Wisconsin elections, 2015

2016 → ← 2014 The state of Wisconsin held elections in 2015. In Wisconsin, school board elections were held for 49 seats in 19 school districts, all of which featured among America's largest school districts by enrollment. Elections for the mayor and city council of Wisconsin's capitol city, Madison, were also held on the same date. This was a lighter year for Wisconsin as 2014 saw elections for U.S. House, state executives, state senate, state assembly, statewide ballot measures, local ballot measures, school boards and state courts. Below are the dates of note: 2015 elections and events in Wisconsin. Filing deadline for spring election January 6, 2015 School board and municipal primary elections February 17, 2015 School board and municipal general elections April 7, 2015 Races to watch Supreme Court More information: Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 2015 There was one seat up for election on the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2015. Incumbent Justice Ann Walsh Bradley faced Rock County Circuit Court Judge James Daley in the general election on April 7, 2015. Although the election was nonpartisan, Bradley is considered to be part of the liberal minority on the court. School boards Janesville School District See also: Janesville School District elections (2015) Three seats on the Janesville School District Board of Education were up for general election on April 7, 2015. Two incumbents, Greg Ardrey and David DiStefano, sought re-election to their at-large seats. They faced two challengers, Steve Huth and Carla Quirk, after fellow challenger and two-time unsuccessful candidate Diane Eyers withdrew from the race. Both DiStefano and Huth ran as write-in candidates. Although Ardrey and Quirk won two of the seats by default, the third seat was won by the write-in candidate who received the most votes. DiStefano and Eyers originally filed to run as traditional candidates, however, they were removed from the ballot after their nomination papers were deemed insufficient. Both filed unsuccessful appeals with the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. When she later withdrew from the race instead of filing as a write-in candidate, Eyers indicated that she would consider campaigning for a school board seat again in 2016. Kenosha Unified School District See also: Kenosha Unified School District elections (2015) Three seats on the Kenosha Unified School District Board of Education were up for primary election on February 17, 2015, and general election on April 7, 2015. The three incumbents, Carl Bryan, Tamarra Coleman and Mary Snyder, faced two challengers, Mike Falkofske and Tony Garcia. According to a Ballotpedia analysis of the school board, Coleman and Snyder are part of the board's governing majority, whereas Bryan is part of the minority. Falkofske, who ran unsuccessfully for the board with an endorsement from the Kenosha Education Association in 2014, would most likely have sided with the board minority if elected. Milwaukee Public Schools See also: Milwaukee Public Schools elections (2015) Five seats on the Milwaukee Public Schools Board of School Directors were up for general election on April 7, 2015. Two of the four incumbents who sought re-election faced challengers. In October 2014, the board appointed a new superintendent, Dr. Darienne Driver. She is Milwaukee's first permanent female superintendent. Prior to the election, the district debated whether to sell or renovate its multiple empty school buildings. Oshkosh Area School District See also: Oshkosh Area School District elections (2015) Three seats on the Oshkosh Area School District Board of Education were up for general election on April 7, 2015. Incumbent Allison Garner sought re-election against three challengers. In 2015, the district also dealt with a new teacher pay plan and a debate over the release of student information to a school choice group. Wausau School District See also: Wausau School District elections (2015) Three seats on the Oshkosh Area School District Board of Education were up for general election on April 7, 2015. Incumbents Patrick McKee and Kathi Whalen-Geiger sought re-election against three challengers. The district also dealt with proposed state budget cuts to education and a debate over the release of student information to a school choice group. There was also a $30 million building plan and a technology referendum on the April ballot. Elections by type School boards See also: School board elections, 2015 and Wisconsin school board elections, 2015 A total of 19 Wisconsin school districts among America's largest school districts by enrollment held elections in 2015 for 51 seats. Twelve of those districts were in the country's top 1,000 largest school districts. All of the elections were scheduled on April 7, 2015. Because no more than two candidates filed for any board position in these districts, none of these races required a primary election. Here are several quick facts about Wisconsin's school board elections in 2015: Twelve of the districts are among the top 1,000 largest school districts by enrollment in the United States and enrolled a total of 249,634 K-12 students during the 2012-2013 school year. The seven districts not in the top 1,000 largest nationwide had a combined enrollment of 51,721 during the same period. The largest school district by enrollment with an election in 2015 was Milwaukee Public Schools with 78,363 K-12 students. The smallest school district by enrollment with an election in 2015 was West Bend School District with 6,920 K-12 students. Milwaukee Public Schools had the most seats on the ballot in 2015 with five seats up for election. Nine districts were tied the fewest seats on the ballot in 2015 with two seats up for election in each. The district listed below served 301,355 K-12 students during the 2012-2013 school year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Click on the district name for more information on the district and its school board elections. 