Today’s primary election in Kenosha for mayor, a circuit court judge, an alderperson and the Wilmot referendum has concluded, with voter turnout reported to be average. The top 2 vote-getters from each category now move on to the Spring Election on Tuesday, April 2nd. (All votes have been counted, but the final certification will be completed by the County Board of Canvass on Monday, Feb 26th.) The Wilmot Union High School District referendum failed to pass.
City Mayor
Voters have decided that David Bogdala and Lydia Spottswood will face off in the race for Mayor. The winner will replace longtime retiring mayor John Antaramian. Bogdala, a current alderman, received 39% of the vote, totaling 4,288. Spottswood, a former alderwoman and 1998 congressional candidate, garnered 31%. Alderman Kelly MacKay came in 3rd at around 9%. Koerri Elijah (7%), Gregory Bennett Jr. (3%), Tony Garcia (3%), Mary Morgan (3%), Andreas Meyer (2%) and Elizabeth Garcia (2%) have also been eliminated.
(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
David Bogdala said he was “Very pleased and humbled with tonight’s results. I want to say thank you to all the candidates who worked hard on their campaigns and they should be proud of the issues they brought forward. We will enjoy tonight and the general election starts tomorrow as we continue to deliver a safer, stronger, and more prosperous Kenosha for everyone!”
(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
Lydia Spottswood shared the following statement with KCE: “What an incredible evening- I’m humbled and grateful by the many Kenosha voters who supported our campaign this evening. I would like to extend my gratitude to the other candidates who stepped up to run and ran clean campaigns. I’d also like to extend my gratitude to my team who has worked hard alongside of me. I’m looking forward to the next five weeks of continuing to talk with voters about a vision of Kenosha that will see economic expansion, affordable housing, improved quality of life, and public safety. Check out my website, votespottswood.com to stay connected with my campaign.”
Alderman Kelly MacKay, who entered the race late and placed 3rd, said “I’m proud of our campaign and I look forward to contributing positively to Kenosha’s future. Thank you for the opportunity to participate in this democratic process. Let’s move forward together in unity and purpose.“
Circuit Court Judge, Branch 3
Frank Gagliardi and Heather Iverson will move on to compete for the Branch 3 circuit court judge. Incumbent Gagliardi received 46% of votes, to Iverson’s 38%, and William Michel was defeated at 13%.
(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
Frank Gagliardi had this to say: “I am humbled by the confidence the voters placed in my work as judge of Branch 3 of the Kenosha County Circuit Court. As judge I am committed to upholding the Constitution and protecting your rights and our community’s safety. The courts belong to the people and I am honored to be your judge. I would like to congratulate Commissioner Bill Michel for conducting an ethical, honorable campaign and wish him and his family well. There are 42 days until the spring election and I look forward to continuing to make the case for retaining me as your judge.”
(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
Heather Iverson shared the following statement: “I’m thankful to the voters of Kenosha County for recognizing the value of my integrity, commitment, and experience. As we advance to the general election, I am committed to demonstrating just how vital these principles are in every decision I make on the bench. I remain dedicated to serving the public with fairness and impartiality, and I am honored to have earned the endorsement of law enforcement, further solidifying my commitment to upholding the rule of law.”
Alderperson District 3
District 3 also voted for their alderperson in a 3-way race between incumbent Jan Michalski, Tanya McLean and Cortney Marshall. Michalski (70%) and McLean (18%) defeated Marshall (12%), and will move on to the Spring Election on April 2nd.
Wilmot Referendum
Voters in the Wilmot Union High School District turned down a referendum requesting an additional $7.5 million from taxpayers. The proposal was for operational costs for 3 years: $2M in 2024-25, $2.5M in 2025-26 and $3M in 2026-27. The district voted No at a rate of 54%. Last year’s request for $8.4 million was also defeated last year.
Upcoming Elections and Referendums
- Presidential Preference Vote and Spring Election: Tuesday April 2, 2024.
- Partisan Primary Election: August 13, 2024.
- General Election: November 5, 2024.
