Voters in Columbus will get to choose from a wealth of experience in the race for mayor and are among the only local voters who will have a race thet requires a primary.

Incumbent Nancy Osterhaus faces challenges from Peter Kaland, who was mayor from 1984 to 1985 and Art Westergaard Jr., who was mayor from 2005 to 2006. In addition, Bob Link is running for mayor and he has served on the city council and the Columbus School Board.

The depth of the candidates doesn't stop at the race for mayor. In the 2nd District race for alderperson, incumbent Darrell Augustine faces formor council member and former mayor Dave Bomkamp.

In the 3rd District, incumbent Bill Bruns faces former police officer Raymond Lawler.

Roger Sneath in the 1st District and city attorney Randy Lueders are running unopposed for their seats.

A Feb. 17 primary election will be needed in the mayor's race.

Beaver Dam City Council

The city of Beaver Dam will have at least one new alderperson after April's election.

And after nobody stepped up to challenge the incumbents last April, there will be two contested wards this time around.

Lisa Davidson will run unopposed in Ward 9, which has been vacated by current alderperson Mark Born. Born filed non-candidacy papers in December.

The first contested battle will be in Ward 1, where Donna Fuhrman will take on incumbent Clancy Knaup. Incumbent Glen Link will also face a challenge in Ward 3 with Kenneth Anderson fulfilling the candidacy requirements.

Incumbents running unopposed are Aaron Onsrud (Ward 5), Robert Ballweg (Ward 7), Jon Litscher (Ward 11) and Laine Meyer (Ward 13).

A primary will not be necessary since no ward has more than two candidates.

The election is slated for Tuesday, April 7.

Beaver Dam School Board

Incumbent Marge Jorgenson will face five challengers for the three open spaces on the Beaver Dam Unified School District board of education on election day on April 7.

Jorgenson, Robert Castro, Daniel Feuling, Del Yaroch, Gary Spielman and Erin Broome filed papers by Tuesday's deadline at 5 p.m. at the district offices.

Jorgenson has served one three-year term on the school board. Fellow incumbents Mark Kirst and Katherine Berkvam have decided against running again. Spielman is a former member of the Beaver Dam school board.

There will not be a primary.

Horicon City Council

With no one filing nomination papers challenging incumbents for their seats at the Horicon City Council table, all incumbents are assured of re-election.

No one filed for the seat being vacated by incumbent Douglas Psenicka in the first aldermanic district.

John Flouro, representing the second aldermanic district, and John Forster, the third, will each serve an additional two-year term.

Ted Pyrek, appointed by Mayor James Grigg to succeed Donald Butler who resigned, will serve the remaining one year of Butler's two-year term.

Horicon School Board

With Horicon School District Board of Education incumbent David Westimayer filing his declaration of candidacy Tuesday afternoon, there will be a race for the seat representing the city of Horicon.

Westimayer is being challenged by Jerry Tribbey.

Heather Olszewski, representing the village of Iron Ridge and town of Williamstown, is assured of re-election.

No one filed a declaration of candidacy for the seat being vacated by Mark Gutschenritter, representing the towns of Hubbard and Oak Grove.

Mayville City Council

The Mayville city council has four people running for three open seats.

Incumbent Dottie Hoy is running for first ward and incumbent Alan Voss is running for third ward. In the fifth ward, incumbent Marge Nitschke will face challenger E. Jay Gering.

Mayville School Board

In the Mayville School District, incumbents John Westphal of District 1 Zone I, and James Congdon of  District 1 Zone III were the only people filing papers for the seats.

Fox Lake City Council

There are no races in Fox Lake where incumbents John Mund of Ward 1, Tom Bednarek of Ward 2 and Ann McCarthy of Ward 3 are seeking re-election.

Waupun City Council

In District 1, challenger Dale Schmidt will be running against incumbent Chad Veleke. In District 3, challenger Matt Hickmann will be running against incumbent Eric Navis. In District 5 incumbent Rohn Bishop Jr. has filed a notice of non-candidacy meaning Michael Johnson will be running un-opposed.

Because there is only one challenger to each seat there will be no runoff election in February.

The election for the seats will be April 7.  

Waupun School School Board

The Waupun Area School District has two seats open on the school board, the at large position currently held by Cathie Loomans and the Fox Lake position currently held by Percy Harper.

Harper is running again and is being challenged by Ronald Paul.

Loomans did not file papers so the deadline for the at large position is extended until Friday, Jan. 9 at 5 p.m. Loomans is no longer eligible to run for the school board.

Scott Fairbanks has filed to run for the at large position.

Dodgeland School Board

Two of three Dodgeland School Board incumbents will face opposition April  7, while a third will stand on the ballot unopposed.

Kimberly Rundberg-Montgomery, of 249 N. Main St., Juneau, will challenge board treasurer Neil Whiting for his job representing the city of Juneau and town of Oak Grove.

Two-term incumbent Scot Niemeyer, who represents the village of Reeseville and town of Shields, will face Shawna Rennhack, of 308 Lincoln Ave., Reeseville.

Incumbent Board president Jeff Caine, who has represented the village and town of Clyman and the town of Hustisford for nearly 12 years, will  run unopposed.

Whiting declined to run for re-election and filed a statement of non-candidacy Dec.16. However, Whiting changed his position Jan. 2, by delivering the necessary declaration of candidacy and campaign registration statement to the district.

"Things changed, so I decided to get back on," Whiting said Tuesday.

Specifically, Whiting said that as of Jan. 2, no other candidate for his seat had surfaced.

"I said, if nobody else is running, I might as well do it," Whiting said, without knowing that Rundberg-Montgomery had filed.

Even with opposition, he said, "I'm in now. I want to continue working with the school. I'm working with a good bunch of people, we1re doing a good job keeping the tax levy as low as possible and keeping our budget balanced."

Columbus School Board

Four people are seeking three seats on the Columbus School Board.

Running are incumbent Don Nelson, Sally Owen, William Braun and Pamela Larson.

Incumbents Mary Carpenter and Jim Schieble have filed notices of non-candidacy.  

No primary will be needed.

Fall River School Board

There are two incumbents for two seats on the Fall River School Board. Running unopposed are Dave Brozek and Doug Lee.

Fall River Village Board

A caucus will be held at the Fall River Village Municipal Building on Tuesday, at 6 p.m.

Up for election this spring will be the seats currently held by Dale Standke (president) and Duane Durtschi, Ron Kennedy and Gerald Schulze (trustees).

The spring general election will be held on Tuesday, April 7.

Cambria School Board

School board election has challenger

The seats of John Heil and Daniel DeYoung are up for re-election on April 7. Heil represents the Township of Scott and DeYoung represents the district at large. Heil will run unopposed in April, and DeYoung will run against challenger Pete Schrandt. The term of office for school board member is three years beginning on Monday, April 27, 2009.

Randolph School Board

The seats of school board members Laurie Boomsma and James Holwerda are up for re-election on April 7 and they will run unchallenged. The term of office for school board member is three years beginning on Monday, April 27, 2009.

Randolph Village Board

Candidates for the office of president and three trustees will be chosen at a caucus on Tuesday, Jan. 13 at 6 p.m.