PRIMARY COLORS: In E.C. Area, Aug. 13 Election Features Assembly, Congressional Hopefuls
August vote is prelude to Nov. 5 general election
Tom Giffey, photos by Andrea Paulseth |
Election season is here again – although, does it really ever go away anymore? – and Wisconsin voters are faced with a partisan primary on Tuesday, Aug. 13.
And while the presidential race won’t be decided until the Nov. 5 general election, White House hopefuls won’t be the only people on the ballot that day. To make the cut, candidates for other offices have to win their party’s spot in the Aug. 13 primary.
Here’s a brief primer on what races are on the ballot and how, when, and where you can vote.
STATE ASSEMBLY
If you live in or around Eau Claire, many of the yard signs you’ve noticed popping up are for candidates seeking seats in the state Assembly. District lines were redrawn earlier this year, meaning new candidates are running in new places. After more than a decade of mostly being squeezed into one district, the City of Eau Claire is now largely spread across two: the 93rd and the 91st.
Between the two major parties in these districts, there’s only one primary: for the Democratic nomination in the 93rd District. This race features Christian Phelps and Nickolas Butler.
Phelps, an Eau Claire native, has worked as a digital organizer for the Wisconsin Public Education Network as a special education assistant in public schools, and as a freelance journalist. His platform includes boosting education funding, including fixing the state’s school funding formula; passing a law to protect abortion rights in Wisconsin; improving healthcare, including accepting more Medicaid funds from the federal government to expand BadgerCare; as well as protecting the environment, strengthening labor unions, and legalizing cannabis. His campaign website is phelpscampaign.com.
Butler, also an Eau Claire native, is best known as an author, having published five books (with another novel on the way in February). His career has included stints as a union meatpacker as Oscar Mayer, a literacy tutor, a teaching assistant, and an adjunct professor. If elected, he plans to focus on healthcare, including Medicaid expansion; reinvesting in public education and state universities; securing reproductive healthcare, affordable housing, and affordable daycare; and protecting natural resources. His campaign website is nickolasbutlerforassembly.com.
In November, the Democratic primary victor will face Republican James Rolbiecki to win a two-year term. The seat is being vacated by incumbent Republican Rep. Warren Petryk, who isn’t running again. The redrawn district includes much of the west and south sides of the City of Eau Claire, part of the Town of Washington, the City of Osseo, and some other rural areas in Dunn, Eau Claire, and Trempealeau counties.
In the 91st District, meanwhile, incumbent Rep. Jodi Emerson, D-Eau Claire, will face Republican challenger Michele Magadance Skinner. That district now includes the eastern part of the City of Eau Claire, as well as Altoona, Augusta, Fairchild, Fall Creek, and some nearby townships in Chippewa and Eau Claire counties.
U.S. CONGRESS
The other major primary choice local voters may face is for the Democratic nomination in the 3rd Congressional District, which covers a huge area in western and central Wisconsin, including the Chippewa Valley. It is currently represented by first-term U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Prairie du Chien, who faces no primary opposition. On the Democratic side, the primary is a three-way race among Rebecca Cooke of Eau Claire, a small-business owner and nonprofit founder (cookeforwisconsin.com); Katrina Shankland, a state representative from Stevens. Point (katrinashanklandforcongress.com); and Eric Wilson, a mortgage loan officer from Eau Claire (wilsonforwi.com).
WHAT ELSE IS ON THE BALLOT?
A whole lot! Depending on where you live, there may be candidates for different Assembly districts, for state Senate, and for county-level races for positions like district attorney, clerk, and treasurer. In addition, there are two amendments to the state constitution on the ballot, which would prohibit the governor from spending federal funds without legislative approval. To find out what’s on the ballot where you live, visit myvote.wi.gov, click on “What’s On My Ballot,” and enter your address.
NEED TO REGISTER OR FIND WHERE TO VOTE?
If you’re a first-time voter, if you’ve moved, or if you just want to double-check that you are actually registered to vote, visit myvote.wi.gov. There you can confirm your registration, learn what kind of photo ID you’ll need, locate your polling place, and more.
If you aren’t registered to vote already, it’s too late to do so by mail or online for the primary. However, you can register to vote in person at your municipal clerk’s office through Friday, Aug. 9. Find out how to reach the clerk’s office at myvote.wi.gov. Depending on where you live, you might even be able to vote early!
And even if you’ve decided to skip voting in the primary but want to vote in November, it’s a good idea to visit myvote.wi.gov sooner rather than later to get registered in time for Nov. 5.
