The race to be Wisconsin’s top education official is wide open for the first time in a dozen years.
It's also only the second time since the 1980s that Tony Evers, who left the post as state superintendent when elected governor, is not on the ballot.
Seven candidates are vying for the officially nonpartisan position. Voters will narrow the field to two in the Feb. 16 primary, and they will face each other in the April 6 general election.
The eventual winner will take over the job at a time when schools are in their second year of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Milwaukee Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs is reminding citizens that early voting has begun for the February 16th Spring Primary.
Early voting is at City Hall, located at 200 E Wells St, on the building's 5th floor.
Early voting will be Tuesday, Feb. 2 through Friday, Feb. 5, and Monday, Feb. 8 through Friday, Feb. 12, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Early voting will end at 5 p.m. on Feb. 5.
Voters can also return their requested absentee ballots by mail or to dropboxes until 5 p.m. on Election Day, Feb. 16.
The contenders are:
- Sheila Briggs (Nonpartisan)
- Joe Fenrick (Nonpartisan)
- Troy Gunderson (Nonpartisan)
- Shandowlyon Hendricks-Williams (Nonpartisan)
- Deborah Kerr (Nonpartisan)
- Steve Krull (Nonpartisan)
- Jill Underly (Nonpartisan)
The dropbox locations are as follows:
- Atkinson Library, 1960 W Atkinson Ave.
- Bay View Library, 2566 S Kinnickinnic Ave.
- Capitol Library, 3969 N 74th St.
- Center Street Library, 2727 W Fond du Lac Ave.
- Central Library Centennial Hall, 733 N 8th St.
- City Hall Complex, 200 E Wells Street, 830 N Market St.
- East Library, 2320 N Cramer St.
- Election Commission Warehouse, 1901 S Kinnickinnic Ave.
- Good Hope Library, 7715 W Good Hope Rd.
- Martin Luther King Library, 310 W Locust St.
- Mitchell Street Library, 906 W Historic Mitchell St.
- Tippecanoe Library, 3912 S Howell Ave.
- Villard Square Library, 5190 N 35th St.
- Washington Park Library, 2121 N Sherman Blvd.
- Zablocki Library, 3501 W Oklahoma Ave.
