STEVENS POINT – Portage County voters headed to the polls Tuesday to cast ballots in several contested races including for Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice, Portage County executive, Portage County Board and Stevens Point School Board.
The Portage County Board will have several new faces after 10 current supervisors filed for noncandidacy in their districts.
Here are the results of the Portage County executive and Board of Supervisors races.
Portage County executive
Eric Olson defeated Ray Reser for the Portage County executive seat. The seat was previously occupied by John Pavelski who defeated Olson in 2022 by a slim margin and announced his noncandidacy in this race in December 2025.
Olson, 53, works as the director of Extension Lakes at UW-Stevens Point. He holds a bachelor’s degree in urban forestry and a master’s degree in urban and regional planning.
“I have worked in public service for over 30 years and understand how government decisions can affect people across our community, from farmers and small businesses to families and seniors,” Olson told the Stevens Point Journal before the election. “I want to leverage my background, experiences and community connections to defend and advance the public good in Portage County.”
Portage County Board
District 1
Doug Stingle defeated Stephen Klein for the District 1 seat on the Portage County Board. The seat was previously held by Vinnie Miresse, who filed for noncandidacy in the race.
Stingle, 50, works as an alumni relations specialist at UW-Stevens Point. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from UW-Eau Claire with a major in history and a minor in political science. He has lived in Portage County for 23 years and also served on the City of Stevens Point’s Sustainability Commission.
District 8
Dax Burroughs defeated Desiree Redditt for the District 8 seat on the Portage County Board. The seat was previously held by Joan Honl, who filed a declaration of noncandidacy in the race.
Burroughs, 45, is a retired Army officer and holds a Master of military operational arts and sciences and Master of Business Administration.
District 12
Incumbent Michael J. Splinter defeated Danny Mercer for the District 12 seat on the Portage County Board.
Splinter, 74, is a retired claims adjuster for Sentry Insurance. He has 35 years of experience working in the insurance industry and 10 years on the County Board representing District 12.
District 14
Incumbent Chris Randazzo defeated Kevin Ebel for the District 14 seat on the Portage County Board.
Randazzo, 56, is a small business owner. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from UW-Stevens Point and has served two previous terms on the Portage County Board.
District 15
Incumbent Nancy Eggleston defeated Al Haga for the District 15 seat on the Portage County Board.
Eggleston, 70, is retired from serving as Wood County’s environmental health and communicable disease supervisor. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from UW-Stevens Point along with receiving further education from the University of Illinois-Chicago MidAmerica Public Health Leadership Institute, and the UW-LaFollette School of Public Affairs Women in Government Leadership Program.
District 17
Incumbent Suzanne Oehlke defeated Bambi Pinkerton for the District 17 seat on the Portage County Board.
Oehlke, 71, works as a registered dietitian. She holds a Master of Science degree in nutritional sciences administration.
“I will work hard to find common ground and create a platform that works in collaboration with county leadership and constituents,” Oehlke told the Stevens Point Journal before the election. “I am eager to serve another term, and I will use our local resources and subject matter experts to strengthen supportive relationships for the mission and priorities of our county.”
District 19
Scott Soik defeated incumbent Amberle Schwartz for the District 19 seat on the Portage County Board.
District 20
Greg Hakala defeated Richard Duerr for the District 20 seat on the Portage County Board.
Hakala, 75, is a retired accountant/divisional controller. He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Southern Illinois University. He aims to address issues related to groundwater quality and property taxes in the county.
District 25
Travis Bassett defeated Walter Leppen for the District 25 seat on the Portage County Board. The seat was previously held by Ray Reser, who filed for noncandidacy in the race as he pursued election to the Portage County executive seat.
Bassett, 40, works as an apple orchard and apple services business owner and previously worked as a teacher at Iola-Scandinavia Schools and Aquinas Middle School in La Crosse. He holds a bachelor’s degree in middle and secondary education and minor in environmental studies from Viterbo University in La Crosse and a master’s degree in educational leadership and policy from UW-Oshkosh.
Erik Pfantz covers local government and education in central Wisconsin for USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin and values his background as a rural Wisconsinite. Contact him at epfantz@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Stevens Point Journal: These candidates won Portage County executive and County Board races
Reporting by Erik Pfantz, Stevens Point Journal / Stevens Point Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
