Eau Claire County board preliminary votes tallied

EAU CLAIRE — With all precincts reporting a total of 16 contested races in the county board have had their votes tallied, some with extremely close results.

With the difference of only 15 votes Katherine Schneider, who received 424 votes came out in front of Matthew Lehner with 409 votes with all precincts reporting. The votes were nearly cut in half with Schneider receiving 50.78% of the votes and Lehner getting 48.98%

Schneider has represented the 22nd district which is made up of three wards in the City of Eau Claire including wards 3, 24, and 50, since 2020. She ran uncontested in both 2022 and 2020.

She is a retired clinical psychologist and currently supports the idea of the county helping fund a day resource center that will help provide shelter and services to people who are homeless.

Other closer races include incumbent Joe Knight with 413 or 54.41% of the vote vs Chris Connell with 346 or 45.59% of the vote.

“I think it was a hard fought race,” said Knight.

Healthcare will be a big focus for Knight in the upcoming two years. He said he hopes the community, with the help of the county board, can help keep current healthcare professionals and bring in new ones.

Knight is a former outdoors and conservation reporter for the Leader-Telegram. He has represented District 3 since 2018. District 3 is made up of wards 1, 3, 4, and 5 in the Town of Seymour, Ward 36 in the City of Eau Claire, and Ward 11 in the Village of Lake Hallie.

In 2018 he received 387 votes versus his opponent’s 274 and received 398 votes to his opponent’s 331 in 2022. Knight also ran unopposed in 2020.

All incumbents kept their seats, including Knight in District 3, Stella Pagonis in District 4, and current county board chair Nancy Coffey in District 10.

Contested RacesDistrict 2: Brent Knutson, 277; Deirdre Jenkins, 401.

District 3: Joe Knight (I), 413; Chris Connell, 346.

District 4: Stella Pagonis (I), 413; Jon D. Olson, 248.

District 10: Nancy Coffey (I), 559; Keith Stearns, 332.

District 13: Connie Russell (I), 457; Carl Piecuch, 292.

District 16: David Hirsch (I), 317; John Fox, 102.

District 17: Thomas Vue (I), 640; John Staber, 363.

District 18: James A. Dunning (I), 237; Jacob E. Hackbarth, 86.

District 20: John Folstad (I), 509; Jasmine Case, 413.

District 22: Katherine Schneider (I), 424; Matthew Lehner, 409.

District 23: Robin Leary (I), 395; Kyle Polzin, 272.

District 24: Heather DeLuka (I), 517; Josh Zeug, 308.

District 25: Randal J. Hill, 265; Christy L. Tomczak, 439.

District 27: Loralee Clark, 381; Tim Hallett Jr., 225.

District 28: Sam Owens, 190; Jim Schumacher, 546.

District 29: Regina Bataineh, 292; Bob Swanson, 386.