Heil, Fricke top vote-getters in Minocqua town board primary

STAR JOURNAL REPORT

Less than 2,000 voters went to the polls in Oneida County on Tuesday when the only race countywide on the spring primary ballot was for state superintendent of public instruction.

The county results mirrored the statewide returns with the top-two finishers who advanced to the April 4 general election.

Tony Evers, who is seeking his third four-year term as state superintendent, was the top primary vote-getter statewide and also was the top choice by a wide margin in Oneida County with 1,335 votes.

Lowell E. Holtz, who retired last year as the administrator in the Whitnall School District in southwest Milwaukee County, will face Evers in the general election after finishing second statewide and also recorded the second-highest vote total in Oneida County at 382.

The director of federal and state programs in the Dodgeville School District, John Humphries, finished third statewide and picked up 150 votes in Oneida County.

MINOCQUA TOWN BOARD

Only voters in the town of Minocqua had another race to vote for in Tuesday’s primary when they narrowed the three candidates running for “Supervisor 2” down to two. An incumbent supervisor, Sue Heil, advanced to the general election as the top vote-getter with 155. Brian Fricke will face her in April after finishing second in the primary with 117 votes. Cindy Kyska didn’t make the general election ballot after placing third in the primary with 54 votes.

LOW VOTER TURNOUT

Compared to the last time Oneida County voters went to the polls this past November for the fall general election, Tuesday’s spring primary had less than one-tenth of the turnout.  The county had 21,871 total voters who cast ballots for the Nov. 8 general election, compared to 1,947 for the Feb. 21 spring primary.