CRAWFORD, VERNON, MONROE AND LACROSSE COUNTIES - Wow! There were some surprises in the partisan primary elections this year and then again there weren’t.

Perhaps, the biggest surprise of all is that 18-year-old Josephine Jaynes from Readstown appears have defeated organic dairy farmer Tucker Gretebeck from Cashton in the Democratic Primary for the 96thDistrict of the Wisconsin State Assembly. Jaynes beat Gretebeck by 633 votes 3,127 to 2,494. The results in this story are unofficial. 

Another surprise was the strong showing of Jayne Swiggum against Brad Pfaff in 32ndState Senate Democratic Primary in Crawford, Vernon, Monroe and LaCrosse counties 

Swiggum took absolutely no contributions from anyone, large or small, and spent little to none of her own money in the campaign. Pfaff beat Swiggum by 12.631 to 6,458 or 6,173 votes.

Swiggum beat Pfaff in Crawford County 978 to 776. Swiggum, sometimes referred to as Jayne the Nurse, lives in Gays Mills.

Less of a surprise than the strong showings of Jaynes and Swiggum was the victory of Robin Fisher in the Democratic Primary for Crawford County Clerk. Fisher, who currently serves as the Deputy Crawford County Clerk, defeated her opponent Kari Kronberg 1,112 to 763.

On the Republican side, there was only one contested primary the Third District U.S. Congressional Primary. In this race, Derrick Van Orden led by a lot in Crawford, Vernon, Monroe and LaCrosse counties. Van Orden beat Ebben 11,038 to 5,616. However, the vote in the four counties that make up 32ndDistrict of the Wisconsin State Senate are only a small part of the Wisconsin’s Third U.S. Congressional District.

In the same area that makes up the 32ndDistrict of the State Senate, Third District U.S. Congressman Ron Kind defeated challenger Mark Neumann 18,027 to 4,521. Kind went on to easily defeat Neumann in the Third District Congressional Democratic Primary.

State Representative Loren Oldenburg, a Republican who currently represents the 96thDistrict, received 5,577 votes.

Meanwhile, Dan Kapanke running unopposed in the Republican Primary like Oldenburg, for the 32ndState Senate District received 13,204 votes.