Leader Staff
Nearly a third of incumbent Shawano County Board supervisors will face challengers in April’s spring election, though one less than expected after one candidate learned he had filed in the wrong district.
The deadline was 5 p.m. Tuesday for potential candidates for area municipal races to return their nomination papers and supporting signatures. Candidates for local school boards, who aren’t required to gather signatures, also had until 5 p.m. to file a declaration of candidacy.
All 27 county supervisors are up for re-election and all have filed for another two-year term. Eight of them will have opposition on the April 1 ballot.
• District 5 incumbent Sandy Steinke will face a challenge from John Granchay. The district includes Wards 9 and 10 in the city of Shawano. Another possible candidate, Billy Suprise, did not return his nomination papers.
• District 10 incumbent Robert Krause will be up against challenger David Korth. The district includes Ward 3 of the town of Washington and Wards 1 and 2 of Green Valley.
• District 12 incumbent Kathy Luebke will face a challenge from Ken Bierhals. The district includes the town of Maple Grove, Ward 2 of the town of Lessor and the part of Pulaski in Shawano County.
• District 18 incumbent Steven Gueths will be up against challenger Cheryl Klapste. The district includes Wards 2 and 3 of the town of Richmond.
• District 19 incumbent and County Board Vice Chairman Arlyn Tober will face a challenge from Leone Schneidewend. The district includes the town of Pella, Ward 2 of the town of Herman and Ward 1 of the town of Grant.
• District 20 incumbent Rick Giese will face opposition from challenger Lauralee Roe. The district includes Ward 1 of the town of Herman, Ward 2 of Red Springs and all of the village of Gresham.
• District 23 incumbent Ray Faehling will go up against challenger Annette Rockey. The district includes Fairbanks and Tigerton.
• District 27 incumbent Marion Wnek will face a challenge from former county supervisor Jon Zwirschitz. The district includes the towns of Hutchins and Almon and the village of Mattoon.
In addition to County Board races, there will be a three-way contest for two seats on the Shawano School Board.
Incumbents Julie Van Dyck and Marcia Yeager are seeking re-election in Area 4, as is challenger Beth McFarland. The two top vote-getters will be elected.
Michael Sleeper, who was appointed to Area 2 last year to replace Jim Heinz, is running unopposed.
In the city of Shawano, Mayor Lorna Marquardt, City Attorney Tim Schmid and alderpersons Rhonda Strebel, Fred Ponschok and John Hoeffs are unopposed.