[media-credit name=’BRYAN FAUST/Herald photo’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]Incumbent Elizabeth Burmaster won the majority of votes in the state superintendent of schools election Tuesday with a pledge to continue her commitment to quality education.

Sixty-two percent voted in favor of Burmaster, with 38 percent in favor of current state Rep. Gregg Underheim, R-Oshkosh, with 3,123 of 3,536 precincts reporting at press time.

“Tonight the citizens of Wisconsin came together around our sheer value of putting our children and putting our education first,” Burmaster said in her acceptance speech at restaurant and bar Madison’s.

Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle and his wife Jessica attended the celebration at Madison’s in support of the incumbent’s next four years in office.

Burmaster, a former teacher and principal, has promised to continue fighting for excellence in education without raising taxes. She believes cuts in state and federal funding would negatively impact the fate of Wisconsin’s schools.

“We can never pit our most natural resource, our children, against taxpayers,” Burmaster said. “It’s not either/or — Wisconsin citizens expect both fiscal responsibility and quality education.”

University of Wisconsin Regent Mark Bradley attended Burmaster’s celebration event, saying he supported the state superintendent because of her continued commitment to education in terms of access, affordability and quality.

As a regent, a required position for state superintendent, Burmaster has illustrated her significant accomplishments in the UW System.

“I’m so enthusiastic [about her candidacy] because she truly thinks of higher education as a regent separate from her role as state superintendent,” Bradley said.

Bradley also added that Burmaster’s willingness to work with Milwaukee school districts to address their “unique problems” illustrates her pledge to solve issues both citywide and statewide.

Underheim spokesperson Jessika Erickson said the legislator’s campaign team is disappointed, but she expressed satisfaction that Underheim’s message of providing both excellent education and a decreased tax burden on citizens “definitely resonated” with the citizens of Wisconsin.

The election was worth it at least for this, Erickson said.

According to Erickson, the representative had an “amazing showing” in the election, but it was difficult to compete with Burmaster for funding reasons. Thirteen labor groups as well as the state’s largest teacher’s union, Wisconsin Education Association Council, endorsed Burmaster. Although Wisconsin teachers provided much of the campaign funds, more money could have resulted in a win for Underheim, Erickson said.

“With more funds, I think we could have won this thing,” she said.

Though it is unclear whether Underheim will consider running for state superintendent again after Burmaster’s four-year term, Erickson said he will continue to advocate for education in the state Legislature.

Also in the Tuesday election, 75 percent of Wisconsin favored an amendment to the state Constitution that would lengthen some county officials’ terms from two years to four.

A total of 475,540 Wisconsinites voted in favor of the measure, with 3,038 of 3,536 precincts reporting at press time.

Proponents of the amendment argue the term extension would allow officeholders to concentrate on their duties rather than focus on re-election campaigns, and provide more time to become familiar with the occupation. Opponents contend the extension would limit democracy because voters could not vote their concerns as often.