1.
John Murtha
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John Patrick Jack Murtha, Jr. was an American politician from the U. S. state of Pennsylvania. Murtha, a Democrat, represented Pennsylvanias 12th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1974 until his death in 2010 and he is the longest-serving member ever of the United States House of Representatives from the state of Pennsylvania. A former Marine Corps officer, Murtha was the first Vietnam War veteran elected to the U. S. House of Representatives. A member of the Pennsylvania House from 1969 to 1974, he won a special election to Congress in 1974 and was successively reelected every two years until his death. In the first decade of the 21st century, Murtha had been best known for his calls for a withdrawal of American forces in Iraq and he lost to Steny Hoyer of Maryland. After the Republicans defeat to the Democratic Majority in 2006 Murtha re-assumed his chairmanship of the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee and he had previously chaired this subcommittee from 1989 to 1995 and served as its ranking member from 1995 to 2007. He was the son of Mary Edna and John Patrick Murtha, as a youth, he became an Eagle Scout. He also worked delivering newspapers and at a gas station before graduating from The Kiski School, Murtha left Washington and Jefferson College in 1952 to join the Marine Corps and was awarded the American Spirit Honor Medal for displaying outstanding leadership qualities during training. He became an instructor at Parris Island and was selected for Officer Candidate School at Quantico. He was then assigned to the Second Marine Division, Camp Lejeune, as an undergraduate, Murtha was initiated into the Kappa Sigma Fraternity. Murtha remained in the Marine Forces Reserve and ran a small business and he also attended the University of Pittsburgh on the G. I. Bill, and received a degree in economics, Murtha later took graduate courses from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He married his wife Joyce on June 10,1955 and they had three children, daughter Donna and twin sons Patrick and John M. who live in Johnstown. Murtha left the Marines in 1955 and he retired from the Marine Corps Reserve as a Colonel in 1990, receiving the Navy Distinguished Service Medal. Soon after returning from Vietnam, Murtha won the Democratic nomination for what was then the 22nd District and he lost fairly handily to longtime Republican incumbent John Saylor. Murtha was elected to represent the 72nd legislative district in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in an election on May 20,1969. The election was triggered by the death of Representative Edward McNally and he was elected to a full term in 1970. Congressman Saylor died in October 1973, nine months into his 13th term, Murtha immediately jumped into the special election contest in what was now the 12th District
2.
Leah Vukmir
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Leah Vukmir is a Republican member of the Wisconsin Senate, representing the 5th District since 2011. She previously served in the Wisconsin Assembly, representing the 14th District from 2002 through 2011, Vukmir was first elected in November 2002, succeeding Scott Walker, who was elected in a special election as Milwaukee County Executive. She was the member of the Assembly’s Committee on Health and Health Care Reform. She was also a member of the committees on Public Health, Education Reform, Education, Vukmir announced on June 25,2009 that she was challenging incumbent Democratic State Senator Jim Sullivan for the 5th district seat in 2010. The race attracted large amounts of campaign contributions, and only 14% of Vukmirs donors were residents of Wauwautosa. On November 2,2010, Vukmir defeated Sullivan for reelection and she was succeeded in her Assembly seat by fellow Republican Dale Kooyenga. Vukmir opposes medical marijuana and has said there is no medical reason to use it. At a public hearing in 2009, she was booed after accusing fellow legislators Jon Erpenbach, in June 2013, the Center for Media and Democracy sued Vukmir, contending she had violated Wisconsins open records law by not turning over records related to her involvement with ALEC. Vukmir responded by claiming she could not be sued while in office, the suit was settled in 2014, with the state of Wisconsin agreeing to pay $15,000 and Vukmir turning over e-mails from her personal Yahoo. Account that she said she had due to technical issues. Profile, committees and bills at the Wisconsin State Legislature Leah Vukmir official campaign site Profile at Project Vote Smart
3.
