The results are in for the April 1 election, and 42,353 Walworth County voters have made their voices heard. On the ballot were many local and statewide races, as well as multiple referendums. While Walworth County leaned conservative in several contests, statewide outcomes told a different story – shaping Wisconsin’s justice system, public education system and local community services.
Here’s a breakdown of the election results and what they mean for Whitewater and Wisconsin:
Whitewater Unified School District School Board Members
Locally, Whitewater voters re-elected Miguel Aranda and Jennifer Kienbaum to the Whitewater Unified School District (WUSD) Board.
Aranda, a Whitewater High School graduate and UW-Whitewater alumnus, has served on the board since 2021 and currently works as the associate director of PreCollege Programs at UW-Whitewater. During his campaign, he emphasized school safety, transparency and fiscal responsibility, along with a commitment to strengthening relationships with the city’s growing Latino population.
Aranda expressed deep gratitude towards UW-Whitewater students, who played a key role in his reelection.
“According to shared unofficial results, I received the most votes from individuals who reside on campus. As temporary residents of Whitewater – and hopefully you consider staying – your voice is important too and needs to be heard.”
Aranda also encouraged UW-Whitewater students to get involved in their communities by participating in governmental committees or running for public office.
Kienbaum, who first joined the board in 2019 and served as the president of the school board, will now begin her third term. She has been a leading advocate for expanding vocational and technical education, improving services for special education and supporting student mental health initiatives.
During her campaign, she maintained how important community involvement and feedback is to her.
“I am grateful for the support I received during my campaign and to the community members who chose to vote for me,” Kienbaum said.
Now, one of her top priorities for the start of this term is helping to lead the search for a new superintendent.
“This process will include the community and staff feedback about their hopes for the next WUSD superintendent,” Kienbaum said.
Whitewater Police and Fire/EMS
Whitewater voters approved this referendum allowing the city to exceed the state-imposed property tax levy limit by 18.29% starting in 2026. This will provide more funding for police, fire and EMS services, improving response times and staffing levels in emergency services but also a higher tax burden for the citizens of Whitewater. It will fund five new police officers, two cross trained fire/EMS, a dispatch and all the necessary equipment.
Whitewater Unified School District General Obligation Bonds
Whitewater voters also approved this referendum for up to $30 million dollars to fund additions and renovations to the Whitewater High School, expand career and technical education facilities and make district wide safety and infrastructure updates. There will also be improvements made to the drop of systems at some schools.
Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice
Although Brad Schimel won the majority of votes in Walworth County, Susan Crawford emerged as the statewide victor and secured her seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. This race was especially important with Justice Ann Walsh Bradley retiring, this election decided the ideological majority for Wisconsin’s highest court. It also became the most expensive judicial election in U.S. history. Crawford won with a historic number of votes for a supreme court race, with half a million more votes cast than Wisconsin’s last supreme court election.
Crawford’s win restores the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s liberal majority, representing continued support for reproductive rights, restorative justice and could possibly influence voting laws, redistricting and social issues across Wisconsin.
Wisconsin Superintendent of Public Instruction
In the race for the state’s top education official, Brittany Kinser won the majority of votes in Walworth County. However, incumbent Jill Underly secured her reelection with the majority of votes statewide.
Underly had focused on updating how student achievement is measured, and her reelection supports continued educational reform, signaling support for a more progressive vision of student achievement and classroom support.
Voter ID Requirement
Walworth County voters supported the proposed amendment to the Wisconsin Constitution requiring photographic voter identification and the referendum passed statewide as well.
Although Wisconsin already has voter ID laws in place, this amendment cements the requirement in the state constitution, making it significantly harder to repeal or alter in the future.
