By Duke Behnke
NEW News Lab
NORTHEAST WISCONSIN – The slate of candidates for the fall elections in Wisconsin is coming into focus.
The partisan elections cover the offices of the U.S. president, U.S. Senate, U.S. House, Wisconsin Senate (even-numbered districts) and Wisconsin Assembly.
County offices such as district attorney, clerk, register of deeds and treasurer also are at stake.
The state Senate and Assembly races will reflect new electoral maps that were signed into law by Gov. Tony Evers.
The deadline to file nomination papers was June 3 at 5 p.m.
8th Congressional District (two-year term)
The candidates will appear on the ballot twice — once for a special election to serve out the remaining two months of Mike Gallagher’s term and once for the regularly scheduled election.
Gallagher, R-Green Bay, departed in April and didn’t seek reelection.
The winner of the special election will serve until Jan. 3, after which the winner of the regularly scheduled election will serve a two-year term.
Democrat: Kristin Lyerly
Republicans: Andre Jacque, Roger Roth and Tony Wied. A primary election will be held Aug. 13 to narrow the field to one candidate.
Wisconsin Senate District 2 (four-year term)
The district covers Little Chute and a portion of Kaukauna along its southern border and stretches north covering Seymour, Clintonville and Shawano.
Democrat: Kelly Peterson
Republican: Eric Wimberger, who currently represents District 30
Incumbent Robert Cowles, R-Allouez, who has served since 1987, didn’t seek reelection.
Wisconsin Senate District 30 (four-year term)
The district covers Green Bay and some of its suburbs.
Democrat: Jamie Wall
Republican: Jim Rafter
The new maps placed three senators — Wimberger, Cowles and Jacque — into District 30. Jacque is running for the 8th Congressional District seat and represents the 1st Senate District, which isn’t up for election this year. Cowles is retiring, and Wimberger is running for the 2nd Senate District.
Note: Assembly seats have two-year terms.
Assembly District 1
The 1st Assembly District covers Door and Kewaunee counties and a small portion of northeastern Brown County.
Democrat: Renee Paplham, town of Carlton
Republican: Incumbent Joel Kitchens, Sturgeon Bay; Milt Swagel, West Kewaunee
A primary will be held on Aug. 13.
Assembly District 2
The district covers Kimberly, parts of Kaukauna, Wrightstown, Denmark, Mishicot and Reedsville.
Democrat: Alicia Saunders
Republican: Incumbent Shae Sortwell
Assembly District 4
The 4th Assembly District resembles the old 89th Assembly District, for the most part.
Democrat: Alexia Unertl and Jane Benson
Republican: Incumbent David Steffen and Darwin Behnke (pending state review)
Unertl and Benson will meet in a Democratic primary on Aug. 13; Steffen and Behnke may also have a primary as Behnke’s nomination papers were pending approval.
Behnke’s son, Rep. Elijah Behnke, R-Oconto, represented the 89th Assembly District, but was drawn into District 4 with the new maps. However, he plans to run for the 6th Assembly District and move into that district if he wins.
Assembly District 5
The district covers parts of Outagamie and Brown counties.
Democrat: Greg Sampson
Republican: Incumbent Joy Goeben
Assembly District 6
The 6th Assembly covers municipalities on the western edge of Oconto County and areas in Brown, Menominee, Shawano, Outagamie and Waupaca counties.
Democrat: Shirley Hinze
Republican: Incumbent Peter Schmidt and Elijah Behnke
Schmidt and Elijah Behnke will face off in a primary on Aug. 13. Both are incumbents but under the new legislative map, Behnke was drawn out of his current area, District 89.
Assembly District 88
The 88th Assembly District includes Green Bay suburbs, losing the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay but gaining De Pere.
Democrat: Christy Welch
Republican: Benjamin Franklin and Phil Collins
A primary between Franklin and Collins will be held on Aug. 13.
Incumbent Rep. John Macco, R-Ledgeview, represented the 88th but was drawn out of his district under the new maps and will retire from the Assembly at the end of his term.
Assembly District 89
The 89th Assembly District includes Ashwaubenon and west Green Bay.
Democrat: Ryan Spaude
Republican: Patrick Buckley
Under the new maps, the District 89 legislator, incumbent Rep. Elijah Behnke, was drawn into District 4, but is running for reelection in the 6th District.
Assembly District 90
The 90th Assembly District now includes UW-Green Bay.
Democrat: Amaad Rivera Wagner
Republican: Jessica Henderson
Incumbent, Rep. Kristina Shelton, D-Green Bay, is not running for reelection.
Brown County clerk (four-year term)
Democrat: None
Republican: Incumbent Patrick Moynihan Jr.
Brown County district attorney (four-year term)
Democrat: None
Republican: Incumbent David Lasee
Brown County register of deeds (four-year term)
Democrat: None
Republican: Incumbent Cheryl Berken
Brown County treasurer (four-year term)
Democrat: Dana Vaughan
Republican: Ray Suennen
Former Treasurer Paul Zeller resigned in December.
This story was produced as part of the NEW (Northeast Wisconsin) News Lab, a consortium of six news outlets covering northeastern Wisconsin.