1.
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
2.
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
3.
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
4.
Kathleen Vinehout
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Kathleen Vinehout is a Democratic member of the Wisconsin Senate, representing the 31st district since 2007. She was a candidate for Governor of Wisconsin in the election against Scott Walker. Vinehouts family farm in Alma is certified organic and produces hay and she has been mentioned as a possible candidate for Governor in the 2018 election. Vinehout was born on June 16,1958 in Albany, New York and grew up in Aurora and her father was a laborer and her mother a registered nurse, and both served in the United States Air Force. She graduated from Aurora Central Catholic High School in 1976 and she also received an associate degree in agriculture from the Lincoln Land Community College in 1992. Vinehout directed both the graduate and undergraduate programs in health administration at the University of Illinois at Springfield and she was a member of the faculty and teaching in the Health Services Administration and Women’s Studies Programs. Her academic work focused on health policy, the history of health care reform. After working in academia, Vinehout worked as the operator of the familys fifty-cow dairy farm. The farm had a rolling herd average of 21,000 pounds of milk, Vinehout was president of the Dairy Herd Improvement Association in Buffalo County, Wisconsin for several years and represented the district at statewide meetings. She also assisted the Wisconsin Farmers Union in agriculture and dairy policy and she served on the Buffalo County Agricultural Fair Association Board and the Buffalo County Farm Bureau Board. Vinehout was formerly a member of the Wisconsin Holstein Association and she, Vinehout was elected to the Wisconsin Senate in 2006, defeating Republican Incumbent Ron Brown. In her first term, Vinehout chaired the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Higher Education, Vinehout was the chair of the Democratic Party of Buffalo County and served on the Mississippi River Regional Planning Commission and the Alma Chamber of Commerce. In 2005, the Democratic Party of Wisconsin awarded her with the Eleanor Roosevelt Award for her work in grassroots organizing, on November 2,2010, Vinehout was reelected to the Wisconsin Senate beating Ed Thompson. On November 9,2010, with only 352 votes separating the two candidates, Thompson asked for a recount, on November 19,2010, Thompson conceded the election to Vinehout. She returned to the State of Wisconsin on March 12,2011, Vinehout was a candidate in the Democratic Primary during the 2012 Wisconsin Gubernatorial Recall Election. She garnered four percent of the vote, coming in third, in January 2014, Senator Vinehout announced she would not run for Governor of Wisconsin because of injuries she received in a car accident in Racine County, Wisconsin in December 2013. In addition to her career, Vinehout owns a farm with her husband, Doug. Her family operates a 223-acre organic farm near Alma, Wisconsin, Vinehout is an active member of Saint Lawrence Catholic Church
5.
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
6.
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
7.
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
8.
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
9.
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
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
13.
Fred Clark (politician)
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Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Clark graduated from Huron High School in Ann Arbor in 1977. He attended Michigan Technological University before earning a B. S. from Michigan State University in 1985, and he served as a Senior Forester with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and an ecologist with The Nature Conservancy. Clark is now a consulting forester, owner of Clark Forestry in Baraboo, Clark Forestry provides forestry management and consulting services to family forest owners, farmers, environmental groups, and government agencies throughout Wisconsin. He is a member of the Society of American Foresters, The Nature Conservancy, Clark was appointed by Republican Governor Tommy Thompson to the Lower Wisconsin Riverway Board in 1998, where he served as a representative for Columbia County. In 2004, Clark was appointed by Democratic Governor Jim Doyle to the Wisconsin Council on Forestry, Clark was first elected to the Assembly in 2008, defeating incumbent Republican J. A. Doc Hines by a margin, he was assigned to the standing committees on forestry, on natural resources, and on rural economic development. He was reelected in 2010 by a margin, he became the Minority Caucus Vice Chairperson for the 2011-2012 session. On April 21,2011, Clark announced his candidacy for the 14th district seat in the Wisconsin Senate, in the election against Luther Olsen. In the recall election, Clark was endorsed by the Capital Times and he lost the race, with Olsen polling fifty-two percent to Clarks forty-eight percent. Fred Clarks Official Campaign Website Clark Tops Hines in race for 42nd - Baraboo News Republic, November 5,2008
14.
Penny Bernard Schaber
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Penny Bernard Schaber is a member of Democratic Party, and former member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing the 57th Assembly District from 2009 to 2015. Schaber was raised in Mundelein, Illinois and remained in Illinois to complete her Associate, after graduation, she volunteered for the Peace Corps working at a hospital in Campo Grande, Brazil. When she returned to the United States, she attended Northwestern University in Evanston, Penny Bernard Schabers career in healthcare brought her to Wisconsin where she started working in hospitals in Milwaukee and moved to the Fox Valley in 1984. Before entering politics, Bernard Schaber worked as a physical therapist in hospitals, community nursing homes, in private practice. With a passion for the environment, she was active in the Fox River Cleanup Plan, in order to obtain a better understanding of environmental issues, Bernard Schaber returned to school in 1985 to complete an Associate Degree in Natural Resources at Fox Valley Technical College. As a member of the Fox Valley Sierra Group and as Chairperson for Wisconsin’s John Muir Chapter for the Sierra Club, she has very active in local. Some of the legislation that Rep. AB111 This Bill allows people who are denied by one insurer to enroll in a HISRP, AB112, This Bill ends the statutory lifetime limit on benefits under HIRSPs. AB275, This Bill creates a separate Physical Therapy Examining Board, AB308, It allows police officers to safely escort vehicles through red lights and stop signs. SB379, The school board of schools closing or reopening schools must notify the Department of Public Instruction. AB261, The Check Scam Protection Act prohibits this practice of sending out seemingly normal checks that commit people or businesses to a contract they did not intend to sign up for, in the 2013-2014 Legislative Session, Rep. In addition, Rep. Bernard Schaber is a member of the Governors Council on Highway Safety, in 2008 Bernard Schaber was elected into the Wisconsin State Assembly from the 57th District after defeating Jo Egelhoff 15,383 -11,560 in the November general election. Bernard Schaber won re-election November 2,2010 defeating Republican challenger Chris Hanson 10,415 -9,419, Bernard Schaber was re-elected to a third term on November 6,2012 after receiving a write-in challenger, Brian Garrow. Bernard Schaber received 19,862 or 94% of the votes cast in the 57th Assembly District, Bernard Schaber was defeated for the open 19th State Senate District on November 4,2014. Amanda Stuck was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly replacing Bernard Schaber, profile at Project Vote Smart Follow the Money - Penny Bernard Schaber 20082006 campaign contributions Penny Bernard Schaber campaign contributions at Wisconsin Democracy Campaign
15.
Josh Zepnick
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Josh Zepnick is a Democratic Party member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing the 9th Assembly District. He was first elected in 2002, born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Zepnick received a bachelors degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a masters degree from the University of Minnesota. Zepnick has served in the Wisconsin State Assembly since 2002 and he has been the minority caucus sergeant at arms since 2011. He currently serves on the Committee on Energy and Utilities, the Committee on Financial Institutions, the Committee on Interstate Affairs, Zepnick previously served on committees on State and Federal Relations and State and Local Finance. He has served on Legislative Council Study Task Forces, the Governors Council on Workforce Investment, in 2009, Zepnick proposed a bill to require sobriety of bartenders and limit all-you-can-drink specials. In 2015, Zepnick admitted to driving after he was arrested for a traffic violation in Greenfield. Official government website Profile at Project Vote Smart Follow the Money - Josh Zepnick 200620042002 campaign contributions Campaign 2008 campaign contributions at Wisconsin Democracy Campaign
16.
