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Municipal elections in Dane County, Wisconsin (2020)

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2021
2019
2020 Dane County elections
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Election dates
Filing deadline: January 7, 2020; June 1, 2020
Primary election: February 18, 2020 (spring primary); August 11, 2020 (fall primary)
General election: April 7, 2020; November 3, 2020
Election stats
Offices up: Spring election: Board of supervisors districts 1 through 37 and circuit court judgeship
Fall election: county clerk, treasurer, and register of deeds
Total seats up: 42
Election type: Nonpartisan & Partisan
Other municipal elections
U.S. municipal elections, 2020

Dane County, Wisconsin, held general elections for board of supervisors districts 1 through 37 and a circuit court judgeship on April 7, 2020. The county also held general elections for county clerk, treasurer, register of deeds, and district attorney on November 3, 2020. A spring primary for the April general election was scheduled for February 18, 2020, and a fall primary for the November general election was scheduled for August 11, 2020. The filing deadline for the spring election was January 7, 2020, and the filing deadline for the fall election was June 1, 2020.

The Wisconsin Election Commission voted unanimously to send absentee/mail-in ballot applications automatically to most registered voters in the November 3, 2020, general election.

Election procedure changes in 2020

See also: Changes to election dates, procedures, and administration in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.

Wisconsin modified its absentee/mail-in voting procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election as follows:

  • Absentee/mail-in voting: Absentee and mail-in ballot applications were sent to most registered voters in the general election.

For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.

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Elections

Click on the tabs below to show more information about those topics.

County clerk

General election

General election for Dane County Clerk

Incumbent Scott McDonell won election in the general election for Dane County Clerk on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Scott McDonell (D)
 
98.3
 
275,281
 Other/Write-in votes
 
1.7
 
4,667

Total votes: 279,948
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Dane County Clerk

Incumbent Scott McDonell advanced from the Democratic primary for Dane County Clerk on August 11, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Scott McDonell
 
99.7
 
96,767
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.3
 
328

Total votes: 97,095
(100.00% precincts reporting)
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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County treasurer

General election

General election for Dane County Treasurer

Incumbent Adam Gallagher won election in the general election for Dane County Treasurer on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Adam Gallagher
Adam Gallagher (D) Candidate Connection
 
98.4
 
273,681
 Other/Write-in votes
 
1.6
 
4,449

Total votes: 278,130
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Dane County Treasurer

Incumbent Adam Gallagher advanced from the Democratic primary for Dane County Treasurer on August 11, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Adam Gallagher
Adam Gallagher Candidate Connection
 
99.6
 
95,758
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.4
 
348

Total votes: 96,106
(100.00% precincts reporting)
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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County register of deeds

General election

General election for Dane County Register of Deeds

Incumbent Kristi Chlebowski won election in the general election for Dane County Register of Deeds on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Kristi Chlebowski (D)
 
98.5
 
273,465
 Other/Write-in votes
 
1.5
 
4,231

Total votes: 277,696
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Dane County Register of Deeds

Incumbent Kristi Chlebowski advanced from the Democratic primary for Dane County Register of Deeds on August 11, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Kristi Chlebowski
 
99.7
 
95,312
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.3
 
287

Total votes: 95,599
(100.00% precincts reporting)
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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County district attorney

General election

General election for Dane County District Attorney

Incumbent Ismael Ozanne won election in the general election for Dane County District Attorney on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Ismael Ozanne
Ismael Ozanne (D)
 
97.5
 
271,355
 Other/Write-in votes
 
2.5
 
6,950

Total votes: 278,305
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Dane County District Attorney

Incumbent Ismael Ozanne advanced from the Democratic primary for Dane County District Attorney on August 11, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Ismael Ozanne
Ismael Ozanne
 
98.8
 
96,818
 Other/Write-in votes
 
1.2
 
1,219

Total votes: 98,037
(100.00% precincts reporting)
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Board supervisors

Dane County Board of Supervisors general (April 7, 2020)

  • Incumbents are marked with an (i) after their name.
  • Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
Office Candidates
District 1

