Challengers Took Close Lead Over Incumbent For 4th District

OAK CREEK, WI — A margin of five votes was all that stood between Oak Creek 4th District Alderman Mike Toman and challenger Mark Verhalen in the latest unofficial numbers from Tuesday's primary election.

Lisa Marshall, who moved to Oak Creek in 2016, took home the most votes of all candidates, the unofficial numbers showed. 503 ballots were cast by the 4th District, a 13.39 percent turnout.

Results have yet to be certified, but a portrait of the results has emerged with Toman, the longtime incumbent for the 4th District, being at the bottom of the election that decides who will progress to the general in April. Marshall and Verhalen are set to compete for Oak Creek's vote then.

Candidates' priorities leading up to the race have focused on the lakefront, as the district encompasses all of Oak Creek's slice of Lake Michigan.

Marshall, who led over Verhalen by 31 votes in the unofficial tallies, previously told Patch "I do not think that there has been a failure from the current officeholder but I do believe that it is time for a fresh voice and perspective."

"The major issue facing Oak Creek District 4 and the City is Lakeshore Commons and Lake Vista Park. Ensuring that our Police, Fire and EMS Services grow with the development of this lakeside resource and how we can retain new members of our community," Marshall told Patch.

"An additional focus of my campaign is working with local industry to be assured that our Oak Creek High School Students have jobs in this technical economy," Marshall added.

Verhalen told Patch he was seeking office because he was looking to bring some fresh ideas to further improve the city

"I believe the 4th District needs to be focused more on ways to facilitate new development, both single-family residential and commercial. This in turn should help with the Lakefront development," Verhalen said.

He said he wants to help establish Oak Creek as a destination, rather than a pass-through to Milwaukee.

"We need to try to use our I94 corridor and the lakefront to establish upscale projects that attract professionals and businesses to our city," Verhalen said. "I would look at establishing a task force specifically for this purpose."

Want to learn more about the candidates? Here are the results from Tuesday's election alongside a link to each profile we published on them:

Lisa Marshall: 190

Mark Verhalen: 159

Mike Toman: 154

After the election, Marshall told The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel she was "super excited" to be moving ahead in the election.

Editor's note: A caption for this story incorrectly said the count was official. The caption has been updated.