Frank Lasee
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Frank Lasee is a Republican member of the Wisconsin State Senate. He has represented the 1st Senate District since 2011, succeeding his cousin, Lasee previously served in the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing the 2nd Assembly District from 1995 to 2009. He is married and the father of six daughters, prior to his election to the State Assembly in 1994, Lasee was the Ledgeview Town Board Chair from 1993 to 1997, and was a telemarketing supervisor for an insurance company. Lasee lost his bid for a term representing the 2nd Assembly District to Democrat Ted Zigmunt on November 4,2008. Lasee blamed his defeat on the Wisconsin Education Association Council, the states largest teachers union, franks older cousin, Alan Lasee, announced his retirement from the Wisconsin Legislature on January 11,2010. Frank Lasee competed with Democrat Monk Elmer for his cousins old seat in the 2010 campaign, in June 2014, the Democratic Party of Wisconsin filed a complaint with the Government Accountability Board alleging that Lasee was living outside of his district. The Government Accountability Board ultimately ruled to allow Lasee to stay on the ballot, Frank Lasee was challenged by Democrat Dean DeBroux in the general election, and prevailed by over twenty percentage points. Lasee was a member of the State Assembly who dissented on many issues and he was called an advocate of taxpayers, limited spending and an opponent of tax increases. Some of his most notable proposals are as follows, Taxpayer Protection Act A2006 proposal was the Taxpayer Protection Act. The TPA proposed to tie governments revenue to inflation, population, Taxpayers Bill of Rights A Taxpayers Bill of Rights, also known as TABOR, was introduced by Frank Lasee and Jeffrey Wood in 2004 in Wisconsin. They stated taxpayers in this state need protection, TABOR includes five basic provisions, Limit state and school spending growth to population growth plus inflation. Limit county and municipalities the same way, any increase in income, sales, franchise, or property tax rates, would require the approval of voters. Any proposal by the state or local governments to borrow money would require the approval of voters, establish an emergency fund and budget stabilization fund. Consumer’s Choice in Auto Insurance Act Lasee authored Senate Bill 7, aB4 lowered the cost of insurance by eliminating the stacking clause. S. Senate seat vacated by retiring Democrat U. S, on January 29,2012 he announced his withdrawal from the U. S. Senate race. On February 14,2016, Lasee announced he would run for the U. S. Congress seat being vacated by retiring Rep. Reid Ribble and he was defeated by Mike Gallagher in a primary, however, Gallagher won the seat in November. Lasee is married to Amy Joy Lasee and they have six daughters and one son ranging in age from 3 to 21 years. Profile, committees and bills at the Wisconsin State Legislature Frank Lasee official campaign site Profile at Project Vote Smart
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Wisconsin Senate, District 1
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The 1st District of the Wisconsin Senate is located in Eastern Wisconsin, and is currently composed of Brown, Door, Kewaunee, and Calumet Counties. The district does not contain, but is adjacent to the Green Bay area, Frank Lasee is the senator serving the 1st district. He was elected in 2010 to a four-year term, before serving as a senator, he held an office in the State Assembly. His cousin Alan previously held the seat for the 1st district. The area of the 1st Senate District contains three State Assembly Districts, The 1st The 2nd The 3rd, the district is also located within Wisconsins 8th congressional district, which is represented by U. S. At Wisconsin statehood, the Senate had only 19 districts, the 1st District consisted of Brown, Calumet, Manitowoc and Sheboygan counties. The new 1st District was made up of Door Kewaunee, Oconto and Shawano counties, previous politicians of a specific numbered district have represented a different geographic area, due to redistricting. Political subdivisions of Wisconsin Frank Lasee official campaign site
18.
Wisconsin Senate, District 2
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The 2nd District of the Wisconsin Senate is located in Eastern Wisconsin, and is currently composed of parts of Shawano, Outagamie, and Brown Counties. The district does not contain, but is adjacent to the Green Bay metro area, robert Cowles is the senator serving the 2nd district. He has served since 1987, and has been re-elected to another four-year terms ever since, before serving as a senator, he held an office in the State Assembly from 1982 to 1986. S. Previous politicians of a specific numbered district have represented a different geographic area. Political subdivisions of Wisconsin 2nd Senate District, Senator Cowles in the Wisconsin Blue Book
19.
Wisconsin Senate, District 3
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The 3rd District of the Wisconsin Senate is located in Southern Wisconsin, and is composed of parts of Milwaukee County. Tim Carpenter is the currently serving the 3rd district. He has served since 2003, and was re-elected in 2014 to another four-year term, before serving as a Senator, he held an office in the State Assembly from 1985 to 2003. S. Previous politicians of a specific numbered district have represented a different geographic area. Political subdivisions of Wisconsin Tim Carpenter official campaign site 3rd Senate District, Senator Carpenter in the Wisconsin Blue Book
20.
Wisconsin Senate, District 4
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The 4th District of the Wisconsin Senate is located in Southern Wisconsin, and is composed of parts of Milwaukee County. Lena Taylor is the serving the 4th district. She has served since 2004, and was re-elected in 2012 to another four-year term, before serving as a senator, she held an office in the State Assembly, serving the 18th District from 2003 to 2005. S. At the time of the creation of the state of Wisconsin, in the first two sessions of the state legislature, the 4th District was represented by, Warren Chase, 1848-49 of Ceresco. He joined the new Free Soil Party, and ran in 1849 as the Free Soil candidate for Governor and he was succeeded by John A. It elected, Frederick Thorpe, 1862-67 of West Bend Adam Schantz, 1868-71 of Addison In 1871, Washington County became part of a revised 33rd District. A new 4th District was created, consisting of Monroe and Vernon Counties and this new district elected, William Nelson, 1872-73 of Viroqua Adelbert Bleekman, 1874-75 of Tomah In 1876, the District lost Monroe County, and gained Crawford County instead. It elected John J. Kempf, 1889-1892 In 1891 and 1892, the Senate was redistricted, after lawsuits, J. Herbert Green was re-elected in 1902 from the new district Henry Bodenstab, 1909–1912 of Milwaukee William L. Richards, 1913-1916 of Milwaukee Herman C. Schultz, 1917-1920 of Milwaukee Oscar Morris, 1921-1938 of Milwaukee After the 1921 redistricting, the 4th lost Milwaukees 1st Ward, but gained its 25th and this district re-elected Morris for over a decade to come. It continued to elect Oscar Morris until his 1939 death in office, milton T. Murray, 1939-1944 of Milwaukee John C. McBride, 1945-1948 of Milwaukee George A. Mayer, 1949-1952 of Milwaukee Harry F. Franke, Jr. 1953-1956 of Milwaukee The 1950s was a period of redistricting plans, referenda and lawsuits. By 1954, the 4th District still had three Milwaukee Wards, Fox Point, River Hills, Shorewood, and Whitefish Bay, and added Bayside, Brown Deer, and Glendale. The 3rd and 18th Wards of the City of Milwaukee, the part of Bayside in Milwaukee County, Brown Deer, Fox Point, River Hills, Shorewood, jerris Leonard was re-elected from the new district. Nile Soik, 1969-1973 of Whitefish Bay In 1971, the legislature was reapportioned without incident, the new 4th encompassed the seven North Shore suburbs, but also Thiensville, Mequon, and eight townships in Southeastern Washington County, from Erin in the southwest to Farmington in the northeast. This new district elected, Bob Kasten, 1973-1974 of Brown Deer, a special election was held, electing, Jim Sensenbrenner, 1975-1979 of Shorewood, who in turn resigned when he was elected to Kastens old seat in Congress. This new 4th elected, Gwen Moore, 1993–2004 of Milwaukee A new court-ordered map was created in 2002, by which the District was moved further west into the inner city. In 2004, it elected Lena Taylor, the present incumbent, the 2011 redistricting expanded the portion of the district in the inner city, while still retaining Shorewood and part of Glendale. Taylor was re-elected from that district in 2012, note, the boundaries of districts have changed over history
21.
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
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Wisconsin Senate, District 5
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The 5th District of the Wisconsin Senate is located in Southern Wisconsin, and is composed of parts of Milwaukee County, and Waukesha County. Leah Vukmir is the serving the 5th district. She was first elected in 2010, and we re-elected in 2014, before serving as a senator, she held an office in the State Assembly, serving the 14th District from 2003 to 2011. S. Previous politicians of a specific numbered district have represented a different geographic area
23.
