-election in 2022. Former Merrill Mayor William R. Bialecki [2010-2018] and current City of Merrill Alderman for District 2 Steve Hass are both running for Mayor in the Spring Election. Steve Hass has filed non-candidacy paperwork with regard to his position as Alderman and will not run in that race this year, giving preference to his bid to become Merrill’s 37th Mayor.
Former City Clerk Bill Heideman, who resigned effective Jan. 4, 2022, has filed non-candidacy paperwork and will not run in this election. Instead, two new names in City of Merrill politics will be on the ballot: Lori L. Anderson-Malm and John Guenther are both running for election to be Merrill’s next elected City Clerk.
Incumbent Paul Russell is running for District 1 Alderman unopposed.
Michael J. Caylor, Jr. is running for District 2 Alderman unopposed. Current District 2 Alderman Steve Hass is running for Mayor.
Incumbent Rick Blake is running for District 3 Alderman unopposed.
In District 4, current Alderman Steve Osness has filed non-candidacy paperwork; LaDonna Fermanich is running for the office unopposed.
In District 5, Richard “Dick” Lupton is challenging incumbent John Van Lieshout for the position of Alderman. And in District 6, Kyle Gulke is challenging incumbent Mike Rick for the Alderman position.
Incumbent Mark Weix, Jr. is running unopposed in District 7.
In District 8, incumbent Steve Sabatke will run against challenger Ann Heller on the April 5 ballot. Originally, Renea Frederick had also submitted candidacy paperwork; however, Deputy City Clerk Kathy Unertl confirmed on Friday, Jan. 7, that “After a formal residency challenge, Renea Frederick will not be a candidate included on the District 8 Alderperson ballot.” As a result, no City of Merrill municipal races will be on the Feb. 15 Primary Election ballot as originally thought and announced on Jan. 6 on our website and the Merrill Foto News Facebook page.
Incumbent Ronald Liberty is running unopposed for the position of Street & Weed Commissioner.
Lincoln County Board races/candidates
In Lincoln County Board Supervisor races, incumbent William R. Bialecki will run unopposed for the position of County Board Supervisor for District 1.
In Lincoln County District 2, Robert Weaver has filed non-candidacy paperwork. Lori L. Anderson-Malm will run unopposed for the position of District 2 County Board Supervisor.
In District 3, incumbent Elizabeth McCrank will run unopposed for Board Supervisor.
In District 4, incumbent Joshua Wendt did not submit either candidacy or non-candidacy paperwork by the deadlines, so he will not be listed on the ballot. Steven L. Osness Jr. and Derek Woellner will be listed on the ballot and are vying for the position in the April election.
Incumbent Nathan Peterson is running unopposed in County Board District 5 for Board Supervisor.
In County Board District 6, Landis Paul Holdorf is challenging incumbent Norbert Ashbeck for the Board Supervisor position; in County Board District 7, Wallace Jay Downey is challenging incumbent Greta Rusch; and in County Board District 8, Laurie J. Thiel is challenging incumbent Christopher Heller.
Incumbent Don Friske is running unopposed for County Board Supervisor in District 9.
In District 10, Jesse Boyd is challenging incumbent Judy Woller for the Board Supervisor position; and in County Board District 11, Randal John Detert is challenging incumbent Hans Breitenmoser Jr.
The two candidates to be listed on the April 5 ballot for the County Board Supervisor position for District 12 will be decided in the Feb. 15 Primary Election. Both Julie DePasse and Jon K. Weiler are challenging incumbent Paul Gilk. The two candidates in each race who receive the highest number of votes in the Primary Election will go head-to-head against one another on the April 5 ballot.
In County Board District 13, Alan Bishop is challenging incumbent Calvin Thomas Callahan for the Board Supervisor position; and in County Board District 14, Marguerite Lyskawa is challenging incumbent Brian Hafeman for the Board Supervisor position.
In District 15, incumbent Ann Nelson did not submit either candidacy or non-candidacy paperwork by the deadlines, so she will not be listed on the ballot. Marty R. Lemke will run unopposed on the April 5 ballot.
In County Board District 16, Sarah Ann Miller is challenging incumbent Michael Loka for the Board Supervisor position; in District 17, George Brixius is challenging incumbent Kevin Koth for the District’s Board Supervisor position; in District 18, Kenneth L. Wickham is challenging incumbent Patricia Voermans for the Board Supervisor position; in District 19, Matthew Webb is challenging incumbent Julie L Allen for the Board Supervisor position; and in County Board District 20, Angela Marie Cummings is challenging incumbent Dora Gorski for that District’s Board Supervisor position.
Incumbent Eugene Simon will run unopposed for the Board Supervisor position in County Board District 21.
In County Board District 22, incumbent Timothy Panfil filed his notification of non-candidacy, so Greg Hartwig will run unopposed for the Board Supervisor position of Lincoln County’s final District.