- There will also be 2 statewide referendums on the spring ballot. The questions as they will appear on the ballot are below. Notice question #1 is asking if we’d like to ban Zuckerbucks (outside funding and influence of our elections by special interest groups). I wrote about Dark Money Influencing Our Elections back in 2022, and I’m glad to now see it addressed at the ballot.
103 Responses
Kevin, I believe that more people than ever are reading your articles, so you have many more readers than in 2022 when you first wrote about the evil Zuckerbucks. You would do us all a favor if you would educate the county voters even more on this subject. Please make it a focus from now until April 2 so we know exactly what was/is going on concerning election interference. Thank you in advance.
Hey Brainiac. Kevin didn’t write this article. With your lack of clarity, hopefully you dont have offspring.
You know, you can still be “anonymous” but give yourself a name so we can respond to the correct person. Just give yourself a name…..
What a remarkable idea.
No where in that comment does it state “this article” numb nuts. Worst troll ever.
You dirt bag
Simmer down whack job
The race for mayor in Kenosha with nine candidates illustrates the leadership vacuum in the city. While the two survivors from the primary are the most experienced do they represent the city’s past or its future?
Obviously the Wilmot High School district didn’t do a good job of educating voters on the need to raise their own taxes and the vote reflects that.
And the race for circuit judge remains curious where the incumbent is more of a real conservative than the challenger who has yet to make the case why voters should disrupt justice and unseat a sitting judge.
“Wilmont Highschool didn’t do a good job of educating voters on the need to raise their own taxes and the vote reflects that”. Are you serious? People aren’t stupid. They don’t want it!! The “incumbent” judge had been in place just weeks so hardly incumbent. And zero chance he’s more conservative than Heather.
People had plenty of opportunities to attend sessions about the Wilmot referendum. They instead chose to not attend and voted based on misinformation from local idiots who can’t spell referendum. It is also very interesting that a text message went out to thousands of residents before the election saying to vote NO on the Wilmot referendum. ( again the text was filled with inaccurate information) Who would have such a list of names and cell phone numbers, maybe A Current Kenosha County board member who lives in the area? Former Village of Silver Lake board members? stay tuned
So, you are saying that all it took was one text telling people not to vote for the referendum, was more powerful than all of the propaganda telling them to vote for it?
It must’ve been the text message. I mean people can’t really think for themselves right???
Imagine, parents voting against their children’s best interest.
Incumbent judge? Conservative? He was appointed by Evers….a couple of weeks ago.
They all are part of the problem.
I checked, Iverson donated to Scott Walker in 2013 and 2018 – sound like more a conservative to me than the guy who Evers appointed.
The ‘incumbent’ was put on the bench by Evers and has been there for less than a month. I don’t think it would cause a disruption since he has heard less than a handful of cases.
She had a chance to apply for the appointment and chose not to. The process involves an interview by a 15 member screening panel and a character and fitness background investigation. What does she have to hide?
From Evers that’s what she is hiding from, please don’t insult our intelligence.
Nothing !!
I’m sure she realized there was next to zero chance to get the appointment.
(or coronation) from Evers.
And why would she want to be appointed by a died in wool liberal ?
Having Evers endorsement and backing is not who she is.
And as for the screening and background checks, they will be right here. For the next 6 weeks.
My bad.
Not her tits….that’s for sure.
Could be she chose to let the people speak and not take the easy way in by being appointed?
She donated to Walker because she tried to be appointed by him. She was not chosen. Doesn’t that make her a failed judicial candidate?
She had a chance to apply for a neighbor’s appointment, but no chance to get an Eva’s appointment. No way he would ever let a conservative through the vetting process before making his decision. I mean the vetting process where local people that makes sense and others keep him apprised of campaign donations and political orientation. The fact she was smart enough to not even apply proves she’s more qualified than the guy who got appointed.
Evers is the GOAT. Walker fucked the state and all workers.
That’s the best 40 IQ commentary I’ve seen so far today. The sitting judge hasn’t been sitting long enough to get the bench warm, and he is a whining race blamer which hardly makes him more conservative than anyone except maybe BLM headquarters. As for who’s going to be the past or future of kenosha, that’s a senseless as the rhetoric of the candidates themselves. Whoever gets elected is the future of Kenosha, but we don’t need to get turgid about it.🤣🌭
People will take every chance they get to vote against the orange anti christ.