Spencer Coggs
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G. Spencer Coggs is the Milwaukee City Treasurer. Coggs served as a Democratic Party of Wisconsin member of the Wisconsin State Senate, a former health inspector, Coggs returned to City of Milwaukee service upon his election as City Treasurer in 2012. Coggs was a City of Milwaukee health officer, postal worker, Coggs was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1982 and reelected until 2002. During his time in the assembly he was the Majority Caucus Vice Chairperson in 1985,1987 and 1989 and he was elected in 2003 to the state senate in a special election and reelected in 2004 and 2008. He sat on the Committee on Housing and Financial Institutions, Coggs was vice president of the National Labor Caucus of State Legislators. Coggs announced December 22,2009, that he was running for the position of Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin in 2010. On September 14, he lost the Democratic nomination in a race, with fellow legislator Tom Nelson winning an absolute majority over Coggs 21%. Coggs polled 13,559 votes, Carpenter 12,880, Sass 5,089, in the general election, Coggs won with 35,096 votes to Carpenters 34,293. After he was sworn in as Treasurer in mid-April, Coggs announced that he would not be resigning his position as Senator until a new Senator could be elected, with us in the state Senate tied 16–16, it just makes sense for me to keep my position. If I were to leave, Im not saying my Republican friends would cause mischief and he said that he would donate his second salary to an as-yet-unnamed charity. Two incumbent Assembly Democrats, his cousin Elizabeth Coggs and Sandy Pasch, had announced that they would be running for the vacant seat. In the end, he was succeeded in the Senate by another Democrat, Nikiya Harris
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Wisconsin Senate, District 6
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The 6th District of the Wisconsin Senate is located in Southern Wisconsin, and is composed of parts of Milwaukee County. La Tonya Johnson is the serving the 6th district. She was elected in 2016, after incumbent Nikiya Harris Dodd declined to seek re-election in 2016 and she won the November 2016 general election, without an opponent, after winning the August Democratic primary election with an absolute majority against two opponents. S. At Wisconsin statehood the Senate had only nineteen districts, and the 6th District centered on Platteville, the Sixth District was now a Milwaukee County district, and would remain so well into the 21st century. Larkin - D, 1866-1869 Peter V. Deuster - D, 1870-1871 John L. Mitchell - D, 1872-1873 John Black - D, 1909-1912 George Weissleder - D, 1913-1917 Joseph Hirsch - Soc. 1925-1926 Thomas N. Duncan - Soc, 1929-1932 Charles H. Phillips - D, 1933-1936 George Hampel - Prog. Previous politicians of a specific numbered district have represented a different geographic area. Political subdivisions of Wisconsin District 6 Constituency Site
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Chris Larson
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Christopher J. “Chris” Larson is a Wisconsin politician who has represented the states 7th Senate District since 2011. A Democrat, Larson served as the Wisconsin Senates minority leader from 2013 until 2014, Larson was born and raised in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. He graduated from Thomas More High School in 1999 and earned a Bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, before entering politics, Larson was business manager of a sporting goods store. In April 2008, Larson successfully ran for Milwaukee County supervisor on a platform of improving his local community by adequately investing in the area’s shared parks and transit system. On September 14,2010, Larson defeated incumbent Senator Jeffrey Plale in the primary election, Larson won by 7,962 to 5,148 for Plale. Larson subsequently defeated Republican Jesse Ripp with 57.11 percent of the vote on November 2,2010 and he turned 30 the week after the election, and was the youngest member of the Senate. Larson currently represents the cities of Cudahy, Oak Creek, South Milwaukee, and St. Francis, less than two years into Larson’s first term and a day after turning 32, he was elected by his colleagues to serve as Senate Democratic Leader for the 2013-14 Legislative Session. This selection made Larson the youngest Senate leader since 1937, when Maurice Coakley was selected at age 30 and it was the fastest ascent to leader since Warren Knowles was selected in 1942 after also serving only two years in the Senate. In May 2014, Larson was named in the Washington Post’s list of top 40 political rising stars under 40 years old, on November 11,2014 Larson announced he would be stepping down as leader of the Wisconsin Senate Democrats. During Larsons political career, PolitiFact Wisconsin ruled on twelve of Larsons statements for accuracy, PolitiFact has ruled Larson Mostly True on one statement, Mostly False on six of his statements, False on four and Pants On Fire false