Misplaced Pages

Revision as of 05:47, 31 July 2020

Scott Fitzgerald
Majority Leader of the Wisconsin Senate
Incumbent
Assumed office January 7, 2013
Preceded by	Mark F. Miller
In office January 3, 2011 – March 17, 2012
Preceded by	Russ Decker
Succeeded by	Mark F. Miller
Minority Leader of the Wisconsin Senate
In office July 17, 2012 – January 7, 2013
Preceded by	Mark F. Miller
Succeeded by	Chris Larson
Member of the Wisconsin Senate from the 13th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 1995
Preceded by	Barbara Lorman
Personal details
Born	(1963-11-16) November 16, 1963 (age 61) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Lisa Fitzgerald
Children	3
Education	University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh (BS)
Website	Senate website

Scott L. Fitzgerald (born November 16, 1963) is an American politician and one-time newspaper publisher. He is a Republican member of the Wisconsin Senate, representing the 13th District since 1994. In the wake of the 2018 elections when Democratic candidates were elected to the offices of governor, attorney general and secretary of state in Wisconsin, Fitzgerald pushed for legislation to remove powers from the incoming Democratic administration.

He is running for the Republican nomination for Wisconsin's 5th congressional district in the 2020 election.

Early life, education and career

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. 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, including battalion commander. In 2009, he retired at the rank of lieutenant colonel. He worked for nearly a decade as a newspaper publisher. 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.

Wisconsin Senate

In 1994, Fitzgerald was elected to the Wisconsin Senate, and he has been re-elected since 1998. 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, and Chairman of the Senate Corrections Committee.

2011 Wisconsin protests

In 2011 there were public employee protests conducted in opposition to Governor Scott Walker's budget repair bill. In January 2011, Fitzgerald said he wanted to meet with the unions before changing the laws, adding, "We're not going to walk through hell and go through that if the Governor doesn't offer that up."

On February 8, 2011, Fitzgerald's father was appointed to head the state patrol by the Walker administration. Three days later, Governor Walker introduced his budget repair bill that limited collective bargaining from most municipal workers, which Fitzgerald, and all but one Republican in the State Senate, supported.

Gerrymandering

In 2011, Wisconsin Republicans drew the state's legislative map with 99 Assembly and 32 Senate districts. This map was later ruled as an "unconstitutional gerrymander" in 2016 by a three-judge panel. In response, Fitzgerald and Wisconsin state Republicans hired attorney Paul Clement to fight this ruling before the Supreme Court. As of 2016, the state has spent over $2 million to defend the legislative maps.

Curbing powers of the Evers administration

In the wake of the 2018 elections when Democratic candidates were elected to the offices of governor, attorney general and secretary of state in Wisconsin, Fitzgerald pushed for legislation to take powers away from the incoming Democratic administration. The legislation would also reduce the time allowed for early voting in Wisconsin election. A similar law that curbed early voting was struck down by courts in 2016, with the court ruling that the law "intentionally discriminates on the basis of race," and that it was "stifling votes for partisan gain." The bill would also prevent the incoming Democratic administration to withdraw from a lawsuit seeking to repeal the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) by taking the power to do so away from the governor and hand it to the Republican-led and gerrymandered Wisconsin legislature. Fitzgerald described concern over the stripping of power as a "manufactured outrage by the Democrats". Fitzgerald justified the attempt to curb the powers of the incoming administration, saying "state legislators are the closest to those we represent" and suggesting that urban voters (who are more likely to vote for Democrats) do not reflect the real electorate.

COVID-19 pandemic

In April 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Fitzgerald opposed calls by Wisconsin governor Tony Evers to delay an election from early April to late May, to make it a mail-in election, and to mail ballots to all registered voters. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was estimated that many voters would be effectively disenfranchised, and in-person voting was also considered a public health risk. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Fitzgerald "had no answer to how local election officials are supposed to keep people safe as a massive shortage of poll workers has resulted in the closure or reduction of polling locations, forcing more people to vote at a single site."

Due to the slow response by the Republican-controlled Wisconsin legislature to waive a requirement that unemployed Wisconsites wait a week before they can be reimbursed unemployment benefits, Wisconsin lost out on $25M in federal funding from the federal CARES Act. Senate majority leader Fitzgerald, along with Assembly speaker Robin Vos, were warned that this would happen unless they passed the waiver.

In July 2020, Fitzgerald said he was opposed to a statewide face mask mandate.

U.S. House of Representatives

In September 2019, Fitzgerald announced he would run for Wisconsin's 5th congressional district. The announcement came two weeks after 21-term incumbent and fellow Republican Jim Sensenbrenner announced his retirement. His state senate district covers much of the congressional district's eastern portion. He did not have to give up his state senate seat to make his congressional bid; Wisconsin state senators serve staggered four-year terms, and Fitzgerald was not up for reelection until 2022.

