Want to make a difference in your community? Consider running for local office.
Voters will head to the polls on April 7, 2026 to elect representatives for the Janesville City Council, Janesville School Board, and the Rock County Board of Supervisors.
Forward Janesville and our Government Relations Council play an educational role in helping our members—and the community at large—understand the election process and learn about the candidates. While we do not endorse candidates or host forums, we publish our annual Candidate Q&As in March to showcase the candidates and their perspectives on key issues. Check this page frequently for updates about the election, local candidate forums and news headlines.
Interested in running? Candidates can start circulating nomination papers on December 1, 2025 and must turn them in on Tuesday, January 6, 2026 by 5 p.m.
✅ This page will be updated frequently as the election cycle progresses.
📅 Last updated: December 22, 2025
Offices Up for Election in 2026
| Office |
Number of Seats |
Length of Term |
| Janesville City Council |
3 seats |
2 years |
| Janesville School Board |
3 seats |
3 years |
| Rock County Board of Supervisors |
29 seats |
2 years |
Key Dates for Candidates
| Date |
Details |
| December 1, 2025 |
First day for candidates to circulate Nomination Papers |
| December 26, 2025 by 5 p.m. |
Deadline for incumbents to file Notification of Non-Candidacy |
| January 6, 2026 by 5 p.m. |
Last day for candidates to file Nomination Papers |
| February 17, 2026 |
Spring Primary |
| April 7, 2026 |
Election Day |
Local Election Headlines
Janesville City Council
Janesville City Council President Aaron Burdick will not seek re-election (Dec. 19)
Janesville resident Steve Atkinson Jr. says he'll run for city council (Dec. 11)
Steven Atkinson Jr enters Janesville City Council race (Dec. 9)
Janesville City Council candidate Ben Dobson not accepting donations (Dec. 8).
West side resident Robert Hanson enters Janesville City Council race (Dec. 5)
'No Data Center' organizer Cassandra Pope running for Janesville City Council (Dec. 5)
Janesville City Clerk warns of signing too many nomination papers (Dec. 2)
Field keeps growing for Janesville City Council race, could raise issue of primary (Dec. 1)
South-side neighborhood organizer Cassandra Pope running for Janesville City Council (Nov. 27)
Seeman, Williams say they'll run for Janesville City Council (Nov. 26)
Reese Wood announces Janesville City Council candidacy (Nov. 24)
Ben Dobson announces run for Janesville City Council (Nov. 16)
Janesville School Board
Measner says he'll run again for Janesville School Board (Dec. 11)
Measner launches a third campaign for spot on Janesville School Board (Dec. 8)
Rock County Board of Supervisors
February primary likely for Rock County Board of Supervisors District 29 election (Dec. 17)
Rock County Board member Chris Cullen won't run again in April (Dec. 16)
Madeline Heise challenges Ken Stone for the 24th district (Dec. 15)
Madeline Heise running for Janesville-area seat on Rock County Board (Dec. 14)
Gorman to run again for Beloit-area Rock County Board seat (Dec. 11)
Hamilton running for Beloit-area Rock County Board seat (Dec. 10)
Stevens won't run again for Rock County Board (Dec. 10)
Pfaffenbach will challenge Schulz in Rock County Board District 29 (Dec. 5)
Garrik Harwick running for Rock County Board (Dec. 4)
Rock County Board member Dave Homan won't run again (Dec. 3)
Schulz will run again for Janesville-area seat on Rock County Board (Dec. 1)
Brandon Buchanan running for Beloit-area Rock County Board seat (Dec. 1)
Mary Mawhinney and Bill Wilson won't run again, leaving 2 Milton-area Rock County board seats open in April (Nov. 22)
Ken Smith, Milton-area council member seeking re-election and a county board seat (Nov. 21)
Abarca announces run for Rock County Board (Nov. 20)
Willow Wallis to run for Beloit seat on the Rock County Board (Nov. 18)
What Does it Mean to Run for Public Office?
Being a member of the Janesville City Council, the Janesville School Board or the Rock County Board of Supervisors means being a community leader. When you run for public office, you are making the commitment to serve and elevate the community. Running for public office also entails understanding your role as a member of the city council, school board or county board. These are non-partisan, volunteer roles with a scope to:
- Provide oversight of leadership;
- Guide budget development and financial decision making; and
- Steer community development by setting standards for expected outcomes.
Qualities of an Effective Candidate
Many of our Government Relations Council (GRC) members have served on the city council, school board and/or county board. They know what the job demands and what it takes to be a force for positive impact. To prepare candidates for their roles in public service, GRC developed a list of qualities that effective candidates possess. Effective candidates:
- Understand the scope of the role;
- Are willing to learn and engage;
- Are data-driven and future-focused in decision making;
- Are holistic in approach (not one-issue candidates); and are
- Clear communicators.
Candidate Resources
A great first step when considering a run for office is connecting with the clerks at the City of Janesville, School District of Janesville, or Rock County and reviewing available resources. Clerks can guide you through the candidate process and paperwork.
Local Civic Engagement Organizations
Civic engagement in Janesville and Rock County is strong. Several organizations are active in local elections and they are listed alphabetically below:
Each organization engages in local elections in a different way. Some host candidate forums. Some publish materials and help candidates run for local office. Some endorse candidates. While Forward Janesville does not formally collaborate with these organizations, we link to the helpful tools they have and publicize any public candidate forums they host.