The 2019 Wisconsin Spring Election was held in the U.S. state of Wisconsin on April 2, 2019. There was one seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court on the ballot, as well as several other nonpartisan local and judicial elections. There were also a number of local referendums for school funding. The 2019 Wisconsin Spring Primary was held February 19, 2019.
In the Supreme Court election, the Republicans' preferred candidate defeated the Democrats' preferred candidate. In all, only 1 incumbent judge lost their seat in this election, while 2 others retired.
Election information
Turnout
Turnout in the April 2 election was 27% of the voting age population.[1]
State elections
Legislative
State Assembly 64th district special election
A special election was held to fill the 64th district seat of the Wisconsin State Assembly. The seat was vacated by former Wisconsin Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca who had been appointed to the cabinet of Governor Tony Evers. At the time of the election, the 64th Assembly district contained the northern half of the city of Kenosha, along with suburban areas of southeastern Racine County. It is considered a safe democratic seat.
The primary for this seat was held at the spring general election on April 2. Democrat Tip McGuire defeated Gina Walkington and Spencer Zimmerman for the Democratic nomination while Mark Stalker won the Republican nomination unopposed.[2] The special general election was then held April 30, and McGuire defeated Stalker 62.35% to 37.56%.[3]
Judge Mark Gundrum was unopposed seeking re-election to a second full term in District II.
Judge Lisa K. Stark was unopposed seeking re-election to a second full term in District III.
In District IV, administrative law judge Jennifer E. Nashold was unopposed in the election to succeed retiring judge Paul Lundsten.
State Circuit Courts
Twenty nine of the state's 249 circuit court seats were up for election in 2019. Only three of those seats were contested. Only one incumbent was defeated for re-election—Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Andrew A. Jones, who had been appointed a year earlier by Governor Scott Walker to fill the vacancy created by Judge Rebecca Dallet's elevation to the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
A regularly scheduled mayoral election was held in Green Bay concurrent with the Spring election. Democratic former state representative Eric Genrich defeated small business owner Patrick Buckley. Four-term Republican incumbent mayor Jim Schmitt was not a candidate for re-election.[9]
A regularly scheduled mayoral election was held in Madison concurrent with the Spring election. Seven-term incumbent mayor Paul Soglin was defeated by former city councilmember Satya Rhodes-Conway.[10]
Outagamie County
Outagamie County executive
A regularly scheduled county executive election was held in Outagamie County concurrent with the spring election. Democratic incumbent executive Tom Nelson was reelected without opposition.[11]
Racine County
Racine mayor
A regularly scheduled mayoral election was held in Racine concurrent with the Spring election. Incumbent mayor Cory Mason won his first full term, defeating a write-in campaign by city councilmember Sandy Weidner. Mason had previously won a special election to fill the remainder of the term of Mayor John Dickert, who had resigned.[12]
Winnebago County
Oshkosh mayor
A regularly scheduled mayoral election was held in Oshkosh concurrent with the Spring election. Incumbent mayor Steve Cummings was defeated by city councilmember and deputy mayor Lori Palmeri.[13]
School referendums
There were 60 local education-funding referendums on the ballot in the 2019 election, at a total value of approximately $1.2 billion. 45 of those referendums passed, awarding the school districts approximately $783 million in additional funding.[14]
