John Lehman (Wisconsin politician)
| John W. Lehman | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Wisconsin Senate from the 21st district |
|
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office July 16, 2012 |
|
| Preceded by | Van Wanggaard |
| In office January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2011 |
|
| Preceded by | Cathy Stepp |
| Succeeded by | Van Wanggaard |
| Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the 62nd district |
|
| In office 1996–2004 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 2, 1945 Rhinelander, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Catherine A. Lehman |
| Residence | Racine, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Religion | Lutheran (ELCA) |
John W. Lehman (born August 2, 1945) is a Democratic member of the Wisconsin Senate, representing the 21st District. He was previously a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from 1996 through 2004.[1] As of June 6, 2012, he appears to have won back a seat on the Wisconsin State Senate in the 2012 Wisconsin recall elections, defeating the incumbent Republican, Van Wanggaard, who had defeated Lehman in 2010. On July 11, 2012, Lehman was certified as a member of the Wisconsin State Senate.
On January 31, 2012, Lehman announced he would run against Wanggaard in what then was "looking like" a probable recall election. He stated "we need a change in course in this state and we need it now" before a gathering of about 20 supporters at the Racine Public Library, where he made the announcement. He added that "we need real leadership in Madison."[2] Volunteers and workers gathered more than 24,000 signatures to recall Wanggaard, one of four state Senators facing a recall along with the Republican Governor Scott Walker and the Republican Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch.[3]
Lehman claimed he was "not seeking payback" against Wanggaard for the 2010 election, but that Wanggaard has not represented Racine County well in the Senate. Current Senate Minority Leader Mark Miller (D-Monona) says that the Democrats "could not have done better" because "they" (meaning Lehman, state Rep. Donna Seidel, who would run against current Senator Pam Galloway in the Wausau district, and former state Rep. Kristen Drexler against Senator Terry Moulton in the Chippewa Falls district) "are folks that people have voted for before."[4] On June 6, 2012, Lehman led narrowly in the recall election with all votes counted, giving Democrats a brief one vote majority in the Wisconsin State Senate.
Electoral history
| Wisconsin 21st District Senate recall Election 2012 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Republican | Van Wanggaard (incumbent) | 35,476[5] | 49.46% | ||
| Democratic | John Lehman | 36,255[6] | 50.54% | ||
| Wisconsin 21st District Senate Election 2010 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Republican | Van Wanggaard | 32,031 | 52.55 | ||
| Democratic | John Lehman (incumbent) | 28,922 | 47.45 | ||
| Wisconsin 21st District Senate Election 2006 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Democratic | John Lehman | 31,736 | 53.07 | ||
| Republican | Bill McReynolds | 28,069 | 46.93 | ||
References
- ^ State of Wisconsin Blue Book 2009-2010 (biographical sketch of John Lehman), pg. 60
- ^ Lehman vs. Wanggaard
- ^ Lehman vs Wanggaard, ibid.
- ^ Huffington Post coverage of Terry Moulton recall effort
- ^ "Lehman beats Wanggaard; power shifts in Senate"
- ^ "Lehman beats Wanggaard; power shifts in Senate", ibid.
External links
- John Lehman for State Senate official campaign site
- Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
- Profile at Ballotpedia
- Financial information (state office) at the National Institute for Money in State Politics
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