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Charewicz wins sheriff race
Write-in victory is first for countywide office

By BRIAN LEAHY
of The Gazette
In what many observers are calling an unprecedented election in Portage County, a write-in candidate has won the race for sheriff.

John Charewicz defeated Jack Mrozinski by a vote of 10,948 to 10,411 on Tuesday. Mrozinski, a Portage County Sheriff's Department deputy, was the only candidate for sheriff on the ballot Tuesday after defeating Charewicz, a retired Sheriff's Department sergeant, and Ron Carlson, a Stevens Point Police Department sergeant, in the three-way Democratic primary in September. Charewicz announced his write-in bid on Oct. 14.

"It hasn't sunk in," Charewicz said Wednesday afternoon. "I'm still stunned that (the write-in campaign) was as successful as it was."

Sheriff Peter Thrun ran as a write-in in 1996 after losing the primary to Stan Potocki. Thrun's write-in campaign came up short, and Potocki went on to serve three two-year terms as sheriff. Wisconsin sheriffs will serve four-year terms starting with the term that begins in January.

The last write-in candidate to be successful for county office was when Don Butkowski beat Clifford Bembenek a decade ago for a seat on the County Board, said County Clerk Roger Wrycza. Unlike that campaign, Charewicz's write-in bid was for an office voted on countywide.

Other write-in bids have been successful in Wisconsin for countywide office.

A couple of elections ago a write-in candidate won a bid for sheriff in Eau Claire County, Charewicz said. The person on the ballot had been arrested for drunk driving, but there was "no burning issue" like that in Tuesday's election.

Charewicz and Mrozinski had exchanged the lead a few times after the polls closed Tuesday. It wasn't until returns from the town of Hull came in at about 11:30 p.m. that Charewicz broke away from Mrozinski in what had been a neck-and-neck race. The vote in Hull was 1,307 for Charewicz to 758 for Mrozinski. Mrozinski was unable to make up the 549-vote gap in Hull and finished the race 537 votes under Charewicz. The last precinct to report was the town of Belmont at about 1:50 a.m. Wednesday.

In the September primary, Mrozinski collected 4,758 of the 13,281 votes cast for sheriff, or 35.8 percent of the votes cast. Charewicz had 4,262 and Carlson 4,261.

Charewicz called Carlson's support a "very big factor" in his write-in victory.

Election results won't become official until Thursday, Nov. 7, after the Canvass Board reviews the vote total tabulations, Wrycza said.

"We really don't look at the ballots at all yet," Wrycza said. "The only way we would if there were a recount."

Candidates have until Friday, Nov. 15, to file for a recount.

One of the biggest issues facing the Sheriff's Department is the budget, Charewicz said.

"I'm fairly convinced we can provide the same or more services without raising the budget, just by being a little more flexible with scheduling and by moving some people around within the department," Charewicz said.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jim Doyle had a strong showing in traditionally Democratic Portage County.

Doyle and his running mate, Barbara Lawton, garnered 11,954 votes, compared to 7,157 votes for the Republican ticket of Scott McCallum and Margaret Farrow.

Libertarian Party candidate Ed Thompson finished third with 3,266 votes, putting him at the top of the list for the several third-party candidates. Wisconsin Greens candidate Jim Young won 1,463 votes, Reform Party candidate Alan Eisenberg earned 40 votes, Independent candidate Ty A. Bollerud got 25 votes, Rasta Movement candidate Aneb Jah Rasta Sensas-Utcha Nefer I garnered 14 votes and Guerilla Attack candidate Mike Mangan received 12 votes.

Democrat Peggy Lautenschlager won the statewide race to replace Doyle as state attorney general. In Portage County, she received 13,955 votes compared to 8,544 votes for Republican Vince Biskupic.

With the exception of McCallum, incumbents held off their challengers in statewide races. Democrat Douglas La Follette will return for another term as secretary of state, and Republican Jack Voight earned four more years as state treasurer.

La Follette garnered 15,204 votes, while Republican Robert Lorge received 6,408 and Edward Frami of the Constitution Party got 582 votes for the secretary of state race in Portage County.