He ( the incumbent) has only been judge a few weeks. Judge Schroeder only retired in late December. Hardly an amount of time or caseload to demonstrate how he will rule. More shocked that the said candidate pulled as many votes as he did in such a short time. Neither candidate has the background of Schroeder and will have to get their running shoes on to fill his.
Its so obvious that the “curious” comment is Gink. Why try to hide when everyone knows the writing style. Shortening up doesn’t disguise you.
I want to see the positions of both Spottswood and Bogdala on the release of the bullet in the Bell case to an outside forensic expert. Is the new mayor going to continue the cover-up or let the truth finally be told?
Get over it
The fight for transparency and justice will never end.
Michael Bell himself frustrated justice in his son’s case. Instead of litigating it in court where the evidence could be heard he accepted a settlement. He could have said that truth was more important than money but he didn’t.
News flash! The City concealed discovery information and evidence from Bell’s attorney in the federal civil rights action. Much if what the intentionally concealed and the resulting perjury was not discovered until after the case was settled. The cover-up continues to this day.
All the more reason, then, for the case to have gone to trial. Mr. Bell is disingenuous.
It was deplorable that the city concealed discovery materials. How can you say that is more reason to take it to trial? The city would still have illegally concealed these materials. It was the diligent work of Bell’s team of researchers that uncovered all these things. Now, everyone tells Mr. Bell to move on. Only weak people would move on. Would you?
You Scum
Thoughtful and insightful response.
His team of researchers includes retired Det who went to work in his pajama bottoms. Not kidding. Same Det would also shred cases that he was supposed to work. This is the example of diligent work? F that.
I went to school with this dipshit. He was a complete waste of space and harassed people constantly. Maybe he should have just complied.
Agreed, friends of mine had kids who went to school with him. They all said he was a bull in a China shop, and it was just a matter of time before something like that happened. How bad is your past, when an officer writing a ticket already, recognizes your car going by and knows you’re not supposed to be driving so he pursues you?
Bogdala is a rinse and repeat of Antaramian. He would be the worst. His ego is over the top. Spottswood is beholden to no one and has proven that she will listen and work with people. Bogdala refuses to work with anyone….unless there is something in it for him.
Bogdala will continue to be a “keeper of the secret”. Thus, he will become complicit in the cover up. His life will also be ruined. Very sad.
Huh! Must be why he changed his vote on the Casino…must have been something in it for HIM!
He voted 100 times against the casino, but then he switched his vote and fully pushed for the casino…..sign of a payoff. Can’t trust him.
Lydia is beholden to the Democrat Party and only the Party. She will be just like Beetlejuice in Chicago but worse
Spotswood has a proven record of being less than useless, to anyone with a long enough memory. Letter continue to peer down on the great unwashed from stately Spotswood Manor by the lake and hope that the next mayor doesn’t push for new tax evaluations.
Exactly . The last thing Kenosha needs is a big spending limousine liberal dragging us down. I really can’t believe she’s even running . It’s some kind of disease with her. She’s been thrown out of every political office in town. A real glutton for punishment.
A soup can could beat anything “conservative”
Agree.. it’s yes or no answer, no explanation needed. Just ask the question.
Michael Bell’s son was a piece of trash who regularly stopped in to the bank I worked at, speaking like he walked out of the Chicago ghetto, bragging about getting drunk and doing drugs. That doesn’t change the fact that Bell deserves to know the truth about what happened that night. It’s just a shame that his son had so little regard for his own life, that he couldn’t live as a respectable & respectful individual. Release the bullet & let us all move on.
Classic FAFO, what happened to him was the natural result starting All-Star wrestling matches with the police. He would be alive today if he’d been at home instead of driving around after he lost his driving privileges. Natural Selection.
“Mikey was fighting with the cops again” is all you need to know….
I don’t know anything about Iverson or Gagliardi. It would be nice to see which one places criminal rights above the rights of victims.