Democratic Party of Wisconsin
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The Democratic Party of Wisconsin is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the state of Wisconsin. It is currently headed by party chair Martha Laning. The Democratic Party dominated politics until the late 1850s, followed by the newly founded Republican Party of Wisconsin, the Republican Party held sway for almost 100 years. Jacksonian democracy was strong in Wisconsin in the days, until 1856 all territorial and state governors were Democrats. In 1854, however, a coalition of Whigs, Antislavery Democrats, from that point on, Republicans quickly gained control of most elected offices, from 1856 to 1959 there were only three Democratic governors. This period of time would last almost one hundred years, until the Democratic party would gain a foothold within the state. In the late 19th century, the Republican Party was primarily concerned with the interests of railroads, the lumber industry. In the last decade of the 19th century, the Republican Partys progressive base, the election of La Follette as governor in 1900 was the cornerstone of this movement. Democrats were virtually dormant in the state during this time, the Republicans led by La Follette employed many progressive policies within in the state of Wisconsin. These policies during the century were rather influential with the masses. The Republicans tight control of Wisconsin politics lasted until the 1950s and these changes were consistent with the new social policies being called for by the national Democratic Party. The Democrats won their first major victory when William Proxmire was elected in the late 1950s, the dawn of the 21st century has been a mixed one when it comes to control of state politics. The Democrats and Republicans in Wisconsin have both had multiple occasions of controlling either the State Assembly or the State Senate, the first decade of the twenty-first century has been an even balance between the parties fight for control of Wisconsin. The Democrats have not been in control of the governors office, the Democratic Party of Wisconsin tends to be closely aligned with many of the ideas/ideologies of the national Democratic Party in the United States. While the national Democratic Party has a scope of views. The Wisconsin Democratic Partys ideologies can be classified as liberal, progressive, many of these views can be characterized by what the party is calling for relating to the partys social ideals and economic ideals. This can encompass topics such as education, healthcare, foreign policy, environmental issues, many of these issues are addressed when the Party has their convention and they develop and vote on a party platform. A group of State Senators fled the state to halt the vote on the bill by denying a quorum, the repair bill ultimately passed after a series of appeals and judicial rulings
4.
Fred Risser
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Fred A. Risser is a Democratic member of the Wisconsin Senate, representing the 26th District since 1962. His district includes most of the west side and central neighborhoods of Madison and he previously served in the Wisconsin Assembly from 1957 to 1962. Risser has never lost an election and is the state legislator in American political history. Risser was born in Madison on May 5,1927, into one of the most prolific families in Wisconsin political history, rissers father, grandfather, and great-grandfather served at various times as Wisconsin legislators representing part or all of Dane County, although none as Democrats. He served in the United States Navy during World War II, Risser was first elected to the Wisconsin Assembly in 1956, succeeding fellow Democrat Ivan A. Nestingen. He was elected to the state Senate in a 1962 special election triggered by the appointment of Horace W. Wilkie to the Wisconsin Supreme Court and he was elected to a full term in 1964 and has been reelected every four years since. In his 2004 electoral victory, he received more than 80% of the vote, facing opposition only from a Green Party candidate, in the 2007–08 session of the Wisconsin State Senate, Risser was elected as President of the Senate. He held this position on several prior occasions and he also has been President Pro Tempore, Minority Leader and Assistant Minority Leader in the State Senate. In 2008 and 2012 he was re-elected without opposition, during the protests in Wisconsin, Risser, along with the 13 other Democratic State Senators, left the state to deny the State Senate a quorum on Governor Scott Walkers Budget Repair legislation. Risser is married to Nancy Risser, a retired Spanish teacher and he has three children and four grandchildren. Rissers family a part of history, The Capital Times
5.
Julie Lassa
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Julie M. Lassa was a Democratic Party member of the Wisconsin State Senate, who represented the 24th District from April 2003 to January 2017. She was a member of the Wisconsin Assembly for the 71st District from 1998 through 2003. Born in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, Lassa graduated from Stevens Point Area Senior High School and graduated with a B. S. in political science and she served as the executive director of the Plover Area Business Association and as the chair of the Portage County Democratic Party. Lassa was elected as a member of the Dewey Town Board from 1993 to 1994, Lassa served as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from 1998 through 2003. She successfully ran in 2003 for the Wisconsin State Senate and served there until 2017, Lassa ran against Republican nominee Sean Duffy for Wisconsins 7th congressional district, held by retiring Dave Obey. She was endorsed by Mike Tate, the Chairman of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, Duffy defeated Lassa with a strong showing in the November 2010 general election. Lassa resides in Stevens Point, Wisconsin with her husband John Moe, City Clerk for the City of Stevens Point, and their three children, Taylor, Madison, and Lily
6.
