Jill Underly to become next Wisconsin superintendent of schools Rory Linnane and Devi Shastri, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Jill Underly, the Democratic Party-backed superintendent of Pecatonica School District, defeated former Brown Deer Schools superintendent Deborah Kerr Tuesday to become the state’s top education official.
As of 9:30 p.m., Underly had 372,228 votes while Kerr had 281,469. About 66% of precincts were reporting results, with absentee ballots still left to be counted. Nevertheless, Underly declared victory and Kerr called her late in the evening to concede.
Underly will start the job in July, taking over for Carolyn Stanford Taylor, who was appointed to the state superintendent position by Tony Evers when he became governor. Evers held the post for nearly a decade.
Auntavia Jackson (RUSD Board, District 6) on their victories in the April 6 election.
“Today voters across Wisconsin rejected the go-along-to-get-along status quo and elected leaders who will be accountable to the people,” said
Aaron Shapiro, Campaigns Director for the Wisconsin Working Families Party. “It’s no surprise that after a year of Wisconsin conservatives fighting to make voting harder, overturning mask mandates and turning away aid– on top of years of privatizing education and pushing policies that hurt Black, brown, and Indigineous communities voters are choosing candidates who are fighting for solutions that meet their needs.”
WI WFP provided candidates with critical support building and maintaining grassroots, volunteer-powered campaigns that adopted virtual and physically distanced electoral organizing. Since the primary, volunteers sent over 200,000 texts to voters across the state and WI WFP staff provided deep strategic support to priority candidate
In the 89th Assembly District, which includes the city of Marinette, Republican Elijah Behnke defeated Democrat Karl Jaeger. That race was called with just 50% of precincts reporting. That seat was open after Republican John Nygren resigned from the Legislature.
More local races included the county executive contests in Winnebago and Fond du Lac counties, city council contests in Oshkosh and Fond du Lac, and school board races – including the contest in Green Bay.
One incumbent will stay, another will leave the Green Bay School Board. Incumbent Andrew Becker received the second most votes behind newcomer Nancy Welch. Incumbent Rhonda Sitnikau received the fewest votes of the four candidates on the ballot.
UpdatedTue, Apr 6, 2021 at 9:56 pm CT
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Patch will be updating results from the state Superintendent of Public Instruction Race. (Patch Graphics)
WISCONSIN Jill Underly is the projected winner in the Wisconsin State Superintendent of Public Instruction election, according to a race call made by The Associated Press.
Underly defeated Deborah Kerr in Tuesday s statewide election. Underly had been backed by Democrats in the statewide race, getting endorsements from Sen. Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin Reps. Mark Pocan, Ron Kind and Gwen Moore.
Patch will update this article with the latest results as they come in:
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Jill Underly: 392,169 votes
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Unofficial results as tabulated by The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Betsy DeVos-backed candidate Deb Kerr loses Wisconsin superintendent race Rory Linnane and Devi Shastri, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Jill Underly, the Democratic Party-backed superintendent of Pecatonica School District, defeated Deb Kerr, the Betsy DeVos-backed former Brown Deer Schools superintendent, Tuesday to become the state’s top education official.
Underly’s campaign spent seven times what Kerr’s campaign spent. Outside groups spent almost four times as much on ads in Underly’s favor than in Kerr’s favor. The American Federation for Children, a lobbying group founded by the family of former President Donald Trump s Education Secretary DeVos, poured money in on Kerr s side.