It was initially thought that the Republican primary–the real contest in what has long been the most Republican district in Wisconsin–would attract a crowded field. However, Republicans quickly cleared the field for Fitzgerald; according to the Cook Political Report, he was the only substantive candidate in the field when nominations closed.

Family

Fitzgerald's father, Stephen "Steve" Fitzgerald, was Sheriff of Dodge County, Wisconsin, for 14 years and served as the U.S. marshal for the Western District of Wisconsin. He was later appointed head of the Wisconsin State Patrol by Walker.

Fitzgerald's younger brother, Jeff, was an Assembly representative from the 39th Assembly District, and was Assembly Speaker during the 2011–2012 legislative session.

Personal life

Fitzgerald and his wife, Lisa, have three sons.

References

1. Scott Fitzgerald, Wisconsin Historical Society
2. ^ "GOP seeks to limit Wisconsin early voting, strip powers from Tony Evers and Josh Kaul in lame-duck session". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
3. ^ "Biography". Scott Fitzgerald Wisconsin State Senator. wisconsin.gov. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
4. Bauer, Scott. "Senate leader says Walker's refinancing debt could balance budget". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
5. "Steve Fitzgerald to Head Wisconsin State Patrol". WISN-TV. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
6. "Highlights of Governor Walker's budget repair bill". Wisconsin State Journal. February 11, 2011. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
7. ^ Tesfaye, Sophia. ""Unconstitutional gerrymander": Federal court strikes down Wisconsin's GOP-drawn redistricting". Salon. Retrieved February 10, 2017.
8. ^ BAUER, SCOTT. "Scott Fitzgerald promises limit to taxpayer cost in redistricting case". madison.com. Retrieved February 10, 2017.
9. "Lawsuit looms over proposed limit to early voting in Wisconsin". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
10. "Republicans in an about-face on governor's powers". @politifact. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
11. Badger, Emily (December 6, 2018). "Are Rural Voters the 'Real' Voters? Wisconsin Republicans Seem to Think So". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 9, 2018.
12. ^ "Wisconsin governor makes last-minute plea to delay Tuesday election". POLITICO. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
13. Danbeck, Associated Press, Jackson. "Wisconsin GOP says election should go on as scheduled". www.nbc15.com. Retrieved April 4, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
14. Montellaro, Zach. "'It is terrifying': Wisconsin leaders warn of coronavirus disaster with Tuesday's vote". POLITICO. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
15. Beck, Molly. "Republican lawmakers reject Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers' call to stop in-person voting Tuesday because of virus threat". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
16. Beck, Molly. "Wisconsin lost out on $25M in federal funding because GOP lawmakers waited to pass coronavirus relief bill". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
17. Bauer, Scott. "Wisconsin counties, cities face 'difficult' mask decisions". madison.com. Retrieved July 31, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
18. "Fitzgerald launches campaign for 5th CD". Wis Politics. September 17, 2019. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
19. David Wasserman (June 9, 2020). "The Bottom Line in Republicans' 32 Open Seats". Cook Political Report.
20. "Ingaleft". Huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved March 13, 2011.

External links

• Wisconsin State Senator Scott L. Fitzgerald official government website
• Template:Dmoz
• Profile at Vote Smart
• 13th Senate District, Senator Fitzgerald in the Wisconsin Blue Book (2005–2006)
• 13 Senate District, Senator Fitzgerald- redistricted map based on 2011 Wisconsin Act 43 (2011)

v t e Statewide political officials of Wisconsin
U.S. senators	Ron Johnson Tammy Baldwin
State government	Tony Evers, Governor Sara Rodriguez, Lieutenant Governor Sarah Godlewski, Secretary of State Josh Kaul, Attorney General John Leiber, Treasurer Jill Underly, Superintendent
Senate	Mary Felzkowski, President Patrick Testin, President pro tempore Devin LeMahieu, Majority Leader Dianne Hesselbein, Minority Leader
Assembly	Robin Vos, Speaker Kevin Petersen, Speaker pro tempore Tyler August, Majority Leader Greta Neubauer, Minority Leader
Supreme Court	Annette Ziegler, Chief Justice Ann Walsh Bradley Rebecca Bradley Rebecca Dallet Brian Hagedorn Jill Karofsky Janet Protasiewicz, Justices

• 1963 births
• 21st-century American politicians
• Catholics from Wisconsin
• Knights of Columbus
• Living people
• People from Hustisford, Wisconsin
• University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh alumni
• Wisconsin Republicans
• Wisconsin state senators