In Portage County voting for state treasurer, Democrat Dawn Marie Sass received 11,445 votes, Voight got 8,108 votes and Wisconsin Greens candidate Paul Aschenbrenner earned 2,416 votes.

The county also had several legislative races.

The only State Senate race was in District 29 between incumbent Russ Decker, a Democratic, and Republican Jimmy Boy Edming. Decker received 392 votes to 111 for Edming. Following reapportionment this year, the district now dips into Portage County and includes the town of Alban and village of Rosholt. Decker won the race. He now serves as Senate Majority co-leader but will lose that leadership role now that Republicans have won the majority of seats in the state Senate.

Democrats earned the most votes in all four State Assembly District races in the county.

In District 70, which was an open seat because incumbent Republican MaryAnn Lippert chose not to seek re-election, Amy Sue Vruwink received 3,248 votes to Republican Gary Meyer's 2,109. In District 71, incumbent Julie Lassa received 12,393 votes and Republican Leo Harris garnered 4,400 votes. In District 72, incumbent Marlin Schneider got 279 votes to Republican Thomas Ziegler's 144 votes. Vruwink, Lassa and Schneider all won the overall votes in their districts.

Portage County residents narrowly favored Democratic challenger Jeff Starr over incumbent Republican Jerry Petrowski in the 86th Assembly District race by a vote of 254 to 250. Petrowski was re-elected to the seat.

Nationally, Republicans won the majority of seats in House and Senate races. The one national race in Portage County was for the 7th Congressional District, where incumbent Democrat David Obey defeated Republican Joe Rothbauer by a vote of 16,262 to 7,022. Obey has represented the 7th Congressional District since Republican Melvin Laird left the seat to serve as secretary of defense under President Richard Nixon in 1969.

Several uncontested races for county offices were also on the ballot.

Democrats winning re-election were District Attorney Thomas Eagon, County Clerk Roger Wrycza, Clerk of Courts Bernadette Flatoff, Register of Deeds Cynthia Wisinski and Surveyor Joseph Glodowski. Democrat Stephanie Stokes was elected to replace Alice Dorshak, who wasn't seeking election, as treasurer.

The only Republican on the ticket for county office, incumbent Coroner Scott Rifleman, was re-elected.



