Spring Election is Shaping Up: Filing deadline is Jan. 6 [Updated]

Posted on: December 30, 2025

Updated 1/2/26 @ 9:30 p.m. with up-to-date information about Council candidates.

By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com

Anyone wishing to run for city, state or federal office must complete the necessary steps by Tuesday, January 6 at 5 p.m. For Common Council, nomination papers with at least 25 signatures must be submitted for a district seat, or 50 signatures for an at-large position. The clerk’s office at the municipal building is closed on New Year’s Eve and Day. It will be open on January 2 and January 5 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and on January 6 until 5:00 p.m.

City of Whitewater Common Council

Three City of Whitewater Common Council seats are up for election on Tuesday, April 7, 2026. If there are more than two candidates in any race there will be a primary on February 17, 2026. Per City Clerk Heather Boehm, the following is the status of the nomination filings, which are listed in alphabetical order.

District 2 (Currently represented by Orin Smith, who has filed a noncandidacy statement)
Gavin Kelleher, 451 Warhawk Drive – campaign registration is complete.
Sean Liebherr, 771 W. Lauderdale Drive, campaign registration is complete.

District 4 (Currently represented by Brian Schanen)
One other person has indicated an interest in running but has not yet completed any papers.
Brian Schanen, 441 S. Buckingham Blvd., campaign registration is complete.

At-large (Currently represented by Greg Majkrzak, who has filed a noncandidacy statement)
Teresa Golembiewski, 1180 Bloomingfield Drive, campaign registration is complete.
Orin Smith, 329 N. Tratt St., campaign registration is complete.
Aubrey Thompson has submitted her campaign registration forms but has not yet submitted her nomination signatures.

Whitewater Unified School District

Information regarding the School Board election may be found here.

Walworth County Supervisor, District 4

District 4 represents the western portion of the city; a map may be found here.
Incumbent Al Stanek has indicated that he is not running for re-election.
Tyler Schneider has announced that he is a candidate.
The Banner has not sought an update from the county, but understands that no one else had filed as of December 31.

Walworth County Supervisor, District 3

Incumbent Brian Holt has not filed a noncandidacy statement.

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U.S. House of Representatives

The general election for this position is not until November 3. It is very likely that a primary will be held on August 11, as the following candidates have already been announced:

Bryan Steil (Incumbent) (Republican Party)

Miguel Aranda (Democratic Party)

Mitchell Berman (Democratic Party)

Randy Bryce (Democratic Party)

Enrique Casiano (Democratic Party)

Gage Stills (Democratic Party)

Connor Walleck (Republican Party)

Adam Follmer (Independent)