3 referendum questions and local, state, national elections on November 8 ballot

By LeAnn R. Ralph

COLFAX  —  Three local referendum questions and a variety of local, state and national elections will be on the ballot in the November 8 election.

School referendum

The Colfax school district will be asking voters to say “yes” or “no” November 8 on a $7.2 million referendum question.

Items that will be part of the $7.2 million referendum include replacing temporary classrooms at the elementary school for $1.4 million; building infrastructure for $2.2 million; a bus maintenance building for $750,000; technical education and Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) expansion for $1.2 million; improving safety and security for $650,000; and district bus replacement for $600,000.

In addition to the construction items and the buses, the referendum question will include $400,000 to pay off the school district’s unfunded pension liabilities.

A “yes” vote would authorize the school district to proceed with the projects and paying off the unfunded pension liability.

Town of Colfax

A referendum question on the ballot for Town of Colfax voters will ask whether the town clerk should be appointed by the town board.

Currently the clerk position in the Town of Colfax is an elected position, and nominations for clerk are made during a town caucus.

An elected clerk must be a resident of the township.

If voters approve authorizing the Colfax Town Board to appoint a clerk, applicants would submit an application to the town board.

An appointed clerk is not required to be a resident of the township.

Town of Otter Creek

A referendum question on the ballot for Town of Otter Creek voters will ask whether the combined position of town clerk-treasurer should be appointed by the town board.

Electors in the township voted at a special town meeting in August to combine the positions of clerk and treasurer.

Currently, the clerk-treasurer position in the Town of Otter Creek would be an elected position, and nominations for clerk-treasurer would be made during a town caucus.

If voters approve authorizing the Otter Creek Town Board to appoint a clerk-treasurer, applicants would submit an application to the town board.

An elected clerk-treasurer would be required to be a resident of the township.

An appointed clerk-treasurer is not required to be a town resident.

District attorney

Two candidates will be on the ballot in Dunn County November 8 for district attorney.

Andrea Nodolf, the current Dunn County district attorney, is running as a Republican.

Holly Wood Webster, an assistant district attorney in Dunn County, is running on the Democratic ticket.

County clerk

Only one candidate will be on the ballot for Dunn County clerk.

Incumbent Dunn County Clerk Julie A. Wathke of Boyceville is running as a Democrat.

Wathke was appointed as county clerk in September of 2013 following the death of Marilyn Hoyt in June of that year.

County treasurer

Only one candidate is on the ballot for Dunn County treasurer.

Megan Mittlestadt is running as a Republican.

Mittelstadt was appointed as county treasurer in January of 2014 following the resignation of Cindy Kopp.

In November of 2012, Kopp, who had served as deputy treasurer for 16 years, won the election for treasurer and had defeated Mittelstadt in the August primary.

Register of Deeds

The ballot for the November 8 general election  contains only one candidate for Dunn County register of deeds.

Incumbent Heather M. Kuhn is running on the Democratic ticket.

Kuhn served as the deputy register of deeds for nearly 16 years and ran for election in November of 2012.

67th Assembly District 

Two candidates will be on the ballot for representative of the state’s 67th Assembly District.

The current representative of the 67th Assembly District is Tom Larson from Colfax, who has decided not to run for re-election because of health concerns.

Larson has served three terms as a representative to the state Assembly.

Democratic candidate Dennis Hunt is from Chippewa Falls and is a former Chippewa County finance manager.

Republican candidate Rob Summerfield is from Bloomer and is a small business owner and operator.

U.S. President

Although people may be the most familiar with the Republican and Democratic candidates for President of the United States, five other candidates also will be on the ballot.

In addition to Donald J. Trump/Michael Pence (Republican Party) and Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine (Democratic Party), the ballot will include Darrell L. Castle/Scott N. Bradley (Constitution Party); Gary Johnson/Bill Weld (Libertarian Party); Jill Stein/Ajamu Baraka (Wisconsin Green Party); Monica Moorehead/Lamont Lilly (Workers World Party); and Rocky Roque De La Fuente/Michael Steinberg (American Delta Party).

U.S. Senator

Three candidates will be on the ballot for United States Senator.

Incumbent Ron Johnson of Oshkosh will be on the Republican ticket.

Democratic challenger Russ Feingold, from Middleton, served in the United States Senate from 1993 to 2011 and lost to Ron Johnson in the 2010 election.

Phillip N. Anderson, a licensed realtor from Fitchburg, is on the ballot for the Libertarian Party.

U.S. Representative 

One candidate is on the ballot for United States Representative in Congress for Wisconsin’s third congressional district.

Democratic incumbent Ron Kind of LaCrosse has served as the representative for the third congressional district since 1997.