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Volume 8, Issue 46, April 13, 2026
 Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce, Eau Claire, Wis.
Business Advocate Past Issues
Public Meetings Calendar
Chamber Events Calendar
The Chamber's Advocacy Principles
The Chamber's Business Issues Agenda
"Talking Po!nt" Podcast
How to become a Chamber investor
Contact: Erica Bodden, Director of Advocacy bodden@eauclairechamber.org
Chamber Business Hours: Mon-Thu 7:30a-4:30p, Friday 7:30a-1:30p 

In this issue of the Business Advocate

•  Election Recap

• Feedback Request: Business Advocate Newsletter

• UWEC Student awarded Shawn W. Pfaff Advocacy Internship Fund

• Chancellor search help requested

•

• City Council to examine vacancy candidates today

• Chippewa Falls Chamber to host event with speaker, President & CEO of Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, Kurt Bauer, May 20 

• Eau Claire Chamber to host 2026 Statewide National Civics Bee

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Election Recap

   Last Tuesday, voters across our region turned out for a range of local races including city, county, school board, and State Supreme Court. More than 17,667 residents of the City of Eau Claire participated, resulting in 42.6% of registered voters. Historically, this is about average for Spring election turnout spanning the last five years (using data from the Deputy City Clerk's office). 

   Jeremy Gragert was selected by Eau Claire voters as the future City Council President over Scott Rogers. Check out Jeremy on WEAU's Hello Wisconsin following the election. 

   5 candidates competing for 3 open seats in the Eau Claire School Board race elected Pa Thao, Lori Bica, and Jarrett Dement. 

   In the County Board race, all 29 seats were up for reelection, with 8 contested races listed below.

1.  Incumbent Joe Knight received a 58% majority over challenger Donald Krump.

2.  Incumbent Stella Pagonis received a narrow 1% winning margin over challenger Eric Fisher.

3.  Greg Banchy received a 55.3% majority over James Rolbiecki.

4.  Incumbent Kirk Dahl received a 70.2% majority over challenger Robert Standard.

5.  Ray French received a 56.6% majority over John Glassbrenner.

6.  Steve Spina received a 56% majoirty over Josh Sykora.

7. Incumbent Christy Tomczak received a 55% majority over challenger Stephen Aguiar.

8.  Incumbent Bob Swanson received a 59% majority over challenger Regina Bataineh.

   Additionally, Wisconsin voters selected Justice Chris Taylor over Maria Lazar for the State Supreme Court.

Other election results

   First term incumbent on Menomonie City Council Matthew Crowe defeated 16 year Menomonie mayor, Randy Knaack in mayoral race. Crowe received a 58.5% majority, beating Knaack in 9 of the city's 11 wards.

Crowe upsets Menomonie Mayor Knaack (Leader-Telegram$)

   Cornell School District passes $15 million district referendum for a new high school. If the referendum were to have failed, students would be sent to another district through a sharing agreement.

Cornell voters approve school referendum (Leader-Telegram)

Cornell School District puts future of high school on April ballot (WEAU)

   Incumbent Mark E. Larson was elected over challenger Daniel Osborn in Cornell in the Mayoral race last Tuesday. 

   Incumbent Rick Van Blaricom was elected as Mayor of Thorp over challenger Chandler Green. 

   Challenger Alison H. Page was elected over incumbent Dan Toland as Mayor of River Falls. 

Local election coverage...

Jeremy Gragert elected as Eau Claire City Council President (WQOW)

Jeremy Gragert beats Scott Rogers for Eau Claire City Council President (WEAU)

How each neighborhood voted in the Eau Claire City Council election (WQOW)

Jeremy Gragert steps into council presidency following Tuesday election (Leader-Telegram$)

More election coverage...

