Results of local elections reported

ANTIGO — Results of the 2024 Spring Primary Election were posted around 11 p.m. Tuesday night by the Langlade County Clerk’s Office.

Countywide, 42 percent of all eligible voters participated in the election, a number that mirrored the 41 percent participation in the City of Antigo itself.

Just before 3 p.m. Tuesday afternoon, City of Antigo Clerk and Treasurer Kaye Matucheski said even for an April election, the polls were less busy than she expected.

“It’s been steady all day, but I expected it to be a little busier than what it has been,” Matucheski said, adding that she did not feel the snow — which until late in the afternoon was not sticking to the streets — really impacted turnout either.

Barring any unforeseen changes to the reported tallies, the major contests concluded as follows:

County Board

Challengers had strong showings in several contested races for the county board. Incumbent John Medo narrowly held on to Polar’s District 19, picking up just 13 more votes than challenger Roseann Hoffman. In Antigo’s District 7, meanwhile, Chris Below’s 176 votes ousted one-term incumbent Daniel Person, who garnered 64 votes.

Both Medo and Below said they were deeply honored to be elected by their constituents.

“As the District Seven Representative, I will work tirelessly to address the issues that matter most to our community. From advocating for improved infrastructure and public services to promoting economic development and environmental conservation, I pledge to be a voice for all residents of District Seven and Langlade County,” Below said. “I recognize the responsibility that comes with this position, and I am eager to collaborate with my fellow board members, community leaders, and stakeholders to enact positive change and make Langlade County an even better place to live, work, and thrive.”

“First and foremost, I’d like to thank the voters of Polar — not just the ones that voted for me, but all the voters of Polar who got out and voted,” Medo said. “I’m so grateful that I’m allowed now to serve for two more years. As far as 2024, we had our budget approved last October, and we will execute it throughout the year. Midsummer, we will sit down and discuss what we want to do for the future.

Along the way, we’ll follow our strategic plan and our mission statement, which goes something like this: ‘The primary mission of Langlade County government is to provide essential services in a fiscally responsible manner.’ We take that dear to heart.”

Cassidy Quig and Abby Mattek, however, the two candidates who challenged incumbents as write-ins, could not pull off upsets. Carol Bardo defeated Quig 70-11 in District 5, and Andrew Bauknecht defeated Mattek 222-23.

Before the results of the voting came out, Bardo commented on the race with Quiq.

“Regardless of the results, it’s truly been and will be a pleasure for me serving Langlade County,” she said. “I was a registered write-in 2 years ago and I think it’s good that more people are showing interest in local government. For many years that was not the case, and we had the same people doing the same jobs forever. I hope anyone voted into a governing body realizes the time and commitment needed.”

Bauknecht also commented on his victory.

“I am grateful for the chance to represent my neighbors in District 11,” he said. “My aim is to actively listen, engage in collaboration, and uphold integrity in all that I do. I’m excited to foster positive relationships and cooperation as we continue to work towards a better Langlade County for everyone. It is encouraging to see more engagement and commitment to our community through the election process, so I am also grateful for all who took part in the election. I look forward to working together to serve the people and protect the resources of our beautiful Langlade County.”

No other incumbents for county board faced opposition, and as such essentially won by default.

While no candidates appeared on the ballot in Districts 1-3, several registered write-ins competed for votes, with Benjamin Baumgartner, Roy Dieck, and Chet Haatvedt taking Districts 1, 2, and 3, respectively.

Haatvedt said he felt humbled by the respect and trust voters had placed in him.

“I will attempt to always act in a manner that provides the broadest mode of open and transparent government by asking questions and attempting to follow the guidance of state statutes and law to the best of my abilities and understanding, in a way that allows the residents of the district to see what I’m doing,” Haatvedt said. “We have far too many closed sessions, so from that perspective, I hope I can begin to affect change and facilitate what I believe is the underpinning of local government — of the people, by the people.”

Antigo City Council

Mainstay aldermen Tim Kassis and Tom Bauknecht easily held onto their seats on the city council despite the late entry of registered write-in challengers.

Kassis defeated write-in challenger Brian Zaverousky 72-38 in District 3. In District 4, Bauknecht bested Tree Williams 135-15. In an interview with the Antigo Journal the previous week, both challengers had indicated they had run mostly due to the incumbents’ support of a measure that allowed alderpersons to vote remotely at meetings.

“I think the people were pretty adamant that they weren’t against remote voting — I mean, Tom only had 15 votes against him,” Kassis said. “I think the council and I think the people of Antigo spoke, and they were pretty supportive of what we’re doing and wanted to keep us there, so I was happy.”

“I’m honored and thrilled to still be able to represent my Fourth Ward,” Bauknecht said. “I’m happy to be coming back and looking forward to the next couple of years.”

Sixth Ward Alderman Joel Wagner and Eighth Ward Alderman Reinhardt Balcerzak, both of whom faced no opposition, were also re-elected.

Unified School District of Antigo — School Board

Perhaps the most hotly-contested local race, that of the Antigo School Board, saw a mixed bag of candidates claim victories.

Jill Mattek Nelson and Scot Peterson cruised to victory, garnering the most votes of any candidates, with 1,905 and 1,902 votes, respectively. School Board President Danny Pyeatt’s 1,519 votes were good for third-most in the contest.

Pyeatt said he was glad the oftentimes-negative race had finished.

“Honestly, the last few weeks, there’s been a lot of not so nice things that have been said about candidates through social media. I believe that for myself, that’s just something that is not my nature, and I would rather talk to people face to face than trying to hide behind a keyboard. But I believe that all six candidates were passionate about wanting to be elected, and all six candidates put in the hard work that was needed, and I commend all six of us for the hard work,” he said.

Pyeatt went on to invite the candidates who were not elected to remain engaged in the school district.

“There are conversations that need to be had with the community about where we go from here as a board and as a district. It’s not an easy road ahead of us. There’s a lot of work to be done,” Pyeatt said. “But we have great administrators that are in their respective positions that are tackling the tasks on a daily basis, and they are looking for great student achievement. That’s my number one goal: student achievement and what we can do to push student achievement.”

Pyeatt and Mattek Nelson were both incumbents and both endorsed by the Republican Party of Langlade County. Peterson, endorsed by the Democratic Party of Langlade County, will fill the seat of Andy Merry, who did not seek reelection.

He said he believed he had been elected because he ran “to promote bipartisanship in the interest of the kids.”

“I’m going to be on the outside I think,” Peterson said of how he’ll fit into the school board. “But people think I’m a left winger, and I’m not. I’m dead center — maybe left center if anything. But in Langlade County, if you’re not on the right wing, then you’re a liberal, and that’s got to stop. The people in the middle have to have a voice, and these people on the right aren’t letting us. If they try to shut me down like they shut Andy Merry down, I’ll be going to go to the court of public opinion.”

Mattek Nelson said her focus on student achievement, as well as making decisions based on a community-generated strategic plan, led to the strong backing she received Tuesday.

“A strategic plan is what’s going to drive a district, and it keeps board members and administration and staff and students all aligned with what the district goals are. There’s always going to be different personalities and views on the board, but ultimately, you’re elected by your community. A strategic plan drives the decision-making on behalf of the district,” she said. “I’m very grateful for the support from our voters and I’m passionate about student achievement and ensuring that we work to prepare students to be college and career-ready by building their foundational skills to apply their knowledge. For me, that’s very important.”