By Mike Warren

CENTRAL WISCONSIN – Republicans remain in charge as the balance of power in the Wisconsin Legislature after the Nov. 3 election.  The GOP held on to its majorities in both the Assembly and Senate.  Democrats managed to deny the Republicans a veto-proof majority in the Senate.

In our area, all of the incumbents won reelection, while Republicans held on to a state Assembly seat vacated by the incumbent.

In the 69th Assembly District, Republican Donna Rozar, Marshfield, defeated Democrat Brian Giles, Marshfield 66-34 percent. Rozar won Wood County 5,595-3,979, Clark County 7,032-3,035 and Marathon County 5,940-2,589. Rozar wins the seat by a total of 18,567-9,603.

In the 70th Assembly District, Republican incumbent Nancy VanderMeer defeated Democrat John Baldus 67-33 percent. VanderMeer won the Wood County vote 6,283-2,601, the Portage County vote 3,345-2,432, the Jackson County vote 715-260 and the Monroe County vote 10,344-5,024, for an election-night victory of 20,687-10,317.

In the 71st Assembly District, Democratic incumbent Katrina Shankland defeated Republican challenger Scott Soik 55-45 percent for a fifth term in office. Shankland’s vote total in the Portage County-only district was 17,753, compared to 14,306 for Soik.

In the 72nd Assembly District, Republican incumbent Scott Krug defeated Democrat Criste Greening 60-40 percent. Krug won Wood County 10,261-7,849, Portage County 1,310-688, Adams County 3,078-1,822 and Waushara County 4,561-2,260, for a margin of victory totaling 19,210-12,619. Krug has now won his sixth term in office.

In the state Senate, Republican incumbent Patrick Testin won reelection to his 24th-district seat by defeating Democrat Paul Piotrowski 58-42 percent. Testin won the majority of the votes in five of the six counties affected. Piotrowski won the Portage County vote 11,034-9,860. Testin won the majority in Wood County 16,339-10,505. He also won the Jackson County vote 674-304, the Waushara County vote 4,058-1,958, the Monroe County vote 9,496-5,838 and the Adams County vote 3,119-1,737. Testin won the election 43,546-31,376 for his third term in office.