The 1995 Brown County, Wisconsin Executive special election took place on August 22, 1995, following a primary election on July 25, 1995. Several weeks after winning re-election on April 4, 1995, County Executive Tom Cuene resigned effective June 2.[1] Guy Zima, the Chairman of the County Board, became acting County Executive[2] until July 5, when former County Executive Don Holloway was appointed as interim Executive.[3]
Five candidates ran in the special election: De Pere Mayor Nancy Nusbaum; County Supervisor and former State Senator Jerome Van Sistine, Zima, County Clerk Randy Johnson, and Humboldt Town Board Chairman Norbert Dantinne Jr. The Green Bay Press-Gazette endorsed Nusbaum and Dantinne as its top two choices, praising Nusbaum as "a proven leader" and Dantinne for having "a small town openness and candor and a record of distinction as Humboldt town chairman."[4]
In the primary election, Nusbaum placed first by a wide margin, winning 49 percent of the vote. Van Sistine narrowly placed second with 14 percent of the vote, defeated Zima, who won 13 percent; Johnson, who won 12 percent; and Dantinne, who won 11 percent.[5]
In the general election, Nusbaum was endorsed by the Green Bay Press-Gazette, which praised her for showing "an ability to work with the business community and other elected officials" as Mayor, and criticized Van Sistine as "lack[ing] the vision and energy to lead Brown County government at this critical juncture."[6] Nusbaum defeated Van Sistine by a wide margin, receiving 62 percent of the vote to his 38 percent,[7] and becoming the county's first female County Executive.[8]
