Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com

Published - Wednesday, April 02, 2008

Ehrsam, Kapanke and Gamroth lose tight La Crosse County board races

By REID MAGNEY / La Crosse Tribune

The La Crosse County Board will have nine new faces after challengers unseated five incumbents Tuesday and newcomers filled four vacant seats.

Supervisor and former board chairman James Ehrsam appeared to have lost his re-election bid by two votes, but vowed to get a recount.

Challenger Bridget Flood had 194 votes to Ehrsam’s 192 in unofficial returns Tuesday night.

Ehrsam has represented District 12 on the county board since 1986, and was chairman for 12 years until 2002. “I worked hard,” he said. “It was a clean campaign as far as I know.”

Flood said she’d ask for a recount if it had gone the other way. “I envisioned all kinds of outcomes, but I never dreamed of a split down the middle,” said Flood, a county worker who will have to resign her position if the results hold up.

In District 5 in the campus area of La Crosse, incumbent Jacie Gamroth lost a write-in campaign with Robert Erickson by five votes. Gamroth’s name wasn’t on the ballot because her nominating petitions were a signature short. Erickson mounted a last-minute campaign. Both are University of Wisconsin-La Crosse students.

But in District 23, Gamroth’s mother, Tammy Gamroth, defeated incumbent supervisor Brian Kapanke by two votes.

West Salem Village President Dennis Manthei defeated Supervisor Terry Hanson in District 21. Manthei had beat Hanson for village president in 2005.

La Crosse Common Council member Audrey Kader reclaimed the District 11 seat she lost two years ago to Jason Gillett. Gillett, a Viterbo University student, announced he was pulling out of the race because he’s leaving the area after graduation.

“It looks like we’ll have a good group of people,” said Board Chairman Steve Doyle, who was unopposed. “The common theme is that the people elected are people who can work with each other.”

Doyle said he has support from between two-thirds and three-quarters of the 35 member board, and expects to be re-elected chairman when the new board convenes April 15.

In four open races, Joe Veenstra beat former supervisor Jim Moe in District 3, Bill Brockmiller defeated Carl Viner in District 13, Bev Mach defeated Bruce Parr in District 15, and Marilyn Pedretti beat Mark Huesmann in District 27.

Seven incumbents with challengers easily won re-election:

In District 7, Roger J. Plesha beat La Crosse Common Council member Jim Bloedorn; in District 17, Donald Meyer defeated Tari Tovsen; in District 18, Tara Johnson defeated Dave Drewes for the third time; in District 19, Robert F. Keil beat Dave Gebhart; in District 25, Jeffrey C. Schroeder defeated Terry Erickson; in District 26, Vicki Burke defeated James Kinsman; and in District 32 Patrick Schippers survived a write-in challenge from Arlene Benrud, who Schippers had defeated in 2006.

Reid Magney can be reached at (608) 791-8211 or rmagney@lacrossetribune.com.