Candidate’s death leaves spot open on ballot in circuit court judge race

Carol A. Conklin of Ladysmith, a candidate for Rusk County Circuit Court Judge who also operated a private law practice in the city, suffered an aneurysm last week Wednesday as she was leaving the Barron County Courthouse.

The Wisconsin Government Accountability Board still had not certified candidates for the spring election and was not scheduled to do so until at least Jan. 12, according to spokesman Reid Magney. Because Conklin’s death occurred before candidates were officially certified, she is no longer considered a qualified candidate and her name will not appear on the spring ballot, he said. The state GAB is the official filing office for federal, state and judicial races. Magney said in a partisan race a political party’s committee can recommend a substitute following a candidate’s death under state law, but not so in a non-partisan race like municipal judge.

More of this story appears Thursday, Jan. 14, 2010, in the print edition of the Ladysmith News