No incumbent Chippewa County supervisors lost Tuesday (Leader-Telegram$)

Voters approve majority of school referendums in 2026 Spring Election (Civic Media)

What to expect on the 2026 Spring Election Day in Wisconsin (PBS)

Liberals dominated Wisconsin's Supreme Court race, will it carry over to November? (WPR)

Business Advocate Feedback

   As part of the Chamber's ongoing commitment to serving the business community, the Business Advocate newsletter is being reviewed to ensure it continues to provide timely, relevant, and practical information. To build on the resource that this newsletter provides, we want to collect feedback to better understand what information, updates, and tools are most valuable to readers today. Business needs and priorities evolve, and this input will help ensure that the newsletter remains aligned with those changing needs. 

   We encourage you to take a few minutes to complete the brief survey linked below. Responses will help guide future content and ensure the Business Advocate continues to be a useful and effective resource. 

   If you have additional comments or feedback, please don't hesitate to reach out to bodden@eauclairechamber.org.

UWEC Student, Chamber Intern to Accept Shawn W. Pfaff Advocacy Internship Fund

   The Chamber would like to extend a sincere thank you to UW-Eau Claire alumnus Shawn Pfaff for his generosity in establishing the UWEC Advocacy Internship Fund. This fund assists students in unpaid advocacy-focused internships by providing financial support to students pursuing hands-on experience in government and nonprofit work. 

   We're excited to congratulate rising senior Emma Steffen, this year's recipient of the fund, who will be joining our team as one of two advocacy interns. Opportunities like this not only support students financially but also aid in developing the next generation of leaders in public policy and community advocacy. We look forward to the impact Emma will make this coming summer and academic year. 

Read more about the Shawn W. Pfaff Internship Fund here

Attendance Request: Finalists in the UW-Eau Claire Chancellor Search named, forum schedules confirmed

   Four finalists candidates to become the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire's ninth chancellor will be on campus the week of April 13, 2026. Faculty, staff, students, and members of the public are encouraged to review the candidates' qualifications, attend interview forums, and provide survey feedback. You can find information about the candidates, forum schedules, and feedback links on the Chancellor Search Page.

   Questions can be forwarded to Jake Wrasse, Strategic Communications Manager and Legislation Liaison at UWEC, at jwrasse@uwec.edu.

Election season: here's what to know

   Election season is officially underway in Wisconsin, officially beginning on April 15 as candidates begin to circulate nomination papers for the November General Election. By May 22, incumbent officeholders must declare whether they plan to seek re-election, which often signals where open seats and competitive races may emerge. The field is then finalized on June 1, when candidates must submit their required paperwork, followed by a June 2 deadline for any referendum questions intended for the August primary ballot.

   Voters will then weigh in during the August 11 Partisan Primary, narrowing the filed ahead of the fall election. Following on August 25, candidates are formally certified for the General Election, and it also marks the deadline for referendum questions to appear on the November ballot. These milestones shape not only who will be on the ballot, but also what policy questions may be directly decided by voters. 

   All of this leads to the General Election on November 3. For businesses and community leaders, these timelines are worth keeping on the radar, as election outcomes can influence everything from workforce and tax policy to infrastructure and economic development priorities. The Chamber will continue tracking key developments and keeping members informed as the election cycle unfolds. 

   Using input from Ruder Ware's John Jacobson.

Eau Claire Chamber to host the State Competition for the National Civics Bee® , May 9

   The Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce is proud to host the 2026 National Civics Bee Statewide Competition on May 9 from 9-12p.m. at South Middle School. This exciting event will bring together some of the top student scholars from across Wisconsin, each selected as a statewide finalist for their outstanding civics knowledge and essay submissions.®

   From across the state, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students submitted essays regarding complex issues their communities face, how they propose to fix those issues, and who they would work with. Organized through the U.S. Chamber Foundation, judges from across the nation reviewed the submissions and selected the top 20 to advance to our Statewide Bee. 

   During the live competition, students will test their understanding of civics through 20 quiz questions, followed by presentations of their essay ideas to a panel of judges. The event celebrates civic engagement, critical thinking, and the next generation of community leaders. 

   We invite the public to attend this event to join us in recognizing and supporting these exceptional students as they showcase their knowledge and passion for civics!

Learn more about the National Civics Bee®