(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
KENOSHA, Wis. — Kenosha County voters will see only one name printed on the ballot for sheriff this November after Gary Roberts failed twice in his efforts to qualify — first as an independent candidate and then as a Democratic write-in candidate.
Roberts, the City of Kenosha’s Director of Inspections and a former police officer, initially sought to run for sheriff as an independent. To secure a place on the November ballot through that route, Roberts needed to submit 500 valid nomination signatures. He failed to gather enough signatures to qualify.
After failing to make the ballot as an independent, Roberts changed course and sought the Democratic nomination for sheriff as a registered write-in candidate in Tuesday’s partisan primary.
That effort also came up short.
The official Kenosha County registered write-in report for the August 11 primary specifically identifies “Gary Roberts” as the registered Democratic write-in candidate for County Sheriff.
Although election-night results initially showed 2,242 total write-in votes cast in the Democratic sheriff race, those were all write-in votes — not necessarily votes for Roberts. The county’s candidate-specific report released Wednesday shows Roberts actually received just 1,185 votes.
That wasn’t enough.
Wisconsin law requires a write-in candidate seeking a party nomination to receive a minimum number of votes tied to the nomination-signature requirement for the office. Roberts needed enough Democratic write-in votes to qualify for placement on the November ballot, and his 1,185 votes fell short.
It was Roberts’ second unsuccessful attempt to secure a spot on the November ballot in the same election cycle.
First, he failed to gather the required signatures as an independent. Roberts then switched strategies, sought the Democratic nomination as a write-in candidate, and failed to receive enough write-in votes in Tuesday’s primary.
The result means Republican Sheriff David Zoerner will be the only candidate whose name is printed on the ballot for Kenosha County Sheriff in November.
Zoerner secured the Republican nomination Tuesday in a closely watched three-way primary against Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office Captain Tony Gonzalez and Kenosha Police Captain James Beller. Zoerner received 7,045 votes, or 49.77%, finishing ahead of Gonzalez and Beller despite receiving less than half of the Republican vote.
Roberts had hoped to provide a November alternative.
His candidacy took an unusual path. After portraying himself as an independent, Roberts was unable to satisfy the ballot-access requirements necessary to run that way. His subsequent decision to seek the Democratic nomination offered him another potential route onto the November ballot, but that effort ended Wednesday when the candidate-specific write-in totals showed he had again failed to qualify.
The county report leaves no ambiguity about how many of Tuesday’s Democratic write-in votes actually belonged to Roberts. While 2,242 write-in votes were cast in the race overall, Roberts received 1,185 of them.
As a result, barring another legally available write-in candidacy in November, voters choosing among candidates whose names are actually printed on the ballot will have a single choice for Kenosha County Sheriff:
David Zoerner.
25 Responses
Somebody tell me why this isn’t legal or possible.
#HOPE
Write in James Beller
Cheaters! That’s the only way they can win.
Dirty Bryan STEAL stole the election from Connor Walleck! Write in Walleck for Sheriff to drain the swamp!
Oh please. You never stood a chance. You’re not a serious candidate, and you’ve already proven that you have no integrity. Just days ago you were posting about Zoerner being a criminal, and now you’ve posted a pic of you and Zoerner holding hands, talking about “Republican unity.” You’re a joke. Disappear.
Yeah, that Walleck dude is a legit fucking weirdo. I don’t see why anyone would align with him. My guess is he still lives with mommy and daddy, too.
I’m guessing Mommy probably doesn’t even want to live with Daddy because he’s a big fking weirdo, as well.
Watching some of his videos I seriously think he is legit retarded or something. Seems special needs and is one of the weirdest candidates I’ve ever seen. His brother is also a nutcase running for office in Illinois. Family seems like hot white trash all the way around.
I thought it was a satire page for the LONGEST time 😂
He published some county board letter a year or so ago, and then I was hold up— is this dude trying to be legit?! Ooof…
You retard .
Hell write me in… can’t do any worse, and I don’t trust the Kerkmans!!!!! Perfect!!!
Write in Sgt hard
Wassup Andy ?
Write in Tony Gonzalez for Kenosha County Sheriff!
Fake AND gay
i guess i will leave that spot blank–sure don’t want zoerner
Roberts can be a write in? He move to Kenosha? He was an Illinois resident.
Sit back and wait for the Mayoral election Gary. Then you can run for Mayor.
This guy is such a joke it’s laughable.
The people of Kenosha County baffle me. His whole department and command staff did not support him, yet you all vote for him. I don’t know how much more you need to know other than that. They aren’t doing it for the fun it, they attempted to send a message stating he isn’t doing anything for the department or county. He just collects a paycheck, buys a brand new suburban with your county money. Drives it around and fills the gas with your county money.
It should not be that baffling. There were two good challengers who split the vote allowing Zoerner to win.
Except the combined vote for the two candidates who split the opposition vote didn’t total as many votes as the incumbent. That’s very probably because of people who would normally have voted on the Republican primary side of the ballot but voted on the Democrat side due to Hong. Since Hong lost, it looks like David Clark will be the next governor. If Hong had won Tiffany would have been the next governor
Kenosha is operating (ab)normally as it has since the mid 1990s: “Steady-state Rinky-Dink + Petty Mean”. Before the rise Feminine Culture and the social decay its over tolerance has wrought, there were real, regular normal, logical straight men that ran the town, judicial system, and KUSD. Before 1990, no Sheriff would have been caught dead wearing a pink pussy hat and the current garbage elected to the judicial system, county government, and its KUSD administration appointees did not exist, nor were even remotely considered as potential candidates, appointees, or hires. Perhaps there may be a Democrat write-in candidate that could unseat the blowhard fat ass sheriff with his primary split vote plurality; but don’t count on it, especially with the concentration of White male voters (even the welfare and SS-Disability living on the public dole up north) that will likely vote a straight R ticket just to prevent the Woke DEI, Tax-Hiking, anti-White, Black African Milwaukee Boy from being elected governor, to which the Republican White male tax cutting businessman serves as a perfect contrast. The very fact that the Republican is a normal, regular, competent White man may be enough on its own with the amount of “black fatigue” that has grown in the electorate.
Hey. Call upstairs and see if mom has dinner ready.
Fully expected this and the other Eyes-Wide-Shut response. I thought there would be more of them from the high number of emaculated males that exist today.
I’ve attempted to comprehend your poorly-written comment multiple times. So far, what I’ve gotten from it is that you are not qualified to declare Zoerner as “competent,” due to your own clear incompetence.