As I write this the President elected in November has not yet been inaugurated and the candidates for the spring elections are already known! There are a couple of critical state-wide contests and a few “regional” elections in the judicial arena at the District Appeals Court or County Circuit Court level. Additionally, there will be elections for local municipal offices and School District Boards of Education. They are all important!

I expressed my thoughts about the election for the State Superintendent of Public Instruction a few short weeks ago (published on December 28th) and not much has changed. The incumbent, Jill Underly, is a liberal Democrat bureaucrat that has been faulted for mismanagement and poor communications. She is in conflict with the Governor. Most recently she has been questioned on the significant changes to standard test scores. She is backed by the Democratic Party. She is not my choice!

The WEAC (teachers’ union) PAC was so unhappy with the incumbent that they went out and found a challenger in Jeff Wright, a current School District Superintendent with a variety of experience but primarily in the traditional schoolhouse. He too is a liberal Democrat that twice ran unsuccessfully for State Assembly. I have been told that while Underly may be problematic, Wright is less acceptable. He is not my choice.

Until a few short weeks ago these were the only announced candidates. Then, a professional educator with diverse educational leadership experience announced. Brittany Kinser has been called “a candidate for DPI that is on the side of providing students with an actual education”. She is an Independent that has been compared to a “Blue Dog Democrat”. (Blue Dog Democrats are fiscally responsible, lead the way to find commonsense solutions, are pragmatic, and transcend party lines to get things done.) Her educational leadership experience goes far beyond the traditional American classroom, thus giving her the foundation to successfully lead Wisconsin schools and students into the future! She would be the best of the three to adjust to the unknown changes coming from Washington. Brittany Kinser is clearly my choice!

As there are three candidates, there will be a Primary on February 18th and the top two vote-getters will be on the April 1st Spring Election ballot.

The other major state-wide election is for Justice of the Supreme Court. There is no incumbent as Justice Ann Walsh Bradley announced her retirement some time ago. The first to announce was Waukesha County Circuit Judge Brad Schimel who is the former State Attorney General and before that the Waukesha District Attorney. Judge Susan Crawford, currently on the Dane County Circuit Court, will also be on the ballet.

Currently both candidates are County Circuit Court Judges, but former State Attorney General Schimel seems to have the better experience to become a Supreme Court Justice. Schimel is a Constitutionalist that believes in the Rule of Law. Crawford has already disclosed how she would rule based on her personal beliefs without even hearing the possible case! Further, she is endorsed by the departing Justice Bradley and the other three current justices that make up the current liberal majority – the ones that determined the districting maps were inappropriate after previously finding them to be Okay. Schimel will listen to the case as presented and then study and apply the written law without regards to personal preference. Schimel is my choice.

Regionally, Districts III & IV of the State Appeals Court will have uncontested races with both incumbents running for re-election. The incumbents are Judge Lisa Stark in District III and Judge Jennifer Nashold in District IV. District IV includes most of the Coulee Region while Trempealeau County and points north are in District III.

In County Circuit Courts in the Coulee Region, only Monroe and La Crosse Counties will have elections. In Monroe County, Judge Todd Ziegler is running unopposed for re-election. In La Crosse County, incumbent Judges Elliott M. Levine and Scott L. Horne are running unopposed while two candidates, Joe Veenstra and Eric Sanford, are running to replace the retiring Romona A. Gonzalez. Eau Claire and Crawford Counties are the only other two counties in the 3rd Congressional District with elections for Circuit Court.

Given these judicial elections affecting the Coulee Region and the rest of Wisconsin, “We the People” need to create interest within the ranks of conservative public minded lawyers to consider being a judge; and for conservative county circuit court judges to consider serving on the Appeals Court. The 2026 judicial election season should start soon as District IV of the State Appeals Court will have another election next April.

These are the State-wide and regional elections in the Spring Election. There are numerous local elections for Boards of Education and municipal leadership positions. Exercise your right and responsibility to vote – but get informed first!