on one. Larson supported initiatives to restore funding for local public schools. Larson and his Democratic colleagues all signed on to a constitutional amendment to reverse Wisconsin’s ban on same-sex marriage. Larson co-sponsored legislation to reinstate laws to prevent workplace discrimination against women, during the 2015-16 legislative session, Larson introduced numerous proposals aimed at improving public schools. He introduced legislation to give support to provide services for students with disabilities. All 14 State Senators returned on March 12 and he also served on the Governors Commission on Waste, Fraud, and Abuse, and the Special Task Force on University of Wisconsin Restructuring and Operational Flexibilities. Larson is currently serving on the Committee on Education, Committee on Labor and Government Reform, and Committee on Workforce Development, Public Works, Larson owns a house in Bay View with his wife, Jessica, and their two children. Four years later, he was parked in a tow-away zone on Milwaukees east side. When a tow truck arrived and the driver attached Larson’s car to it, Larson sprinted out of a nearby house, “yelling and screaming” wildly at the driver
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Wisconsin Senate, District 7
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The 7th District of the Wisconsin Senate is located in Southern Wisconsin, and is composed of parts of Milwaukee County. Chris Larson is the serving the 7th district. He was elected in 2010, defeating fellow Democrat Jeffrey Plale in a primary election. S, simpson, from 1881-1882 George A. Abert, from 1877-1878 William M. Colladay,1872 Dennis Murphy, from 1849-1850 Note, the boundaries of districts have changed repeatedly over history. Previous politicians of a specific numbered district have represented a different geographic area. Political subdivisions of Wisconsin Chris Larson official campaign site
27.
Alberta Darling
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Alberta Darling is a Republican member of the Wisconsin Senate, representing the 8th District since 1993. She previously served in the Wisconsin Assembly, representing the 10th district from 1990 through 1993, in August 2011, opponents forced a recall election against Darling, but Darling defeated the Democratic challenger, Sandy Pasch, fifty-four percent to forty-six percent. Darling was born in Hammond, Indiana and she graduated from Richwood High School in Illinois, and received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1966. She did graduate work at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee from 1972 to 1974, Darling is married to Dr. William Darling and has two children and two grandchildren. Before she was elected to office, Darling was a teacher. Darling first joined the Wisconsin State Legislature by winning an election in 1990 for the 10th district. She served the remainder of the term and a full term in the State Assembly before being elected in 1992 to the state Senate. Since 2000, she has served on the Joint Finance Committee, Darling was subject to a recall election effort in 2011. On March 2,2011 the Committee to Recall Darling officially registered with the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board,20,343 valid signatures of electors residing within the 8th District had to be collected by May 2,2011 to generate a recall election. On April 20,2011, the recall campaigns announced that they had gathered nearly 30,000 signatures, signatures were officially filed the following day. In late May 2011, the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board verified petitions against Darling, overruling her challenges, the date for the recall primary was ordered by the Government Accountability Board to take place on July 12,2011. Darling won the recall election on August 9,2011
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Wisconsin Senate, District 8
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The 8th District of the Wisconsin Senate is located in Southern Wisconsin, and is composed of parts of Milwaukee County, Ozaukee County, and Washington County. Alberta Darling is the serving the 8th district. She was first elected in 1992, and has been re-elected every four years since. S, representative Jim Sensenbrenner, Wisconsins 6th congressional district, which is represented by U. S. Representative Tom Petri, and Wisconsins 4th congressional district which is represented by U. S, note, the boundaries of districts have changed repeatedly over history. Previous politicians of a specific numbered district have represented a different geographic area. The Eighth District as originally created consisted of Green County and it was represented by, Elisha Gardner, 1848–49 William Rittenhouse, 1850–51 Thomas Bowen,1852 The legislature was redistricted completely before the 1852 election. John Sharpstein,1853 Levi Grant,1854 Francis Paddock,1855 Christopher Latham Sholes, 1856–57 Samuel R. Quarles, 1880–81 Charles Palmetier, 1882–83 Walter Maxwell, reynolds, 1889–92 Michael Kruszka, 1893–96 Julius Edward Roehr, 1897–1908 John C
29.