Iverson was endorsed by the Kenosha County Deputy Sherriff’s Union so law enforcement is going for her.
So, if there’s a case where a deputy sheriff’s conduct is called into question, would she be fair and impartial or beholden to them?
I get that cops don’t like Evers (and rightly so) but the gov has to appoint someone when there’s a vacancy and she didn’t even bother to go for it.
Perhaps because she didn’t want to have her name tainted by any association with Evers.
Or that she didn’t want to submit to the interview panel and the character and fitness background investigation.
Or that she was smart enough to not waste her time submitting to a whack job of a governor that would never appoint anything less than that same description
Oh, no. Walker has been out of office for years.
Evers appointed Gagliardi. What more do you need to read?
For what is supposed to be a nonpartisan position. Walker appointed a Democrat. Labels don’t mean much.
At least Evers’ choice passed a background check.
How’s all that “winning” going!
I’m not surprised the Wilmot referendum failed. So did Burlington. The impact of bidenomics over the past 3 years and the inflation it has wrought has taxpayers weary and tapped out. I feel a lot of people are tired of the taxpayer being treated as a never ending money supply. The schools need to get back to the basics of educating. There is a lot of fluff in all these budgets and it’s time for belt tightening.
I say just cut out education. It’s not for everyone. Put your kids to work instead. Education is for elites.
Fk your kids cheeto jesus needs your money….
If you love your kids and want to see them receive an education, keep them away from public schools. Homeschool or private school.
Abolish the public school system and have education dollars follow the child entirely. Public school systems are entirely too top-heavy.
Ok farmer John .
Say what you want, but the world was a better place when there were more “farmer John”s and fewer public schools.
Perhaps, but most of all, I believe the word did get out that the district already had been overspending compared to those with far better results. Plus, we have learned from the teachers union, from the national to the local level, that the only thing that’s important is spreading more money around. The schools don’t even have to be open, the children don’t have to learn because they will always support the candidates who promised no one has to work anymore because they can just sign up for more government programs. As a country, we spend much more per student than many other parts of the world that are kicking our butts in accomplishments, and as a district, many others across the country spend less with better results than this district. Until America decides it wants to get back to basics instead of indoctrinations and buzzwords, it’s going to be increasingly difficult to maintain current funding much slash volunteer to throw more money at a failed system.
Your money is better spent giving it the orangutan in diapers…
I grew up with Spottswood’s son. If Lydia’s ‘work’ for Kenosha is at all a reflection of her ‘work’ as a mother, it would be disastrous. The poor guy never had a mother, because it was my mother that picked him up and brought him to his sports’ practices, school, B-Day parties, etc. Her excuses were abundant, but the most despicable was her claiming a broken leg, and when seen around my mother, would even don crutches – all the while running campaigns with no injury whatsoever. Of course we caught her, and that was the end of it. But please know that this is the kind of person she is.
This “for-the-average-worker” candidate even somehow was able to have Google images black out her multimillion dollar home on the lake hidden behind pines and bushes. She is a disgrace in every single sense of the word.
Anyone can blur out there homes on google. Look it up
Once upon a time 30 years ago, horrible and despicable Kenosha County men were blamed for the Loss of Lydia Spottswood’s Congressional Bid.
Bagdala meet the new boss, same as the old boss… Spotswood is a limousine liberal.. when will we ever get a conservative in this town ..Tax and spend .
Uh never, “conservatives” are a vanishing species in the trump world….
Don’t you get it? As long as the orange one is around you will never win.
I see you don’t get it…
Nothing new here. Nothing will change
Spotswood is a far left wing activist. Her records proves that over and over. Anti Police and soft on Crime. She talks about having a ” diverse” representation on the City boards and commissions. Because that has worked so well across the country right? How about putting the best people in those positions to make the best decisions for the city?? More proven left wing policies that do not work. Hard pass.
Spotswood FAF . Bullshit campaign ad .. old people (white ) black couple with stroller in the niwghborhoods… Hispanic female .. so her slick DC strategist..Do what libs do best . Play the race card .. no vote for a limousine liberal ..