	Charewicz wins sheriff race Write-in victory is first for countywide office By BRIAN LEAHY of The Gazette In what many observers are calling an unprecedented election in Portage County, a write-in candidate has won the race for sheriff. John Charewicz defeated Jack Mrozinski by a vote of 10,948 to 10,411 on Tuesday. Mrozinski, a Portage County Sheriff's Department deputy, was the only candidate for sheriff on the ballot Tuesday after defeating Charewicz, a retired Sheriff's Department sergeant, and Ron Carlson, a Stevens Point Police Department sergeant, in the three-way Democratic primary in September. Charewicz announced his write-in bid on Oct. 14. "It hasn't sunk in," Charewicz said Wednesday afternoon. "I'm still stunned that (the write-in campaign) was as successful as it was." Sheriff Peter Thrun ran as a write-in in 1996 after losing the primary to Stan Potocki. Thrun's write-in campaign came up short, and Potocki went on to serve three two-year terms as sheriff. Wisconsin sheriffs will serve four-year terms starting with the term that begins in January. The last write-in candidate to be successful for county office was when Don Butkowski beat Clifford Bembenek a decade ago for a seat on the County Board, said County Clerk Roger Wrycza. Unlike that campaign, Charewicz's write-in bid was for an office voted on countywide. Other write-in bids have been successful in Wisconsin for countywide office. A couple of elections ago a write-in candidate won a bid for sheriff in Eau Claire County, Charewicz said. The person on the ballot had been arrested for drunk driving, but there was "no burning issue" like that in Tuesday's election. Charewicz and Mrozinski had exchanged the lead a few times after the polls closed Tuesday. It wasn't until returns from the town of Hull came in at about 11:30 p.m. that Charewicz broke away from Mrozinski in what had been a neck-and-neck race. The vote in Hull was 1,307 for Charewicz to 758 for Mrozinski. Mrozinski was unable to make up the 549-vote gap in Hull and finished the race 537 votes under Charewicz. The last precinct to report was the town of Belmont at about 1:50 a.m. Wednesday. In the September primary, Mrozinski collected 4,758 of the 13,281 votes cast for sheriff, or 35.8 percent of the votes cast. Charewicz had 4,262 and Carlson 4,261. Charewicz called Carlson's support a "very big factor" in his write-in victory. Election results won't become official until Thursday, Nov. 7, after the Canvass Board reviews the vote total tabulations, Wrycza said. "We really don't look at the ballots at all yet," Wrycza said. "The only way we would if there were a recount." Candidates have until Friday, Nov. 15, to file for a recount. One of the biggest issues facing the Sheriff's Department is the budget, Charewicz said. "I'm fairly convinced we can provide the same or more services without raising the budget, just by being a little more flexible with scheduling and by moving some people around within the department," Charewicz said. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jim Doyle had a strong showing in traditionally Democratic Portage County. Doyle and his running mate, Barbara Lawton, garnered 11,954 votes, compared to 7,157 votes for the Republican ticket of Scott McCallum and Margaret Farrow. Libertarian Party candidate Ed Thompson finished third with 3,266 votes, putting him at the top of the list for the several third-party candidates. Wisconsin Greens candidate Jim Young won 1,463 votes, Reform Party candidate Alan Eisenberg earned 40 votes, Independent candidate Ty A. Bollerud got 25 votes, Rasta Movement candidate Aneb Jah Rasta Sensas-Utcha Nefer I garnered 14 votes and Guerilla Attack candidate Mike Mangan received 12 votes. Democrat Peggy Lautenschlager won the statewide race to replace Doyle as state attorney general. In Portage County, she received 13,955 votes compared to 8,544 votes for Republican Vince Biskupic. With the exception of McCallum, incumbents held off their challengers in statewide races. Democrat Douglas La Follette will return for another term as secretary of state, and Republican Jack Voight earned four more years as state treasurer. La Follette garnered 15,204 votes, while Republican Robert Lorge received 6,408 and Edward Frami of the Constitution Party got 582 votes for the secretary of state race in Portage County. In Portage County voting for state treasurer, Democrat Dawn Marie Sass received 11,445 votes, Voight got 8,108 votes and Wisconsin Greens candidate Paul Aschenbrenner earned 2,416 votes. The county also had several legislative races. The only State Senate race was in District 29 between incumbent Russ Decker, a Democratic, and Republican Jimmy Boy Edming. Decker received 392 votes to 111 for Edming. Following reapportionment this year, the district now dips into Portage County and includes the town of Alban and village of Rosholt. Decker won the race. He now serves as Senate Majority co-leader but will lose that leadership role now that Republicans have won the majority of seats in the state Senate. Democrats earned the most votes in all four State Assembly District races in the county. In District 70, which was an open seat because incumbent Republican MaryAnn Lippert chose not to seek re-election, Amy Sue Vruwink received 3,248 votes to Republican Gary Meyer's 2,109. In District 71, incumbent Julie Lassa received 12,393 votes and Republican Leo Harris garnered 4,400 votes. In District 72, incumbent Marlin Schneider got 279 votes to Republican Thomas Ziegler's 144 votes. Vruwink, Lassa and Schneider all won the overall votes in their districts. Portage County residents narrowly favored Democratic challenger Jeff Starr over incumbent Republican Jerry Petrowski in the 86th Assembly District race by a vote of 254 to 250. Petrowski was re-elected to the seat. Nationally, Republicans won the majority of seats in House and Senate races. The one national race in Portage County was for the 7th Congressional District, where incumbent Democrat David Obey defeated Republican Joe Rothbauer by a vote of 16,262 to 7,022. Obey has represented the 7th Congressional District since Republican Melvin Laird left the seat to serve as secretary of defense under President Richard Nixon in 1969. Several uncontested races for county offices were also on the ballot. Democrats winning re-election were District Attorney Thomas Eagon, County Clerk Roger Wrycza, Clerk of Courts Bernadette Flatoff, Register of Deeds Cynthia Wisinski and Surveyor Joseph Glodowski. Democrat Stephanie Stokes was elected to replace Alice Dorshak, who wasn't seeking election, as treasurer. The only Republican on the ticket for county office, incumbent Coroner Scott Rifleman, was re-elected.