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Door County Election News: Bies Holds off Skare

The Nov. 4 election brought some surprising results in Door County, where Democratic candidates gained heavy traction in a traditionally Republican-leaning district.

In the race for the 1st Assembly seat in the Wisconsin legislature, incumbent Garey Bies (R-Sister Bay) held off a stiff challenge from Dick Skare (D-Fish Creek), winning by just 850 votes, 51–49 percent.

It represented the closest race Bies had been involved in as he secured his fifth term. In 2006 Bies earned 54 percent of the vote, and he exceeded 60 percent in his previous three races.

The county that went for President George W. Bush in 2004 went heavily for Democrat Barack Obama on Election Day, giving him 58 percent of the tally, and incumbent Democrat Steve Kagen increased his margin in his rematch with Republican John Gard, bringing home 57 percent of the peninsula vote.

In other ballot initiatives, the Gibraltar School revenue limit override referendum passed by a 2 to 1 margin, 2,625 to 1,356, or 66 percent. Egg Harbor passed a spending override referendum 125-54, which will require the village to get voter approval via referendum for any capital improvement spending of over $1 million.