Voters in Door County have a number of important choices to make in the Aug. 11 Wisconsin partisan primary election, not just for offices at the state level but also locally.
The primary election, of course, will narrow the number of nominees for a particular office to one from each party, and several important offices have contested races within the parties, including governor, state Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives and sheriff for Door County.
Candidates who advance through the primaries will face off in the Nov. 3 general election. Here’s a quick look at what’s on your ballots.
Door County primaries: Sheriff, court clerk
Door County offices that are up for election this fall are sheriff and clerk of circuit court, and both races have contested primaries.
The primary in the sheriff’s race is on the Republican ticket, with Capt. Carl Waterstreet and Deputy Curt Vandertie of the sheriff’s office competing for the chance to challenge incumbent Sheriff Tammy Sternard, who is running for reelection to a third term as a Democrat and is the only registered Democratic candidate for the seat. Law enforcement veteran Randy Wagner, a retired veteran of the Denver Police Department, also is running as an independent candidate.
Waterstreet and Vandertie each bring many years of law enforcement to the race. Waterstreet was named the sheriff’s office’s first-ever Professional Standards Captain in 2021 and has held the role since. Previously, he spent six years as a special agent and special senior agent with the Wisconsin Department of Justice, and in his 15 years with the Sturgeon Bay Police Department (2000-15) he led investigations as part of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force among other duties.
Vandertie has had a career in public safety in Door County for nearly three decades, including the past 17 as a deputy sheriff. He also has been a member of the Brussels-Union-Gardner Fire Department for 29 years, the past 18 years as its fire chief. Vandertie also has worked 26 years in emergency medical services, serving as an EMT for the county and an emergency medical responder with BUG for 17 years.
For the circuit court clerk’s race, Democratic candidates Shannon Lauder and Pamela Parks will vie for the nomination to join Republican Becky Rericha on the November ballot to replace incumbent Connie DeFere, who is not seeking reelection.
State primary races: Wisconsin governor
The primary races for the next governor of Wisconsin (replacing Gov. Tony Evers, who is not seeking reelection) have been in the spotlight this year – yes, both major parties technically have contested primaries for that office.
The Democratic primary for governor has seven names on the ballot, but only four continue to actively seek the nomination. Francesca Hong of Madison, a chef and Assembly representative since 2021; Milwaukee County Executive and former state representative David Crowley; former state representative and current state Sen. Kelda Roys of Madison; and former Wisconsin Secretary of State Joel Brennan.
Hong holds a significant lead in the polls that has grown steadily throughout the summer, though her campaign has had to answer questions about Hong’s unabashedly progressive views, her being a member of the Democratic Socialists of America organization and her stances and past comments on law enforcement and other subjects. Hong recently said she doesn’t agree with every part of the Democratic Socialists’ platform and that some of her views have “evolved” since past comments were made.
The other names on the Democratic ballot are former Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. CEO Missy Hughes, current Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez and former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, but they since have dropped out of the race. Barnes was second to Hong in polls at the time he dropped out but trailed by more than 20 percentage points at the time.
Crowley also had suspended his campaign, saying he didn’t see a path to win, but resurrected it after Rodriguez dropped out. He subsequently picked up Evers’ endorsement, with Evers citing Crowley’s work as Milwaukee County executive and ability to work with politicians of other views to get things done.
There is a primary for the Republican nomination for governor, too, with two candidates on the ballot. However, U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, who represented northwestern Wisconsin in the state Assembly and Senate before his election to Congress in 2020, holds an enormous lead in the polls over Andy Manske, a 27-year-old medical service technician from the Milwaukee area who is campaigning as a political outsider but has been in the single digits in every poll. Tiffany received the endorsement of President Donald Trump and has long been a proponent of Trump.
U.S. Congressional primary
Three Democratic candidates are on the primary ballot to run against Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Tony Wied for the 8th District seat in the House of Representatives, which includes all of Door County and most of northeastern Wisconsin.
They are retired business owner and wealth management advisor Mark Scheffler, who says he’s campaigning on building sustainable growth and running as a progressive independent; 20-year Army veteran and former Green Bay School Board member Rick Crosson, who’s campaigning as a coalition builder; and Katrina deVille, a transgender singer campaigning as a Democratic Socialist and political outsider.
State primary races: State Senate
Primaries are on the ballot for candidates running as Republicans to earn the party’s nomination for the 1st District of the Wisconsin State Senate. The incumbent, Republican Sen. Andre Jacque, is retiring, and no Democratic candidates are seeking the office, but small-business owner and former Republican Party of Brown County chair Mark Becker is running for the seat in the November election as an independent candidate.
The Republican primary nominees are Sturgeon Bay farmer and combat veteran Jacob VandenPlas; Nic Cravillion of New Franken, a veteran and local small-business owner who served as Jacque’s district director for five years and recently picked up his endorsement; Katie Baney of De Pere, who previously worked with U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson and Rep. Patrick Ryan and now is with Delta Defense, the service provider for the United States Concealed Carry Association; and Barbara Bittner, a farmer, business owner and former chair of the Republican Party of Calumet County.
State primary races: Other offices
Other state offices up for election in November have contested party primaries Aug. 11.
On the Republican side, contending for lieutenant governor are David Varnam and Will Martin; and for secretary of state, Jay Schroeder, Brayden Myer, Nate Pollnow and Cindy Werner.
Only one Democrat is running for both the lieutenant governor and secretary of state position, but has two candidates seeking the nomination for state treasurer – Yee Leng Xiong and Dylan Ray Helmenstine.
When and where can I vote?
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 11. Early in-person voting opened in Wisconsin on July 28, and those interested in voting before Tuesday should contact their local municipal clerk for specific hours and information. A photo ID is required at the polling place for registered voters to receive a ballot, and proof of residency is required to register. All polling places are accessible for older persons and those with disabilities.
For those residing in townships in Door County, the polls will be in the town halls for Baileys Harbor, Clay Banks, Egg Harbor, Forestville, Gardner, Jacksonport, Liberty Grove, Nasewaupee (which doubles as the fire station), Sevastopol and Union (which also is the community center); the community centers in the towns of Brussels, Gibraltar and Washington; and Arle Memorial Hall (the former Knights of Columbus hall) in the Town of Sturgeon Bay.
For residents of Door County villages, polling places will be in the Bertschinger Community Center in Egg Harbor, the administrative office in Ephraim (10005 Norway St. at County Q), Forestville Village Hall, and the Sister Bay Fire Station.
In the City of Sturgeon Bay, those living in District 1, 2 or 3 (Wards 1 through 9) can vote at City Hall, 421 Michigan St.; those in District 4 or 5 (Wards 10-15 and 22) in the social hall at Bay View Lutheran Church, 340 W. Maple St.; and those in District 6 or 7 (Wards 16 to 21) at the community center/ARDC building, 914 N. 14th Ave.
For more information about voting in Door County, visit co.door.wi.gov, click on “Election Results” under the Our County tab at the top of the page, then click “Voter & Election Information.” The page includes links to pages about voter registration, ID cards, finding what’s on your ballot and more.
Contact Christopher Clough at 920-562-8900 or cclough@usatodayco.com.
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This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Here’s your voter guide to the Aug. 11 primary election in Door County
Reporting by Christopher Clough, Green Bay Press-Gazette / Green Bay Press-Gazette
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Christopher Clough, Green Bay Press-Gazette | USA TODAY Network