Scott L. Fitzgerald
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Scott L. Fitzgerald is an American politician and one-time newspaper publisher. He is a Republican member of the Wisconsin Senate, representing the 13th District since 1994, Fitzgerald was born in Chicago, but moved with his family to Hustisford, Wisconsin, at age 11. He graduated from Hustisford High School in 1981, and earned his Bachelor of Science from the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh in 1985 and he joined the U. S. Army Reserve in 1981 and was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Armor Branch in 1985. He completed the Army Command and General Staff College and served in a number of assignments during his 27 years of service, in 2009, he retired at the rank of lieutenant colonel. He worked for nearly a decade as a newspaper publisher and he purchased the Dodge County Independent News in Juneau, Wisconsin, in 1990, and sold it in 1996 to the Watertown Daily Times, where he remained as associate publisher for several years. In 1994, Fitzgerald was elected to the Wisconsin Senate, and he was elected by his Senate Republican colleagues as Senate Majority Leader for the 2011–2012 legislative session. In prior sessions, Fitzgerald has served as Minority Leader, Co-Chairman of the Joint Committee on Finance, in 2011 there were public employee protests conducted in opposition to Governor Scott Walkers budget repair bill. In January 2011, Fitzgerald said he wanted to meet with the unions before changing the laws, adding, Were not going to walk through hell, on February 8,2011, Fitzgeralds father was appointed to head the state patrol by the Walker Administration. In 2011, Wisconsin Republicans drew the states legislative map with 99 Assembly and 32 Senate districts and this map was later ruled as an unconstitutional gerrymander in 2016 by a three-judge panel. In response, Fitzgerald and Wisconsin state Republicans have hired attorney Paul Clement to fight this ruling before the Supreme Court, as of 2016, Wisconsin taxpayers have spent over $2 million to defend the legislative maps. Fitzgeralds father, Stephen Steve Fitzgerald, was Sheriff of Dodge County, Wisconsin, for 14 years, marshal for the Western District of Wisconsin. He was later appointed head of the Wisconsin State Patrol by Walker, Fitzgeralds younger brother, Jeff, was an Assembly Representative from the 39th Assembly District, and was Assembly Speaker during the 2011–2012 legislative session. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife, Lisa, have three sons
7.
Glenn Grothman
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Glenn S. Grothman /ˈɡroʊθmən/ is the Republican member of the U. S. House of Representatives from Wisconsins 6th congressional district. Grothman graduated from Homestead High School in Mequon in 1973, in 1978, he graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a bachelor of business administration degree. He received his law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1983, was admitted to the bar, Grothman was elected to the 58th Assembly District in a special election held in December 1993. From 1999 to 2004, he was the Assembly Majority Caucus Vice Chairperson, in 2004, he challenged State Senate Majority Leader Mary Panzer in the Republican primary. He ran well to Panzers right and he won the nomination in a rout, taking 79 percent of the vote to Panzers 21 percent. He was unopposed in the election for this heavily Republican district. The district included the city of West Bend, other parts of Washington County, and parts of Fond du Lac, Dodge, Sheboygan, from 2007-08, he was the Senate Minority Caucus Chairperson. He has been the assistant Republican leader since 2009, serving as assistant minority leader from 2009-10, Grothman is a member of the American Legislative Exchange Council. Grothman was a proponent of SB11, a controversial bill proposed by Governor Scott Walker in early 2011. He has said he supports the so-called budget repair bill because it is fiscally responsible, in a recent press interview, he said that he did not find it impressive that over 70,000 protesters marched on the capitol. During the protests, Grothman was cornered by almost 200 pro-union protesters yelling Shame, thats the guts of that crowd. He also described the protesters as a different breed of person, during this time, Grothman also advocated the hiring of more business-friendly individuals to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. This was only days before appearing at UW–Stevens Point with the Joint Finance Committee for a day of hearings on Scott Walkers budget bill, Grothman was subject to a recall effort in the spring of 2011, but the effort failed, collecting only 75% of the required signatures. During the recall, Grothman supporters gathered hundreds of signatures for a giant Thank You card for Grothman, on April 3,2014, Grothman announced he would run in that years Republican primary for Wisconsins 6th congressional district against 17-term incumbent Tom Petri. Grothman did not have to give up his senate seat to run for Congress, Wisconsin state senators serve staggered four-year terms. Petri announced shortly after Grothman entered the race that he wouldnt run for reelection, Grothmans longtime home in West Bend was located in the 5th District, represented by fellow Republican Jim Sensenbrenner. However, his state senate district included much of the portion of the congressional district. In the summer of 2014, Grothman moved to Campellsport, a suburb of Fond du Lac, in the general election, Grothman defeated the Democratic nominee, Winnebago County Executive Mark Harris, with 57 percent of the vote
8.
