Onalaska’s Chilsen retains mayoral position, despite needing write-in campaign

Only candidate on ballot
received just 35 percent of votes

Write-ins apparently did the trick for Onalaska mayor Joe Chilsen.  

He had to run as a write-in campaign for re-election because of errors with his nomination papers being eligible. 

The only candidate on the ballot, Jack Pogreba, only got 35 percent of the vote, while Chilsen received most of the write-ins.  

A few months ago, Chilsen led an effort to hire a city administrator for Onalaska, and downsize the mayor’s office to a part-time job.  

In Tomah, Wis., Nellie Pater, the only candidate for mayor on the ballot, has been declared the winner over write-in opponents.  

She’s been on the city council in Tomah. 

Mayor Shannon Hough resigned two months before the election, and reportedly is moving out-of-state.