A former Marshfield School Board candidate pleaded not guilty on Nov. 11 to the most recent felony charge against him in Wood County court in Wisconsin Rapids.

Mathew L. Samson, 41, of Marshfield had a preliminary hearing that day on a charge of first-degree sexual assault of a child under the age of 13. Wood County Circuit Judge Nicholas Brazeau Jr. found enough evidence to show a crime probably had been committed and that Samson probably had done it, and ordered the case to continue. Samson's attorney, Alec Noco, entered the not guilty plea.

Samson faces charges in four separate cases. He previously pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree sexual assault of a child under 12, four counts of child abuse, and domestic-abuse-related counts including first-degree recklessly endangering safety, false imprisonment, strangulation and suffocation, and misdemeanor battery.

His next court date is scheduled for Feb. 19 in all of his cases.

Samson was one of seven candidates for the Marshfield School Board on the Feb. 17, 2026, spring primary ballot. He was arrested on Jan. 28, 2026, on charges in the initial case and did not receive enough votes in the primary to advance to the April 7 spring election. The Marshfield News-Herald said it is withholding details from the criminal complaint because of the nature of the charges.