Jeff Fitzgerald
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Jeff Fitzgerald is an American politician. He was a Republican Party member of the Wisconsin State Assembly and he was the Speaker of the Assembly in the 100th Wisconsin Legislature. He ran for the United States Senate election in 2012, after leaving the Assembly, he became a lobbyist. Born in Chicago, Illinois, Fitzgerald moved with his family to Hustisford, after graduating from Hustisford High School, Fitzgerald attended University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and received his bachelors degree from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. He was a business owner and served on the Beaver Dam. He is a member of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, in 2002, he won re-election unopposed. In 2004, he won re-election a third term with 70% of the vote, in 2006, he won re-election to a fourth term with 63% of the vote. In 2008, he won re-election to a term with 60% of the vote. In 2010, he won re-election to a sixth term unopposed, in October 2011, Fitzgerald announced that he would run for the United States Senate seat being vacated by retiring Senator Herb Kohl, a Democrat. He lost the nomination on August 14,2012 in a primary battle against former Governor Tommy Thompson, millionaire Eric Hovde. Jeff Fitzgerald lives with his wife, Andrea, and two children in Horicon, Wisconsin and his older brother, Scott L. Fitzgerald, is a State Senator from the 13th Senate District, and the Senate Majority Leader
9.
Joan Ballweg
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Joan Ballweg is a Wisconsin politician and legislator, currently serving her third term as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the 41st district. She is a member of the Republican Party, born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, she graduated from Nathan Hale High School in 1970 before attending UW-Waukesha and receiving a B. A. from UW-Stevens Point in 1974. She is married to Tom Ballweg, with whom she has four children, Ballweg worked as a first grade teacher from 1974 to 1976 in Memphis, Tennessee. She started Ballweg Implement Company, Inc. in December 1976 with her husband, Ballweg served as an alderperson on the Markesan, Wisconsin Common Council from 1987 to 1991 and was the citys mayor from 1991 to 1997. Ballweg has served in the Wisconsin State Assembly since 2005 and she serves on the following committees, Chair of Labor & Workforce Development, Colleges and Universities and State Affairs and Homeland Security. She also serves as Co-Chair of the Joint Legislative Council and as a member of the Wisconsin Building Commission, in addition to her legislative assignments, she is a member of the Federal Emergency Management Agency Region V Advisory Council. Joan Ballweg for State Assembly Official Campaign Website Ballweg Implement Co. Inc
10.
