Evers beats Fernandez to win superintendent race
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The candidate for state superintendent who had backing from the state teachers union and enough money to advertise on TV has defeated the pesky challenger who dubbed herself a "mom on a mission."
Based on preliminary results Tony Evers on Tuesday beat challenger Rose Fernandez 56 percent to 44 percent with 34 percent of precincts reporting.
Evers has 34 years experience working in Wisconsin schools, including the past eight as deputy state superintendent. Fernandez is a virtual schools advocate who has never worked in a school.
She based her campaign on being an outsider, or "mom on a mission," and argued she was best suited to reform the state Department of Public Instruction.
But voters decided otherwise.

Apr 14, 2009 at 2:45 p.m.
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Whoanellie: One thing is for damn sure...CHANGE is not in your vocabulary. I've found you to be extra annoying as of late, and reviewed your posts. Regardless of the venue, you find a way to bash Barack Obama. That, of course, is your right. I find you constant desire to turn every single issue into a character flaw of his a little disgusting, though. He's been in office for less than 100 days... I mean seriously. Even the article about a green company planning on hiring 500 inspired you to bash Obama and Doyle...
Apr 8, 2009 at 10:28 a.m.
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SO much for "professional" journalism.... Where journalists are supposed to state occurrences in an objective voice without any hint of bias. Perhaps since this is also online "journalists" now think it is a personal blog instead of a article for a newspaper.
Apr 8, 2009 at 9:31 a.m.
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booch11...how do you know I didn't examine her website and her position on the issues? I did and the right person won. I would never want someone with NO education TRAINING to be the CEO of education in Wisconsin....nor would you want someone with NO medical background being the leader of ANY medical based group in Wisconsin. Again, IMO, the right person was elected...and the majority that took the time to vote agreed. Fernandez and Palin might be nice people....but to say they are quality people qualified to be in the positions they ran for is a stretch. Again, in both cases, the people spoke, and the majority doesn't agree with you!
Apr 8, 2009 at 9:26 a.m.
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I also agree that WEAC bought the election for him, now he will owe them big time!!!
Apr 8, 2009 at 9:26 a.m.
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Obama is weak on knowledge and experience and the country didn't feel that way. but then again, look what's happened! I voted for Rose because of that lack of experience. I thought someone fresh should be able to get some things done, now we will just have the same old rhetoic. I guess change is not our middle name as the president says!
Apr 8, 2009 at 8:27 a.m.
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I have to say I am relieved that someone with almost no experience with education did not win the election. I am a former teacher (never belonged to a union), current homeschooler, previously had a child in a virtual charter school. I belonged to the organization that Fernadez headed. I know both sides and have listened to both candidates very closely. Evers is far better suited to the position than Fernandez. She has a lot of strong opinions but is weak on knowledge and experience. We have the right person at the helm.
Apr 8, 2009 at 8:05 a.m.
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Just another example of WEAC coming in and buying an election. Don't look for anything new to happen in education....Evers has been sitting in the #2 spot at the Dept. of Public Instruction for years. To now say he's going to do something he didn't do before is laughable.
Apr 8, 2009 at 7:34 a.m.
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Beloitalum,
Rather than assume this woman is a hack hockey mom, perhaps you should've actually examined her website to discover where she stood on issues. Evers savaged her on tv the same way palin was. Too bad, both are top notch, very qualified people.
Apr 8, 2009 at 3:04 a.m.
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"defeated the pesky challenger"
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Nice objective reporting.
Apr 8, 2009 at 1:29 a.m.
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Guess all that call for "change" only goes as far as getting your own party's candidate elected. When it comes to this election then more of the same is just fine eh WEAC.
Apr 7, 2009 at 9:39 p.m.
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She sounds a lot like the "hockey mom"...and we all know how she did!
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