The 2026 spring election will take place on April 7 and will feature five ballot items: Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, Court Of Appeals Judge District II, Winnebago County Supervisor District 16, Oshkosh Council Member and Oshkosh Area School District School Board Member.
Oshkosh will have nine different polling places covering 15 districts that will be open on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Most UW-Oshkosh students reside in districts one through eight across the Fox River, with the majority of campus located in district five. Districts five, six, seven and 10 need to go to the Culver Family Welcome Center in order to cast their ballots while district four residents will have to travel to St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church. Those who live in districts one, two and three will have to vote at either Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church or Sunnyview Christian Church. To find your specific polling location based on your home address, go to My Vote Wisconsin at myvote.wi.gov/en-us/.
This election has 14 candidates running across all five races. In order to break down each race, the Advance-Titan visited each candidate’s website and pulled information on what each person was running on. This serves as an informational guide for students less than a week from Election Day.
Justice Of The Supreme Court:
Chris Taylor
Chris Taylor is one of the two candidates for Justice of The Supreme Court that is up for election after incumbent Rebecca Bradley announced she will not be running for re-election.
According to Taylor’s campaign website www.chrisforjustice.com/, she began her career as an attorney and policy director for Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin. She went on to serve for nearly a decade in the Wisconsin State Assembly, focusing on bills to increase access to affordable health care and increased wages.
On June 11, 2020, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers appointed Taylor to the Wisconsin circuit court in Dane County. Taylor replaced Judge Jill Karofsky, who had been elected to the Wisconsin Supreme Court in the April 2020 General Election. Taylor was later elected to a full term as judge in the April 2021 election, a role that she currently occupies.
Taylor’s website says that she is a lifelong advocate for justice, fairness, and protecting the rights of all people.
“As a judge on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, she brings a deep understanding of the law and a commitment to ensuring everyone gets a fair shot in our judicial system,” Taylor’s website says. “Her judicial philosophy is people-centered, grounded in making sure individuals get a fair chance in our courts, and that their Constitutional rights are protected. She knows how important it is for our courts to be places where people feel heard, respected, and treated equally under the law. She is a strong advocate for maintaining the independence of the judiciary, which must also serve as a check on the other branches of government.”
Taylor’s website says she is a champion of public safety and victims’ rights.
“From working to improve protections for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence, to protecting the safety of our communities, she believes everyone has a right to be safe in their home and in their community,” Taylor’s website says.
Maria Lazar
Maria Lazar is the other candidate running against Taylor for the vacant seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
According to Lazar’s website www.judgemarialazar.com/, she practiced law for about 20 years in the private sector for a business litigation and bankruptcy organization. Lazar went on to serve five years as the Assistant Attorney General for the Wisconsin Department of Justice and seven years as a Circuit Court Judge in Waukesha.
For the past three years, she has served on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals in District II.
Lazar’s website says that unlike other candidates, she will not throw judicial ethics out the window.
“I realize you, the voters, want to hear that information, but ethics are important,” Lazar says. “As I campaign, I will tell you how I’ve ruled on important issues, how I make my decisions, and promise to never be swayed by political considerations. Trust me, when you will learn about my judicial practice you will be convinced I am the best candidate for this position.”
While Taylor’s “Meet Chris” page doesn’t mention anything about her opponent, Lazar’s “Why Am I Running” page cites Taylor in its argument that political parties have taken over the Supreme Court race.
“In my last judicial race for the Court of Appeals, my Governor-appointed opponent funded her race with massive influxes of out-of-state money,” Lazar says. “I have never been appointed to any position on the bench, having run for every judicial seat I have held. My opponent was initially appointed to the Dane County Circuit Court with no prior experience or will of the people.”
Lazar says that she is running on the idea of stopping the politicization of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
“We need to restore fair and impartial justice to this non-partisan third branch of our government” Lazar says. “We need to elect someone with the courage to stand fast against this devastating trend and who will appreciate the grave honor they have been given by the people of Wisconsin every time they put on their black robe. There is only one candidate who fits that bill, and that is me.”
Court Of Appeals Judge District II:
Anthony LoCoco
Anthony LoCoco is running unopposed in the race for the Wisconsin Court of Appeals for District II.
According to LoCoco’s campaign website www.lococoforjudge.com/, he has served as a clerk for Annette Ziegler on the Wisconsin Supreme Court for her past two terms.
LoCoco also worked as a lawyer for both the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty and the Institute for Reforming Government, where he “devoted his career to suing and investigating government bureaucrats.”
LoCoco owns a private appellate firm called Wisconsin Appellate Litigation Services LLC.
His website says that he has a deep knowledge of the state’s appellate courts.
“In all, he has experience litigating in areas like state and federal constitutional law (including free speech, religious liberty, and gun rights), regulatory challenges and administrative procedure, education, elections, taxation, wrongful death, labor law, product liability, contracts, personal injury, probate, nuisance, redistricting, criminal law, and more,” LoCoco’s website says.