Joe Leibham
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Joseph K. Joe Leibham is an American business executive who served as a Republican member of the Wisconsin Senate, representing the 9th District from 2002 tp 2014. He previously served in the Wisconsin Assembly, representing the 26th district from 1998–2002, in December 2014 he resigned from the Senate, to become chief lobbyist for the Milwaukee-based law firm of Foley & Lardner. Leibham was born and raised in Sheboygan, the fourth oldest of 13 children and he attended Pigeon River Public Elementary School, Trinity Lutheran School and Sheboygan Area Lutheran High School. He attended the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse and Ealing College before graduating from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1991 with a B. A. in Political Science and Public Administration. He worked in the service industry as an Account Executive for Sargento Foods. He served on the Sheboygan City Council from 1993 to 2000, Leibham served in the Wisconsin State Assembly from 1998 to 2002, representing Sheboygan, Sheboygan Falls, Kohler and surrounding areas. His 9th Senate District comprises the half of Sheboygan and southern half of Manitowoc counties, as well as portions of Calumet. He served as the Senate President Pro Tempore and he was the Assistant Minority Leader in 2007 and the Majority Caucus Vice Chairperson in 2003. Leibham has called for the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, in December 2014 he resigned from the Senate, saying he was prohibited by state law from discussing job offers in the private sector while he was a sitting legislator. Two days later, it was announced that he would take over as chief lobbyist for the Milwaukee-based law firm of Foley & Lardner, Leibham is married to Heather, they have two sons and a daughter
30.
Wisconsin Senate, District 10
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The 10th District of the Wisconsin Senate is located in Western Wisconsin, and is composed of parts of Burnett, Polk, St. Croix, Pierce and Dunn Counties. Sheila Harsdorf is the serving the 10th district. She was first elected in 2000, and has been re-elected to four-year terms ever since, before serving as a senator, she held an office in the State Assembly, serving the 30th District from 1989 to 1997. S. The northern part of the district is located within Wisconsins 7th congressional district, Knowles, from 1955 to 1975 Warren P. Knowles, from 1941 to 1955 Kenneth S. White, from 1937 to 1941 Walter Hunt, from 1925 to 193. Skogmo, from 1913 to 1925 Walter C, previous politicians of a specific numbered district have represented a completely different geographic area, due to redistricting. 10th Senate District, Senator Leibham in the Wisconsin Blue Book Senator Sheila Harsdorf official campaign site
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Wisconsin Senate, District 11
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The 11th District of the Wisconsin Senate is located in southern Wisconsin, and is composed of parts of Waukesha, Jefferson, and Walworth Counties. Stephen Nass is the serving the 11th district. He was elected in 2014 to a four-year term, before serving as a senator, he held an office in the State Assembly, serving from 1991-2015. S. The southern part of the 11th district is located within Wisconsins 1st congressional district, previous senators from the district include, Neal Kedzie, from 2003-2014 Joanne Huelsman, from 1991-2003 J. Mac Davis, from 1983-1991 Warren Braun, from 1977-. Previous politicians of a specific numbered district have represented a different geographic area. 11th Senate District, Senator Kedzie in the Wisconsin Blue Book Senator Kedzie official campaign site
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Wisconsin Senate, District 12
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Tom Tiffany is the senator serving the 12th district. He was elected in 2012 to a four-year term, before serving as a senator, he held an office in the State Assembly, serving the 35th District from 2011 to 2013. S. The other part of the district is located within Wisconsins 7th congressional district, past senators include, Jim Holperin, from 2009-2013 Roger Breske, from 1990–2008 Lloyd H. Kincaid, from 1983–1990 Paul J. Rogan, from 1953-195. Previous politicians of a specific numbered district have represented a different geographic area. Jim Holperin for State Senate official campaign site
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Wisconsin Senate, District 13
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The 13th District of the Wisconsin Senate is located in Southern Wisconsin, and under the May 22,2002 Federal District Court decision is composed of parts of Dodge and Jefferson counties. However, under the 2011 Wisconsin Act 43 the 13th District of the Wisconsin Senate is composed of parts of Columbia Dane, Dodge, Jefferson, Washington, scott L. Fitzgerald is the senator currently serving the 13th District. He was first elected in 1994, and has been re-elected to four-year terms ever since and he currently serves as the Wisconsin State Senate Majority Leader. S. West,1852 George Hyer,1851 Frederick Sprague, 1849-1850 Note, previous politicians of a specific numbered district have represented a completely different geographic area, due to redistricting