Green check mark transparent.pngElizabeth Doyle (i)
District 2

Green check mark transparent.pngHeidi Wegleitner (i)
District 3

Green check mark transparent.pngAnaliese Eicher (i)
District 4

Green check mark transparent.pngRichard Kilmer (i)
District 5

Green check mark transparent.pngElena Haasl 
Jose Eladio Rea 
District 6

Green check mark transparent.pngYogesh Chawla (i)
District 7

Green check mark transparent.pngMatt Veldran (i)
District 8

Green check mark transparent.pngCarousel Bayrd (i)
District 9

Green check mark transparent.pngAlex Joers  Candidate Connection
District 10

Green check mark transparent.pngJeremy Levin (i)
District 11

Green check mark transparent.pngRichelle Andrae 
District 12

Green check mark transparent.pngPaul Rusk (i)
District 13

Green check mark transparent.pngChuck Erickson (i)
District 14

Green check mark transparent.pngAnthony Gray 
District 15

Green check mark transparent.pngSteven Peters (i)
District 16

Green check mark transparent.pngBlaire Adkins 
District 17

Green check mark transparent.pngKristen Audet (i)
District 18

Green check mark transparent.pngMichele Ritt (i)
District 19

Green check mark transparent.pngTeran Peterson 
District 20

Green check mark transparent.pngJulie Schwellenbach (i)
District 21

Green check mark transparent.pngAndrew Schauer (i)
District 22

Green check mark transparent.pngMaureen McCarville (i)
District 23

Green check mark transparent.pngShelia Stubbs (i)
District 24

Green check mark transparent.pngSarah Smith 
District 25

Green check mark transparent.pngTim Kiefer (i)
Dan Kieta 
District 26

Kevin Cunningham 
Green check mark transparent.pngHolly Hatcher 
District 27

Green check mark transparent.pngDorothy Krause (i)
District 28

Green check mark transparent.pngMichele Doolan 
District 29

Green check mark transparent.pngDave Ripp (i)
District 30

Green check mark transparent.pngPatrick Downing (i)
District 31

Green check mark transparent.pngJerry Bollig (i)
Todd Kluever 
District 32

Green check mark transparent.pngMike Bare 
District 33

Green check mark transparent.pngAnn DeGarmo (i)
District 34

Green check mark transparent.pngPatrick Miles (i)
District 35

Green check mark transparent.pngCarl Chenoweth (i)
District 36

Green check mark transparent.pngMelissa Ratcliff (i)
District 37

Kris Breunig 
Green check mark transparent.pngKate McGinnity 

Judicial

Dane County Circuit Court

Branch 7

General election

General election for Dane County Circuit Court Branch 7

Incumbent William E. Hanrahan (Unofficially withdrew) won election in the general election for Dane County Circuit Court Branch 7 on April 7, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of William E. Hanrahan
William E. Hanrahan (Nonpartisan) (Unofficially withdrew)
 
98.9
 
127,673
 Other/Write-in votes
 
1.1
 
1,468

Total votes: 129,141
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

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Additional elections on the ballot

See also: Wisconsin elections, 2020

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About the county

Demographics

The following table displays demographic data provided by the United States Census Bureau.

Demographic Data for Dane County, Wisconsin
Dane County Wisconsin
Population 561,504 5,893,718
Land area (sq mi) 1,196 54,166
Race and ethnicity**
White 82.6% 84.3%
Black/African American 4.8% 6.3%
Asian 5.9% 2.8%
Native American 0.3% 0.8%
Pacific Islander 0.1% 0%
Other (single race) 1.7% 2.3%
Multiple 4.5% 3.4%
Hispanic/Latino 6.5% 7%
Education
High school graduation rate 96.2% 92.6%
College graduation rate 52.4% 30.8%
Income
Median household income $75,179 $63,293
Persons below poverty level 11% 11%
Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2015-2020).
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.


Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties by state

Twenty-three of 72 Wisconsin counties—32 percent—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008
County Trump margin of victory in 2016 Obama margin of victory in 2012 Obama margin of victory in 2008
Adams County, Wisconsin 21.92% 8.73% 18.35%
Buffalo County, Wisconsin 21.82% 2.93% 14.66%
Columbia County, Wisconsin 2.14% 13.58% 15.26%
Crawford County, Wisconsin 5.40% 19.98% 27.03%
Door County, Wisconsin 3.22% 6.99% 17.33%
Dunn County, Wisconsin 11.09% 4.97% 14.95%
Forest County, Wisconsin 26.58% 5.44% 15.16%
Grant County, Wisconsin 9.43% 13.77% 23.88%
Jackson County, Wisconsin 11.74% 15.01% 21.84%
Juneau County, Wisconsin 26.05% 7.03% 9.00%
Kenosha County, Wisconsin 0.31% 12.23% 18.06%
Lafayette County, Wisconsin 8.99% 15.37% 22.32%
Lincoln County, Wisconsin 20.60% 0.71% 12.48%
Marquette County, Wisconsin 24.09% 0.27% 5.28%
Pepin County, Wisconsin 23.08% 2.22% 12.89%
Price County, Wisconsin 25.00% 0.04% 13.40%
Racine County, Wisconsin 4.28% 3.54% 7.41%
Richland County, Wisconsin 5.50% 16.13% 20.63%
Sauk County, Wisconsin 0.35% 18.47% 23.04%
Sawyer County, Wisconsin 18.41% 0.49% 6.23%
Trempealeau County, Wisconsin 12.64% 14.08% 26.39%
Vernon County, Wisconsin 4.43% 14.73% 22.00%
Winnebago County, Wisconsin 7.34% 3.73% 11.66%

In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Wisconsin with 47.2 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 46.5 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, Wisconsin cast votes for the winning presidential candidate 76.7 percent of the time. In that same time frame, Wisconsin supported Republicans slightly more than Democratic candidates, 50.0 to 46.7 percent. The state, however, favored Democrats in every presidential election from 2000 to 2012 before voting for Trump in 2016.

Presidential results by legislative district

The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state Assembly districts in Wisconsin. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[1][2]

In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 43 out of 99 state Assembly districts in Wisconsin with an average margin of victory of 34.1 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 36 out of 99 state Assembly districts in Wisconsin with an average margin of victory of 34.6 points. Clinton won three districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections.
In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 56 out of 99 state Assembly districts in Wisconsin with an average margin of victory of 12.1 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 63 out of 99 state Assembly districts in Wisconsin with an average margin of victory of 19.4 points. Trump won two districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections.

See also

Dane County, Wisconsin Wisconsin Municipal government Other local coverage
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External links

Footnotes