Nov. 1, 2017 – Washington Co., WI – At least two candidates will announce their intentions to run for the open seat in Assembly District 58 as Gov. Scott Walker will announce today there will be a special election to fill the seat.
The position was previously held by Rep. Bob Gannon who suffered an untimely death Oct. 3.
Early word is the general election will be January 16, 2018 and if need be a primary will be Dec. 19, 2017.
Reid Magney, public information officer with the Wisconsin Election Commission, said the governor had a couple options available to filling the seat. “There is a window where an election could be called for this calendar year and there is also the option to have the election run concurrently with the election in the spring,” Magney said.
Magney did not have an exact dollar amount on what a special election would cost, however he said to keep in mind the expense of “programming the voting equipment, printing ballots, and hiring poll workers.”
Right now Wisconsin’s 2018 Spring Primary is Feb. 20, 2018 and the Spring Election is April 3, 2018.
Gannon’s term would have run through 2018 with the new biennial term starting in January 2019.
Gannon succeeded Assembly Rep. Patricia Strachota who served from 2005 – 2015.
When Gannon first ran for the position in 2014 he defeated Tiffany Koehler and Sandy Voss in the Republican primary. He was uncontested in the last General Election.
Candidates need to collect 200 signatures to be eligible to run for the post.
Click HERE to see a map of the 58th Assembly District.
On a side note: The City of West Bend would like to encourage interested residents to become involved in the election process by becoming an Election Day poll worker.
Please contact the City Clerk’s Office to obtain information on becoming a poll worker and to sign up. Forms can be obtained by emailing City Clerk Stephanie Justmann at wbclk@ci.west-bend.wi.us, calling the City Clerk’s Office at (262) 335-5103, printing out the Poll Worker Interest form packet or by picking up the forms at City Hall, 1115 S. Main Street.
The deadline to sign up is November 20, 2017.
Who are the two candidates?
One was announced today and the story posted. Another will announce on Friday. Thanks for your patience.