Spring primary results: Rice Lake voters reject referendum - WQOW TV: Eau Claire, WI NEWS18 News, Weather, and Sports

Eau Claire (WQOW/AP) - Tuesday night was a big night in one area school district with a $20 million referendum on the line.  That vote was one of those we followed for the spring primary.

We'll begin with the statewide race on the ballot.  Justice Pat Roggensack will now go head to head with Marquette University law professor Ed Fallone in April for a seat on the State Supreme Court after they were the top two vote getters on Tuesday.  Fallone finished second in Tuesday's Supreme Court primary, behind Roggensack but well ahead of challenger Vince Megna.

Fallone argues that the Supreme Court is dysfunctional and Roggensack is partially to blame. Roggensack says voters should decide on her merits, not the court's. She also says justices get along better than people think.

Democratic lawmakers and unions are supporting Fallone in the nonpartisan race. Roggensack has the backing of more than 150 county sheriffs and judges.

In Rice Lake, voters have rejected a $20.4 million referendum.  52-percent of the voters said no.  The money would've been used to pay for remodeling and renovations at the high school, middle school and Tainter Elementary, along with paying for projects to repurpose Jefferson elementary.

In Thorp, Richard Wnek and Michael Lavick will move on to the April city council election and in Menomonie, six of the seven school board candidates on Tuesday's ballot move on.  One candidate, Kami Ayres, was eliminated.  The other six will be on the ballot for the spring election, which is April 2nd.