In a contentious race that has drummed up millions of dollars for campaigning and attack ads, Deborah Kerr and Jill Underly will face off April 6 for the top position overseeing K-12 education in Wisconsin.
The winner will replace current state superintendent Carolyn Stanford Taylor, who was appointed by Tony Evers when he left the post to become governor. Taylor did not seek to keep the position.
Kerr, former superintendent of Brown Deer Schools, has been backed by former Gov. Scott Walker and other conservatives, though she self-identified as a “pragmatic Democrat.” Left-leaning groups and politicians have aligned with Underly, superintendent of the Pecatonica School District in southwest Wisconsin.