2015 Wisconsin School Board Elections District Date Seats up for election Total board seats Student enrollment Appleton Area School District 4/7/2015 2 7 15,231 Beloit School District 4/7/2015 2 7 6,985 Eau Claire Area School District 4/7/2015 2 7 11,130 Elmbrook School District 4/7/2015 2 7 6,992 Fond du Lac School District 4/7/2015 2 7 7,424 Green Bay Area Public School District 4/7/2015 2 7 20,685 Janesville School District 4/7/2015 3 9 10,327 Kenosha Unified School District 4/7/2015 3 7 22,570 Madison Metropolitan School District 4/7/2015 2 7 27,112 Milwaukee Public Schools 4/7/2015 5 9 78,363 Oshkosh Area School District 4/7/2015 3 7 10,008 Racine Unified School District 4/7/2015 3 9 20,577 Sheboygan Area School District 4/7/2015 3 9 10,374 Stevens Point Area Public School District 4/7/2015 3 9 7,404 Sun Prairie Area School District 4/7/2015 3 7 7,373 Waukesha School District 4/7/2015 3 9 13,867 Wausau School District 4/7/2015 3 9 8,623 West Allis-West Milwaukee School District 4/7/2015 3 9 9,390 West Bend School District 4/7/2015 2 7 6,920 Municipal elections See also Madison, Wisconsin municipal elections, 2015 The city of Madison, Wisconsin, held nonpartisan elections for mayor and city council on April 7, 2015. In races with more than two candidates, a primary took place on February 17, 2015. These included the races for mayor and Districts 1 and 14. The top two vote-getters in these races advanced to the general election. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was January 6, 2015. All 20 city council seats were up for election. Judicial elections See also Wisconsin judicial elections, 2015 Wisconsin held elections for circuit court seats throughout the state and one seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Incumbent Ann Walsh Bradley won a third 10-year term by defeating Rock County judge James Daley. Voting information Links related to voting in Wisconsin: For an overview and information on deadlines and updates to voting laws, please visit voting in Wisconsin. For information on ballot access and signature requirements, please visit our page on ballot access requirements for political candidates in Wisconsin. For information about absentee eligibility and military and overseas voting, please visit our absentee voting by state page. For information on early voting (if applicable), please visit our page on early voting by state. For information on online voter registration (if applicable), please visit our page on online voter registration in the 50 states. Primary information A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Wisconsin utilizes an open primary system; registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary. For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article. Historical voter turnout 2014 In 2014, Wisconsin saw 56.5 percent of eligible voters turn out to vote in the November general election. 2013 In 2013, Wisconsin saw 20.45 percent of eligible voters turn out to vote in the spring election. 2012 In 2012, Wisconsin saw 18.7 percent of eligible voters turn out to vote in the April primary election and 72.9 percent in the November general election. 2011 In 2011, Wisconsin saw 34.31 percent of eligible voters turn out to vote in the spring election. See also Elections portal Elections and events calendar Voter guides State Blue Books State Poll Opening and Closing Times State Election Result Canvassing State voter ID laws Voting in Wisconsin Absentee voting Early voting Online voter registration Election terms and definitions Recent news This section links to a Google news search for the term "Wisconsin + elections + 2015" Wisconsin elections news feed Footnotes Election information Resources Sample Ballot Lookup • Elections calendar • State poll opening and closing times • Ballot access for major and minor party candidates • Elections by state and year • State voter ID laws • Absentee voting • Early voting • Online voter registration • Election result canvassing • Where do I vote • List of absentee/mail-in ballot request websites by state • List of official voter registration websites by state • State of Election Administration Legislation Reports Elections by state Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming 2026 elections U.S. Congress • U.S. Congress special elections • State executives • State legislature • Statewide ballot measures • State judicial • Municipal government • Mayors • School boards • Local judicial • Local ballot measures • Recall 2025 elections U.S. Congress special elections • State executives • State legislature • Statewide ballot measures • State judicial • Municipal government • Mayors • School boards • Local judicial • Local ballot measures • Recall 2024 elections U.S. President • U.S. Congress • U.S. Congress special elections • State executives • State legislature • Statewide ballot measures • State judicial • Municipal government • Mayors • School boards • Local judicial • Local ballot measures • Recall 2023 elections U.S. Congress special elections • State executives • State legislature • Statewide ballot measures • State judicial • Municipal government • Mayors • School boards • Local judicial • Local ballot measures • Recall 2022 elections U.S. Congress • State executives • State legislature • Statewide ballot measures • State judicial • Municipal government • Mayors • School boards • Local judicial • Local ballot measures • Recall 2021 elections U.S. Congress special elections • State executives • State legislature • Statewide ballot measures • State judicial • Municipal government • Mayors • School boards • Local judicial • Local ballot measures • Recall How to vote in each state Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • Washington, D.C. • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming