Wisconsin Senate | |
---|---|
Wisconsin State Legislature | |
Type | |
Type | |
Term limits | None |
History | |
New session started | January 3, 2023 |
Leadership | |
President | |
President pro tempore | |
Majority Leader | |
Minority Leader | |
Structure | |
Seats | 33 |
Political groups | Majority Minority Vacancy
|
Length of term | 4 years |
Authority | Article IV, Wisconsin Constitution |
Salary | $57,408/year + $115 per diem [1] |
Elections | |
Last election | November 3, 2020 (16 seats) |
Last election | November 6, 2022 (17 seats) |
Next election | November 5, 2024 (16 seats) |
Next election | November 3, 2026 (17 seats) |
Meeting place | |
State Senate Chamber Wisconsin State Capitol Madison, Wisconsin | |
Website | |
Wisconsin State Senate |
The Wisconsin Senate is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Together with the Wisconsin State Assembly they constitute the legislative branch of the state of Wisconsin. The powers of the Wisconsin Senate are modeled after those of the U.S. Senate.
The Wisconsin Constitution ties the size of the State Senate to that of the Assembly, by limiting its size to no less than 1/4, nor more than 1/3, of the size of the Assembly. Currently, Wisconsin is divided into 33 Senate Districts (1/3 of the current Assembly membership of 99) apportioned throughout the state based on population as determined by the decennial census, for a total of 33 senators. A Senate district is formed by combining three Assembly districts. Similar to the U.S. Senate, in addition to its duty of reviewing and voting on all legislation passed through the legislature, the State Senate has the exclusive responsibility of confirming certain gubernatorial appointments, particularly cabinet secretaries and members of boards and commissions. Senators are elected for four-year terms, staggered so that approximately half of the Senate is up for election every two years. If a vacancy occurs in a Senate seat between elections, it may be filled only by a special election. The Senate chamber is in the south wing of the Wisconsin State Capitol, in Madison. In February 2024, the legislative maps of the Senate, along with the State Assembly, were redrawn following a court decision that found them to be unconstitutionally gerrymandered in favor of Republicans. [2]
The salary of all legislators serving in the 2023 Wisconsin Legislature is $57,408, which is an increase of 4% from the previous biennium. In addition to salaries, senators outside Dane County may receive a per diem up to $115 to cover living expenses while they are in Dane County on state business. Members of the Dane County delegation may receive a per diem of half the amount to cover expenses.
↓ | ||
10 | 1 | 22 |
Democratic | Republican |
Affiliation | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Total | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Republican | Vacant | ||
Begin 100th Legislature (2011) | 14 | 19 | 33 | 0 |
End 100th (2012) | 17 | 16 | ||
Begin 101st (2013) | 15 | 18 | 33 | 0 |
End 101st (2014) | 17 | 32 | 1 | |
Begin 102nd (2015) | 14 | 18 | 32 | 1 |
End 102nd (2016) | 18 | 32 | 1 | |
Begin 103rd (2017) | 13 | 20 | 33 | 0 |
End 103rd (2018) | 15 | 18 | 33 | 0 |
Begin 104th (2019) | 14 | 19 | 33 | 0 |
End 104th (2020) | 13 | 18 | 31 | 2 |
Begin 105th (2021) | 12 | 20 | 32 | 1 |
End 105th (2022) | 21 | 33 | 0 | |
Begin 106th (2023) [3] | 11 | 21 | 32 | 1 |
May 3, 2023 [4] | 22 | 33 | 0 | |
Jan. 26, 2024 [5] | 10 | 32 | 1 | |
Latest voting share | 31.25% | 68.75% |
Position | Name | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
President of the Senate | Chris Kapenga | |||
President Pro Tempore of the Senate | Patrick Testin | |||
Majority leader | Devin LeMahieu | |||
Assistant Majority Leader | Dan Feyen | |||
Majority Caucus Chair | Van Wanggaard | |||
Majority Caucus Vice Chair | Joan Ballweg | |||
Minority Leader | Dianne Hesselbein | |||
Assistant Minority Leader | Jeff Smith | |||
Minority Caucus Chair | Chris Larson | |||
Minority Caucus Vice Chair | Mark Spreitzer | |||
Chief Clerk | Richard Champagne (acting) | |||
Sergeant-at-Arms | Tom Engels |
# | President | Party | Start of service | End of service |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Fred Risser | Democratic | May 1, 1979 | April 20, 1993 |
2 | Brian Rude | Republican | April 20, 1993 | July 9, 1996 |
- | Fred Risser | Democratic | July 9, 1996 | April 21, 1998 |
- | Brian Rude | Republican | April 21, 1998 | January 4, 1999 |
- | Fred Risser | Democratic | January 4, 1999 | January 6, 2003 |
3 | Alan Lasee | Republican | January 6, 2003 | January 8, 2007 |
- | Fred Risser | Democratic | January 8, 2007 | January 3, 2011 |
4 | Mike Ellis | Republican | January 3, 2011 | July 17, 2012 |
- | Fred Risser | Democratic | July 17, 2012 | January 7, 2013 |
- | Mike Ellis | Republican | January 7, 2013 | January 5, 2015 |
5 | Mary Lazich | Republican | January 5, 2013 | January 3, 2017 |
6 | Roger Roth | Republican | January 3, 2017 | January 4, 2021 |
7 | Chris Kapenga | Republican | January 4, 2021 | present |
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Alberta Darling is an American educator, politician and former member of the Wisconsin State Senate. She represented Wisconsin's 8th State Senate district from 1993 through 2022 as a Republican. Her constituency included many of the municipalities directly north and northwest of Milwaukee and part of the city of Milwaukee. She also served three years in the Wisconsin State Assembly. Before entering public office, she was a teacher and marketing director.
