Fox Cities voters headed to the polls in typical numbers during the Aug. 11 partisan primary election, seemingly undeterred by the destruction and disruption caused by the July 27 Appleton-Menasha tornado.
Carol Heid of Fox Crossing can't live in her house due to the damage – probably not for many months, she said – but it didn't stop her from voting. She never misses an election. If she is gone, she will vote absentee.
"This is important," Heid told The Post-Crescent. "I voted for the ones in the Democratic Party. I'm very much a Democrat. I would like a woman (for governor). I voted for one of them."
Francesca Hong and Kelda Roys were Democratic candidates still in the race, with Hong being among the leaders. The winner will face Republican Tom Tiffany in the Nov. 3 election. Gov. Tony Evers didn't seek reelection.
Aurelia Smet of Fox Crossing voted Republican and supported Tiffany for governor.
"I don't agree with 100% on either party," Smet said, "but the stuff that I align with is going to be more on the Republican side than on the Democratic side. It's always been that way."
The biggest local race was the Democratic primary for Assembly District 56, which was won by Grace Abitz. She defeated Shawna Riley and will battle Republican Anthony Phillips in the November election.
Area clerks and poll workers said the stream of voters was steady and manageable.
Fox Crossing Clerk Chantel Jaenke said the turnout of registered voters in the village was 33%, which was comparable to past partisan primary elections. The turnout was 37% in August 2024, which was a presidential primary, and a 32% in August 2022.
Residents living on the east side of Fox Crossing voted at Pentecostals of the Fox Cities, which served as a combined polling place after the tornado severely damaged the village's other east-side polling place.
The late change didn't result in any noticeable disruption of the voting process.
"Everything has been going very well," Jaenke said during the afternoon. "The community has been very understanding. We do have some voters calling to confirm their voting place, and we're happy to look that up for them."
The story was similar in neighboring Menasha, which was hit the hardest by the tornado. Deputy Clerk Evan Janet estimated the voter turnout might reach 40% of registered voters.
"It's a relatively regular turnout for a primary election," he said. "I don't expect it to be any less due to the tornado."
In Grand Chute, Deputy Clerk Michelle Mills estimated 35% of registered voters would cast a ballot.
In Appleton, the unofficial voter turnout was 37%.
Grace Abitz of Hortonville defeated Shawna Riley of New London in the Democratic primary for Assembly District 56.
According to preliminary results, Abitz received 3,249 votes (59%) compared with Riley's 2,263 votes (41%).
"I think all of those seeds we've planted in the last four months and conversations we've had have definitely paid off," Abitz told The Post-Crescent during a gathering at Alley Cat Coffeehouse in Hortonville. "I'm excited for the next leg of the race."
Riley said she was grateful for the experience and the people she met during the campaign.
"We did our best," Riley said. "I'm proud of my team and what we've accomplished with such a small group."
Ahead of the primary election, Abitz's campaign committee raised $6,385 and spent $4,121, according to the most recent campaign finance reports. The revenue included a $1,000 donation from the Wisconsin Education Association Council.
Riley's campaign committee raised $2,380 and spent $741.
Abitz will face Republican Anthony Phillips in the fall election. Incumbent Dave Murphy, a Republican who came under fire over his residency in 2025, didn't seek reelection after 14 years in office.
Assembly District 56 covers sections of Outagamie and Waupaca counties, including Black Creek, Hortonville, New London and Shiocton.
Abitz has been active in political campaigns and knocking on doors since 2022. She said her strong roots and connections in the district will help her against Phillips.
"I'm so excited to do the work," she said. "I think that I can have some broad appeal and win some people over from the other side of the aisle. I'm optimistic."
Contact Duke Behnke at 920-993-7176 or [email protected]. Follow him on X at @DukeBehnke.
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Tornado damage in Appleton-Menasha area doesn't hamper voter turnout