Election season begins with long list of candidates

Three aldermen in Oak Creek face challengers in the spring election, and three candidates want the top spot as mayor. But the Franklin School Board is emerging as another race to watch: Six candidates including the incumbents are vying for two seats.

The deadline for candidates in municipal and school board races to file nomination papers was 5 p.m. Tuesday; the general election will be April 3 and a primary where needed will be Feb. 21.

With three contenders for Oak Creek mayor, there will be a primary. Aldermen Stephen Scaffidi and Thomas Michalski as well as Oak Creek-Franklin School Board Member Mark Verhalen are vying for the city's top spot. The term is three years.

Meanwhile, each aldermanic seat up for election this year is being challenged. Alderman Daniel J. Bukiewicz will face challenger Zachary Johnson; Alderman Michael Toman will face challenger Rosemarie Annonson; and Alderman Thomas A. Michalski will face challengers Christopher Guzikowski and Ed Reader. Aldermen serve two years.

The three-year term of city clerk is being sought by LeAnn Launstein, Suzette Emmer and Catherine A. Roeske, and two candidates - incumbent Barbara A. Guckenberger and Tony Paladino- - are making bids for treasurer.

The role of municipal judge is the only Oak Creek position not being challenged. The incumbent Alice A. Rudebusch is seeking another four-year term.

Two Oak Creek-Franklin School Board members, Kathleen Borchardt and Brian Kaminski, want to return to the board for another three-year term and are facing competition from Sheryl Cerniglia.

In Franklin, the race to watch is the Franklin School Board, where incumbents Janet Evans and Judith Bialk face four contenders: David Works, John Thompson, Aimee Schlueter and Donald Petre. The seats carry three-year terms. A primary is needed to whittle the number of candidates down to four.

In the Franklin city election, only the position of municipal judge, held now by Frederick Klimetz, is up. It is a four-year term. No one is challenging Klimetz in his re-election bid.

Two Greendale School Board positions are up for re-election in the spring. No one is challenging the incumbents, Vice President Joe Capritto and Treasurer Anne Szcygiel. Terms are three years.

The three-year terms of Greendale Village President John Hermes and Trustees Sally Chadwick and Alan Sikorski will all be on the spring ballot, as will the position of municipal judge, a two-year term now filled by Mark Kapocius. None of those positions are being challenged.

Hales Corners Village President Robert Ruesch's position is up for re-election, and David Adams is now a contender for that role. Trustees Mary Bennett, Marjorie Stahl and Daniel Besson are seeking re-election, and no challengers have surfaced. All have three-year terms.