Lena C. Taylor is an American lawyer, judge, and former politician serving as a Wisconsin circuit court judge in Milwaukee County, since January 2024. She previously served 19 years as a Democratic member of the Wisconsin Senate, representing the 4th State Senate district from 2005 to 2024, and was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly for one term before that.
Scott Lawrence Fitzgerald is an American politician and former newspaper publisher. A Republican, he represents Wisconsin's 5th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. The district includes many of Milwaukee's northern and western suburbs, such as Waukesha, West Bend, Brookfield, and Mequon. He represented the 13th district in the Wisconsin State Senate from 1995 to 2021.
Charles Joseph "Chuck" Chvala is an American real estate dealer, lawyer, and former politician. He served 20 years in the Wisconsin State Senate, representing Dane County, and was the Democratic leader from 1995 through 2002. His political career was ended by a 2002 scandal which found he and other lawmakers had illegally utilized state employees for campaign work.
The 4th Senate District of Wisconsin is one of 33 districts in the Wisconsin Senate. Located in southeast Wisconsin, the district is entirely contained within northern Milwaukee County. It comprises part of the north side of the city of Milwaukee, as well as the city of Glendale, the village of Shorewood, and parts of northern Wauwatosa and western Brown Deer. The 4th Senate district is one of two majority-black Senate districts in Wisconsin.
The 8th Senate District of Wisconsin is one of 33 districts of the Wisconsin Senate. Located in southeast Wisconsin, the district comprises northeastern Milwaukee County, southern Ozaukee County, and parts of southeast Washington County, and northeast Waukesha County. It contains the cities of Cedarburg, Port Washington, and Mequon, as well as the villages of Bayside, Butler, Fox Point, Grafton, Lannon, Menomonee Falls, River Hills, Thiensville, Whitefish Bay, and most of the villages of Brown Deer and Germantown.
David Craig is an American Republican Party politician and former state legislator. He served four years in the Wisconsin State Senate and six years in the Wisconsin State Assembly.
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The 2014 Wisconsin gubernatorial election took place on November 4, 2014, to determine the governor and lieutenant governor of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It occurred concurrently with elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.
The 2022 United States Senate election in Wisconsin was held on November 8, 2022, to elect a member of the United States Senate from Wisconsin. The party primaries were held on August 9, 2022. Incumbent Republican Senator Ron Johnson won re-election to a third term, defeating Democratic lieutenant governor Mandela Barnes by 26,718 votes — a one-point margin of victory.
The 2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Wisconsin were held on November 6, 2018, to elect the eight U.S. representatives from the state of Wisconsin, one from each of the state's eight congressional districts. The elections coincided with other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate, and various state and local elections. The Wisconsin Partisan Primary was held on August 14, 2018, with the governor, U.S. Senator, U.S. Representative, odd-numbered Wisconsin State Senate seats, and all Wisconsin Assembly seats on the ballot.
The 14th Assembly District of Wisconsin is one of 99 districts in the Wisconsin State Assembly. Located in southeast Wisconsin, the district comprises parts of western Milwaukee County. It includes most of the city of West Allis and parts of western Milwaukee and southwest Wauwatosa. The district also contains the Wisconsin State Fair Park, Milwaukee County Zoo, Greenfield Park, and the Pettit National Ice Center. The district is represented by Democrat Robyn Vining, since January 2019.
The One Hundred Fourth Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 7, 2019, to January 4, 2021, in regular session, though it adjourned for legislative activity on May 13, 2020. The Legislature also held two extraordinary sessions and six special sessions during the legislative term.
The 2022 Wisconsin fall general election was held in the U.S. state of Wisconsin on November 8, 2022. All of Wisconsin's partisan executive and administrative offices were up for election, as well as one of Wisconsin's U.S. Senate seats, and Wisconsin's eight seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. The fall election also filled the seventeen odd-numbered seats in the Wisconsin Senate and all 99 seats in the Wisconsin State Assembly for the 106th Wisconsin Legislature. The 2022 Wisconsin fall primary was held on August 9, 2022.
The 2023 Wisconsin Spring Election was held in the U.S. state of Wisconsin on April 4, 2023. The featured race at the top of the ticket was for an open seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which became the most expensive judicial election in history. Several other nonpartisan local and judicial offices were also decided on the April 4 ballot, including mayoral elections in some of Wisconsin's larger cities—Green Bay, Madison, and Racine. In addition, a special election was held in the 8th State Senate district, concurrent with the Spring elections. The 2023 Wisconsin Spring Primary was held February 21, 2023.