Peter W. Barca
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Peter Barca is a Democratic politician from the U. S. state of Wisconsin and the current representative for the 64th District in the Wisconsin State Assembly. He is a resident of the Kenosha area. Barca has served as a representative on two separate occasions, 1985–1993 and 2009–present. He also served as a member of the U. S. Congress between 1993 and 1995, and the Midwest Regional Administrator of the U. S. After a landslide victory in his campaign in 2010, Barca was elected by his colleagues to serve as Assembly Democratic Leader in the 100th Wisconsin Legislative Session. Barca was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on August 7,1955 and he graduated from Mary D. Bradford High School in 1973 and earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. He attended Harvard Graduate School and went on to earn an M. A. in public administration and he also served as an employment specialist. Barca entered politics in 1985 when he won his first election to the State Assembly, the 64th District includes much of the City of Kenosha and portions of the City of Racine, Town of Somers, Village of Mount Pleasant and Village of Elmwood Park. He also worked closely with the Kenosha delegation to help pass legislation that led to the creation of the Lakeview Corporate Park, in 1991 and 1993, Barca was elected Majority Caucus Chairperson in the State Assembly. Barca resigned his seat in 1993 after being elected to U. S. House of Representatives, Barca faced Republican challenger Mark Neumann, who had been Aspins opponent in November 1992, but won by only 675 votes, mainly due to a weak showing in Racine. Neumann, in turn, defeated Barca in the regular 1994 elections, after he narrowly lost his re-election bid, President Clinton appointed Barca to serve as Midwest Regional Administrator to the U. S. He also served as National Ombudsman to the SBA and he later went on to become Vice President and then President of Aurora Associates International, an international project management company. In November 2008, after a 14-year absence, Barca was elected to represent the 64th District once again and he was again chosen to be Majority Caucus Chairperson, and served as co-chair of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, and chair of the Partnership for a Stronger Economy. In the 2011 legislative session Barca rose to prominence as a leader in the struggle against Governor Scott Walkers proposed changes to collective bargaining in Wisconsin. Barca also led Assembly Democrats in protesting the Republicans alleged violation of open meetings laws, Barca authored legislation to ban text messaging while driving in Wisconsin. Representative Peter Barca Official Website United States Congress, biographical Directory of the United States Congress
11.
Donna J. Seidel
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Donna J. Seidel was born in Neenah on August 6,1950. She graduated from Neenah High School, and received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in 1972 and she worked as a police officer, and as an investigator for a district attorney’s office. She was the elected Marathon County Clerk of Circuit Court from 1989-2004 and she ran for the Assembly in 2004, was unopposed in the Democratic primary, and won the general election with 15,666 votes to 11,667 for Republican Sarah Kamke. She was assigned to the committees on children and families, on corrections and the courts, on tourism. She was re-elected in 2006 with 64. 55% of the vote, re-elected in 2008 with 64. 08%, she was elected Assistant Majority Leader of the Assembly Democrats. Seidel was a candidate in the 2012 Senate recall election for the 29th District Wisconsin State Senate seat formerly held by Republican Pam Galloway, on June 5,2012 Jerry Petrowski defeated Seidel in the special election. She has one daughter and two step-children, profile at Project Vote Smart Follow the Money - Donna J. Seidel 200820062004 campaign contributions Campaign 2008 campaign contributions at Wisconsin Democracy Campaign
12.
Kelda Roys
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Kelda Roys is an attorney, an entrepreneur, a real estate broker, and a former Democratic member of the Wisconsin State Assembly. She represented the 81st Assembly District from 2008 until 2013, and during the 2011-2013 session, in September 2011, ran for Congress in Wisconsins 2nd congressional district, a race she lost in August 2012. She left the Assembly when her term ended in 2013. Roys attended New York University where she designed her own major in politics, drama, and cultural studies, and received a B. A. degree in 2000. She received a J. D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School, focusing on civil rights and international law, during and after college, Roys worked full-time as a real estate agent at The Marketing Directors, Inc. During law school, she worked at international law firms, including Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. After law school, she served for four years as the director of NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin. In 2008, Roys won election to the Wisconsin State Assembly representing the 81st Assembly district, filling the seat vacant by the retirement of Dave Travis. She won a six-way Democratic primary with 30% of the vote and was unopposed in the general election, after being reelected in 2010, Roys was chosen by her peers to serve as the Democratic Caucus Chair in the Assembly. In 2012, when Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin ran for the U. S. Senate seat being vacated by Herb Kohl and she lost to Mark Pocan in a four-candidate Democratic primary. In 2013, Roys founded a real estate tech company, OpenHomes. Profile at Project Vote Smart Campaign contributions at Wisconsin Democracy Campaign Company website
