A majority of Door County voters picked statewide winners Wisconsin Circuit Judge Susan Crawford for Supreme Court and incumbent Jill Underly for state superintendent, in a high-turnout spring election that also featured many local races, including the mayor of Sturgeon Bay and various trustees, alders and school board members.

A majority of the county’s voters also voted in favor of a referendum to add the existing voter ID requirement to the state constitution, which also won statewide.

The election came days after significant storms hit the peninsula and left some households without power. Nonetheless, more residents voted in 2025’s spring election than in 2024’s spring election, which was a presidential primary, or 2023’s, which also featured a state Supreme Court race that decided the ideological makeup of the court.

State Supreme Court

Within Door County, voters favored Crawford over former state Attorney General Brad Schimel 8,592 to 6,716 for the state Supreme Court. The Associated Press called the race for Crawford Tuesday night. Crawford’s victory means the liberal justices will keep their 4-3 majority on the court.

While the race was officially nonpartisan, Democrats and liberal groups backed Crawford, and Republicans and conservative groups backed Schimel. The race was the most expensive state court race in U.S. history and spending on the candidates totaled nearly $100 million, according to analysis by the nonpartisan Brennan Center for Justice.

Tuesday’s turnout of 15,366 exceeded that of the last spring election featuring a State Supreme Court race. In 2023, Door County voters cast 12,433 ballots in the race between Dan Kelly and Janet Protasiewicz. Protasiewicz won both the county and the state.

State Superintendent

Door County residents favored Underly over challenger Brittany Kinser 7,843 to 6,482. The Associated Press called the race for Underly Tuesday night.

Like the state Supreme Court race, the state superintendent race is officially nonpartisan but with a clear partisan base for each candidate. Underly was backed by Democrats and Kinser was backed by Republicans. Underly also secured the endorsement of the state teachers union. Kinser was backed by several groups that support vouchers and charter schools. Despite the Republican support, she described herself as “blue dog Democrat” in a statement to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Voter ID

Door County residents voted in favor of the Voter ID constitutional amendment 8,635 to 6,302. The Associated Press called the race in favor of the referendum’s passage Tuesday night. 

The amendment does not implement a new voter ID requirement but does raise the threshold for changing or repealing it. As one of nine states with a “strict photo ID requirement” according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, Wisconsin’s voter ID requirement is one of the strictest in the country.

More voters in the county voted in the referendum than in the last two spring elections that featured a constitutional referendum. This year 14,937 voted in the referendum, compared to 11,950 for 2023’s highest turnout referendum and 9,759 for 2024’s highest turnout referendum.

City of Sturgeon Bay Mayor

City of Sturgeon Bay residents voted for incumbent Mayor David Ward, with 3,099 votes, over write-in candidates, who tallied 349 together. Andrea Frank mounted a write-in campaign after failing to get on the ballot, but results from write-in ballots were not available Tuesday night.

Candidates for mayor of Sturgeon Bay and other class four cities in Wisconsin require between 50 and 100 signatures. According to a press release from the city clerk’s office of Sturgeon Bay, Frank submitted 51 signatures but “at least three” were not from residents, putting her under the 50-signature threshold. The Frank campaign appealed, but the Door County Advocate reported the Wisconsin Election Commission wouldn’t reach a decision until after the election.

City of Sturgeon Bay Alderperson District 5

Incumbent Alderman Gary Nault defeated Heather Weasler 400 to 270.

Sturgeon Bay’s odd-numbered districts each had an election Tuesday, but only District 5 was contested.

Egg Harbor Village Trustee

Egg Harbor Village residents were choosing two of their four village trustees out of a field of three candidates. Mike Johnson and incumbent Trustee Angela Lensch won with 135 and 131 votes, respectively. Scott Rasmussen lost with 118 votes.

Ephraim Village Trustee 

Ephraim Village voters chose Richard Hoyerman and incumbent Trustee Carly Mulliken for their two village trustees up for election out of a field of three. Mulliken won 130 votes and Hoyerman 114. Marcia Ellis lost with 98 votes.

Brussels Town Supervisor 2

Town of Brussels voters selected Austin Vandertie over Galen DeJardin, 288 votes to 200 for the Supervisor 2 seat. No incumbent ran for the position, although DeJardin had previously served on the board. The Supervisor 1 seat was also up for election but uncontested.

Forestville Town Supervisor

Forestville voters chose Loren Uecker and David Samuels over Randy Schmidt for their two open town supervisor seats. Uecker won 310 votes, Samuels 182 and Schmidt 159.

Washington Island Town Chair

Washington Island voters selected town Supervisor Peter Sownie over Gordon Berggren, 343 votes to 106, as the new town chair. Incumbent chair Hans Lux did not seek another term. 

Washington Island Town Supervisor

Washington Island voters were choosing two of their four town supervisors out of a field of three candidates. Incumbents Martin Andersen and Margaret Foss won with 319 and 358 votes, respectively. Loren Roznai lost with 149 votes.

Gibraltar Area School Board

Gibraltar Area School District residents were choosing two of their seven school board members out of a field of three candidates. Donna McMurray and incumbent Jessica Sauter won with 2,057 and 2,399 votes, respectively. Marc Savard lost with 1,274 votes.

Southern Door School Board

Southern Door School District residents were choosing two of their seven school board members out of a field of three candidates. Hannah Delwiche and Tina Nellis won with 2,038 and 2,065 votes, respectively. Chris Jackson lost with 1,261 votes. None of the candidates was an incumbent.

Andrew Phillips contributed reporting.