No matter how the spring election shakes out, you will see new faces on each city council in Door and Kewaunee counties.

The nomination process is about halfway through after it kicked off on December 1st. Candidates interested in running for office must complete the necessary paperwork to appear on the spring ballot or file their non-candidacy papers by December 27th. The latter is what Sturgeon Bay Common Council District 7 Councilperson Kirsten Reeths and Algoma City Council District 4/Ward 4 Councilperson Lee Dachelet have opted to do, opening the door to a new face on their governmental bodies.

Nicole Matson has taken out papers to replace Reeths on the Sturgeon Bay Common Council and join Helen Bacon (District 1), Dan Williams (District 3), Gary Nault (District 5), and David Ward (Mayor) on it. Nault is the only one who has returned his nomination papers.

In Algoma, John Ortlieb (Ward 1/District 1) has returned his nomination papers, while Wayne Schmidt (District 3/Ward 2) and Midge Swedberg (District 2/Ward 7) are still collecting their signatures. No one has taken out papers to replace Dachelet on the council and join Amy Johnson in representing District 4.

No updates from the City of Kewaunee have been provided, though the seats currently held by John Blaha (District 1), Russell Anderson (District 2), Robin Nelson (District 3), and Jeffrey Kohnle (District 4) are up for election. While it filled one of its council vacancies with Roberta Jeanquart (District 1) earlier this month, the city still seeks someone to represent District 4 until 2026. You can find an application for that seat here. All candidates have until the close of business on January 7th to file their necessary paperwork.