Wisconsin Superintendent of Public Instruction Election Closest in 115+ Years

The most recent election to be decided by less than six points took place in 1909

With most precincts reporting, Democrat-backed Superintendent of Public Instruction Jill Underly (pictured) held off former special education teacher and elementary school principal Brittany Kinser by less than six points.

The Underly vs. Kinser matchup took a back seat to the state’s much higher profile nonpartisan contest on the ballot Tuesday. The Liberal bloc on the state Supreme Court easily held an open seat behind Dane County Circuit Court Judge Susan Crawford who defeated Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge and former Republican state Attorney General Brad Schimel by approximately 10 points.

Crawford’s victory margin was nearly double that of Underly (by 110K+ votes) despite the latter enjoying incumbency status. Incumbents have won 35 of 39 elections for the State Superintendent of Public Instruction since the first such contest in 1848.

In fact, Underly’s 5.8-point margin of victory is the narrowest in any election for the office in more than 115 years.

Smart Politics compiled the election results of the 59 elections for Wisconsin Superintendent of Public Instruction since statehood and found the 2025 contest was the most competitive race since 1909.

In 1909, Superintendent Charles Cary was elected to his third of five terms with a 35.6 percent plurality victory, defeating rural school inspector LaFrance Wood of Nielsville by 4.5 points in a four-candidate field.

The subsequent 28 elections for the office had been decided by an average of 31.2 points prior to Tuesday’s race.

The closest election for Superintendent of Public Instruction in Wisconsin history took place for an open seat in November 1857.

In that cycle, Democratic Wisconsin State Historical Society secretary Lyman Draper of Madison eked out a 0.4-point victory against 1853 (Whig) and 1855 (Republican) nominee John McMynn of Racine. Republicans and Democrats each won multiple statewide offices on the ballot that cycle in very close races.

All told, the 2025 election is the 11th most narrowly decided for Wisconsin Superintendent of Public Instruction since statehood. Aside from the 1909 election mentioned above, all other races decided by less than six points took place between 1851 and 1892.

Only four of 39 incumbent Superintendents of Public Instruction were defeated in their quest for another term in Wisconsin:

• 1859: One-term Democrat Lyman Draper lost by 2.4 points to Grant County teacher and Republican nominee Josiah Pickard
• 1877: Two-term Democrat Edward Searing lost by 1.8 points to Republican Milton College president William Whitford
• 1921: Five-term Republican Charles Cary lost by 7.8 points to former Menasha Superintendent of Schools and sitting state Director of Vocational Education John Callahan. [Non-partisan elections for the office began in 1905 during which Cary won his last four terms].
• 1981: Two-term Superintendent Barbara Thompson lost by 9.2 points to former state assemblyman, University of Wisconsin Board of Regents president, and sitting Monona Grove School District Superintendent Herbert Grover

Thompson was the first woman to serve as state School Superintendent when she took the oath in July 1973.

The first woman to appear on a ballot for the office was People’s Party nominee Sarah Potter in 1892. She placed fourth in a four-candidate field with 2.6 percent.

Only three of the 59 elections for Wisconsin Superintendent of Schools have been uncontested. The aforementioned Superintendent John Callahan won his second and third terms unopposed in 1925 and 1929 respectively and Superintendent George Watson won his second of three terms without opposition in 1953.

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