Sheriff David Clarke defeats challenger Vince Bobot; Kohl, Chisholm, Young win

Despite, garnering support from the union representing Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Deputies and the County Democratic Party, Vince Bobot lost his bid to unseat incumbent County Sheriff David Clarke.

Clarke won by a close margin, garnering 35,764 votes to Bobot’s 32,017 votes. As of press time, all election results, including the sheriff’s race, were unofficial.

Clarke will go on to the November election where he is expected to easily defeat Republican challenger Donald Holt, whose vote count was not available.

The sheriff managed to overcome Bobot’s attacks on his management style--which was blamed for low morale--his deployment of sheriff’s deputies and clashes with the union and some Black-elected officials for comments he made questioning their leadership of the community.

Bobot wanted to return the department to its traditional role of patrolling the freeway and park systems.

The only other local race involving an African American incumbent was state Representative Leon Young’s reelection bid, which was successful. The incumbent assemblyman, who has served in the Assembly for 14 years and is the nephew of the late Marcia Coggs, easily defeated challenger Andrew Parker 1,733 votes to 444 votes.)

For the first time since 1968, Milwaukee County residents will have a new District Attorney. Assistant District Attorney John Chisholm defeated Attorney Lorraine McNamara-McGraw by 20,000 votes (40,661 votes to 21,489 votes).

Though Chisholm will have a challenger in November (independent candidate Lew Wasserman), Chisholm is expected to win rather handily.

U.S. Senator Herb Kohl got one step closer to a fourth six-year term by defeating Ben Masel, an activist favoring the use of Marijuana. Kohl is expected to win easily given his opponents in the general election: Republican candidate Robert Gerald Lorge, Green Party candidate Rae Vogeler and independent Ben Glatzel.

Incumbent Lt. Governor Barbara Lawton (Democrat) will face off against Republican challenger, state Representative Jean Hundertmark, who defeated Nick Voegeli. Hundertmark will now team up with Congressman Mark Green to take on Lawton and Governor Jim Doyle in November.

In the race for Secretary of State, incumbent Douglas LaFollette easily defeated Democratic campaign operative Scott Ross.