The front page of LoCoco’s website says that he is “a proven conservative fighter who will keep our communities safe and the bureaucracy out of our lives.”
Winnebago County Supervisor District 16:
Casen J. Frassetto
Casen Frassetto, a student at UW-Oshkosh, is running unopposed in the race for Winnebago County Supervisor in District 16 after incumbent Christian Mueller did not seek reelection.
Frassetto has no campaign website in his quest to become elected to the county board.
Frassetto said in an interview with the Advance-Titan on Tuesday that he is running to make the county safer and more affordable.
“Too often, I hear about expensive housing costs and rent for young people in the area, which is why I am committed to getting more affordable housing built in Oshkosh and the rest of the county,” he said. “”I will also be a fierce advocate to get the sheriff’s department to withdraw from the 287(g) agreement they have with ICE so that the people of this country won’t have to worry about ICe terrorizing our community, and to encourage transparency with our law enforcement.”
Oshkosh Common Council Member:
Alec Lefeber:
Alec Lefeber is one of six candidates running for the three open seats on the Oshkosh Common Council during this year’s spring election.
According to Lefeber’s campaign website www.alecforoshkosh.com/, he is a graduate of UWO and was the first person in his family to earn a bachelor’s degree.
Lefeber currently serves on the City of Oshkosh Landmarks Commission, performs with the Oshkosh Community Players at The Grand, and is a mentor through Big Brothers Big Sisters program.
Lefeber’s campaign website says that he is focused on quality of life and the people of the city.
“Young people should feel like Oshkosh is a place where they can build a life, not a place they have to leave,” Lefeber’s campaign website says. “For too long, we’ve acted like it’s normal for young people to move away. It doesn’t have to be that way. If we want a lively, growing city, we need to give the next generation real reasons to stay and see their future here … We need to be honest about what the city can do and what we could do if Madison funded us fairly. People deserve the truth, not excuses. And the truth is simple: crumbs aren’t enough.”
Jacob Amos
Jacob Amos is seeking election to the Oshkosh Common Council after he was appointed to fill Kris Larson’s vacant seat last November.
The Advance-Titan was not able to locate a campaign website for Amos, who became the first Black man to serve on the council.
Amos has served on the United Way of Oshkosh as an adjunct board member and has been a part of Oshkosh’s Long Range Finance Committee.
In an interview with WISS in January, Amos said that the biggest issue facing the Oshkosh Common Council is transparency.
“ There are a lot of discussions that are happening that the residents of Oshkosh feel are huge to them,” Amos told WISS. “They feel very passionate about it, and they would like a lot of transparency … The main thing I keep hearing is, ‘We want a local government that’s more transparent. That gives us more. And they (the residents)don’t feel so uninformed, if you will.”
In his interview with WISS, Amos said his goals for the council is to address housing struggles, property taxes and poor road conditions.
Meredith Scheuermann
A former Oshkosh Common Council member from 2007-09, Meredith Scheuermann is seeking one of the three open seats in this year’s election.
Scheuermann currently works for U.S. Bank in Appleton and has served on several government committees after her initial term as a council member.
While Scheuermann has no campaign website, she does have a Facebook page. Her page says that her campaign is centered around growing the tax base to work towards flat property taxes, supporting services like roads and infrastructure, making building on Oshkosh more accessible for developers and listening and responding to comments from the community.
In an interview with WISS in January, she said that residents are concerned about their pocketbook.
“They’re concerned of the property taxes,” Scheuermann said. “They’re getting hit, you know, county, school board, the taxes are a combination of all of those, as you know. You hear a lot about, ‘I can’t afford this. I can’t afford any kind of increases.’ So just being really mindful of the expenses that we spend in the city is important to them.”
Paul J. Esslinger
A two-time member of the Oshkosh Common Council and the former mayor of the city, Paul Esslinger lost out on the final spot in last year’s election to the group after falling behind Karl Buelow by less than 1,000 votes.
According to WISS, Essinger, who does not have a campaign website but has been featured on various social media channels, was motivated to run for Oshkosh Common Council after the Oshkosh Area Humane Society’s budget was cut almost in half.
Esslinger said in an interview with WISS in January that the biggest issue that city government is facing is representation.
“ I would argue, getting council members who represent the residents,” Esslinger said in an interview with WISS. “Now that may be a controversial statement, and I’ve said controversial stuff before. And again, it’s nothing personal. But I think if you were to walk up and down Main Street Oshkosh and talk to anyone who kind of watches council meetings or stays in touch, I think they’d probably tell you the council members, by and large, do not listen to the residents.”
Logan Jungbacker
Oshkosh native Logan Jungbacker is running for Oshkosh Common Council for the first time in the 2026 spring election.