Get used to it. More and more people will go left just to avoid maga mania….
There’s actually quite a bit of evidence to the contrary
Only the weak fear MAGAZINE
That’s some funny stuff here. Anyone who would head for the left for the mega mania as you put it created by the left and not based in reality is just something else that is made up in that based on reality. You think people who have been watching the country deteriorate for the last 3 years and spiral farther into debt and future landmines of budgetary shortcomings, not to mention billions of increased spending on illegal aliens is going to vote for more of that? I don’t think Trump is anyone I want to have a couple beers with or invite over for thanksgiving, but that’s not what I want in a president. I want someone who defends my country instead of a bunch of bogus green deals and shipping money by the ton to other countries, and pouring billions into Ukraine when there are others who have not yet paid their share. People love to paint a glowing picture of the economy right now, especially people that are either clueless or they are simply willing to continue lying like a presidential press secretary to for some reason keep blue and power based on promises of free stuff, I suppose. I’ve even heard people bragging about Wisconsin’s Giant cash surplus under Tony evers because they honestly are so ignorant they don’t realize that cousin Tony got it from Uncle Joe, printed and handed out like party favors to placate the masses during covid and backed up with nothing but hot air. Somehow that money all has to be paid for because it’s borrowed money.
Sorry, misspelled neighborhood.. but you get the gist. She’s nothing but a left-wing white liberal.
Kenosha needs another failed democrat like Spottswood like they need another summer of riots.
Maybe Steinbrink jr should have run for mayor. He can fuck whoever he wants and doesn’t care.
Ding! Ding! Ding! Another thread where Steinbrink’s name came up though he has zero to do with the Kenosha mayor’s race.
Kind of like bringing up Trump in comments about kenosha’s mayor, it accomplishes the opposite of what they think it will.
Steinbrink, jr. was not a nice guy to work with and had an objectionable way with women. He dipped his wick in the company wax, to be sure. He (finally) lost his job and is facing criminal charges. No way no sane person would want him as mayor if he could be mayor.
But…but…but…apart from his shenanigans the work got done. Streets were plowed and maintained, garbage collected, etc., and his department wasn’t top heavy with bureaucrats. Look at the job Pleasant Prairie does with snow plowing vs. the city. Night and day difference. And the city ultimately adopted the same method of garbage collection and recycling that Pleasant Prairie uses.
Too bad you can’t Bobbitize Junior’s bad side off of him. And, yeppers, there’s the cozy relationship between Pollocoff and daddy Steinbrink. Like Pollocoff or not, he’s no dummy and was paid less than the questionably competent Pacetti in the city who was lucky to dodge prosecution.
Maybe the new mayor should visit Pleasant Prairie to find out how they get the job done better with lower taxes.
Ok farmer John .
The last thing Kenosha needs is Lydia Spottswood as mayor. Good lord haven’t we suffered enough?
Are you saying that it boils down to choosing whether to drink poison or chew cyanide?
The problem is somebody is going to win this election.
I just hope they keep letting KPD buy new squad cars and riot gear.
I give these people credit for actually wanting to do these thankless jobs. I myself just rely on state aid and selling covid vaccines on the black market.
Public “servants “. Hahaha corruption pays well. Ask Antaramian.
Courtney Marshall never even lived at 6300 10th ave. But this comment will get deleted like the last one. So much for 1st Amendment rights.
Really a surprise to most? I mean no one knew Koerri but he rode a skateboard and videos riots, harassed cops after the shooting at police station, and don’t hold a job, criminal record. Bennett, criminal record, It’s obvious bogdalla was the clear front runner the entire time.
Spottswood’s website says as Building and Grounds Chair of Southport Park Association BOD she led a $750,000 expansion of First Presbyterian Church. I’m wondering if taxpayer money was used for this.
No, but tax exemptions afterwards leave the public paying more property taxes to make up the difference.
Someone should write the 100th comment. Guess it’s me!
Ha!! Check this out. Did you know that Erin Decker made phone calls for Lydia Spottswood. Talk about a plot twist.