Jungbacker currently works with the Business Improvement District in Oshkosh and is on the board of Downtown Oshkosh Inc.
According to Jungbacker’s campaign website www.loganforoshkosh.com/, he has worked in commercial real estate in finance for more than a decade.
Jungbacker’s website says that his campaign is based around affordable housing, smart growth and efficient government.
“Growth pressures, housing challenges, and infrastructure needs require leadership that understands both the policy and practical realities of successful implementation,” Jungbacker’s website says. “Oshkosh needs leadership that can meet this moment and hit the ground running. I’m running for Common Council to bring my experience, perspective, and a steady hand to city hall decision-making. My focus is on long-term results, fiscal responsibility, and community well-being for a strong Oshkosh today, tomorrow and for generations to come.”
Tim Neubauer
Century 21 realtor, investor and Oshkosh native Tim Neubauer is running for the council after being inspired by his friends.
While Neubauer does not have a campaign website, he does have a Facebook page.
According to an interview with WISS from January, Neubauer said he heard that people did not want to invest in Oshkosh, which is something that he wants to change.
“Everything has just gotten so expensive here,” Neubauer said in the interview with WISS. “So I’d love to be on the inside and actually know how all this stuff’s figured out. Where our money goes? How we budget things? Are we wasting money over here when we should be putting it over here? Do we need to be spending money on this or that? Or can we give it back to the community, lower our tax levy. Make things a little bit better for the people of Oshkosh in their wallets instead of building unnecessary things.”
Neubauer said that money and transparency are the biggest issues that Oshkosh is facing.
“Everything’s about money right now,” Neubauer said in his interview with WISS. “Whether it’s what government spends? Whether it’s what people keep in their pocket? Watching social media or the news, we’re just seeing all this stuff about fraud and what the people in the government are doing with money and where money’s going. That’s obviously the biggest issue.”
Oshkosh Area School District School Board Member:
Barbara Herzog
Barbara Herzog is one of four candidates running for two seats on the Oshkosh Area School District (OASD) School Board.
Herzog has been a member of the OASD board for 12 years and is a community volunteer after being a former teacher, principal and central office administrator in four Wisconsin school districts. She has also been a part of the UWO academic staff.
Herzog told the League of Women Voters during the group’s penal that featured all of the candidates that during her time on the board, she has worked on promoting the district.
“I’ve advanced the adoption of a long-range facilities plan for the district,” Herzog said at the panel in February. “I’ve supported upgrades to our athletic fields for soccer and for football, as well as for track. And I’ve supported paying down our debt in order to save money for the taxpayers of Oshkosh … Why am I running? Basically, I’m running for students. I believe that all students need to be successful, no matter what their background.”
Paul Molitor
Paul Molitor, a former nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopist, said at the League of Women Voters panel that he is running for OASD School Board to uphold traditional values that strengthen the community.
Molitor started as a blue-collar worker at Miller Electric in Appleton before obtaining a bachelor’s degree in education, later working to earn a Ph.D. in chemistry.
Molitor said he wants to focus on improving education in the city in order to make the school district a destination.
“As a conservative, dedicated Christian, I take to heart the teachings in the Bible not only of kindness and compassion, but morality and service to others,” Molitor said at the League of Women Voters panel. “I see this as a chance to serve others.”
Mallory Schneider Birshbach
UWO alumnus Mallory Schneider Birshbach is running for OASD School Board based on her passion for advocating for public education, special education and supporting the Oshkosh community.
Schneider Birshbach, a current stay-at-home parent, is the president of Shapiro Whirlwinds PTO, the parent-teacher organization of the school her son attends.
Schneider Birshbach said at the League of Women Voters panel that she has attended almost every school board meeting for the past several years.
“I also have no ties to partisan groups or political parties, which I take very seriously since this is a nonpartisan election,” Schneider Birshbach said. “This means I’ll make the decisions best for the community, not for partisan players. I am focused on the things that actually matter: educating our students, supporting our staff, and making our community better.”
Jacob Wolf
Jacob Wolf wants the OASD School Board to function as a high performing crew, just like at his day job in directional drilling.
“We need clear communication and accountability for every dollar spent and a focus on the foundations,” Wolf said at the League of Women Voters panel in February. “To me, that means prioritizing students, math, and literacy, supporting our teachers so they can focus on instruction, and ensuring a safe learning environment for all staff and students.”
Wolf, who has two kids in the OASD, has worked as a coach for the YMCA, the Oshkosh Rec Department and the Oshkosh Fast Softball Club.
Wolf said that if he gets elected, he will listen to the community.
“I will study the issues from the ground up. And I will make decisions to put students and teachers first,” Wolf said. “I’m used to thinking outside the box to get projects across the finish line. And I believe that practical common-sense perspective is exactly what our board needs right now.”
