Alberta Darling (born April 28, 1944) is an American politician and former member of the
Wisconsin State Senate
The Wisconsin Senate is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Together with the larger Wisconsin State Assembly they constitute the legislative branch of the state of Wisconsin. The powers of the Wisconsin Senate are modeled after t ...
. She represented
Wisconsin's 8th State Senate district
Wisconsin's 8th State Senate district is one of 33 districts of the Wisconsin State Senate. Located in southeast Wisconsin, the district comprises northeastern Milwaukee County, southern Ozaukee County, southern Washington County, and northeaster ...
from 1993 through 2022 as a
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
. Her constituency included many of the municipalities directly north and northwest of
Milwaukee
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee i ...
and part of the city of Milwaukee. She also served three years in the
Wisconsin State Assembly
The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin.
Representatives are elected for two-year terms, e ...
. Before entering public office, she was a teacher and marketing director.
Personal life and education
Darling was born in
Hammond, Indiana
Hammond ( ) is a city in Lake County, Indiana. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area, and the only city in Indiana to border Chicago. First settled in the mid-19th century, it is one of the oldest cities of northern Lake County. As of the ...
, and raised in
Peoria, Illinois
Peoria ( ) is the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, United States, and the largest city on the Illinois River. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 113,150. It is the principal city of the Peoria Metropolitan Area in Ce ...
, where she graduated from
Richwoods High School. She attended the
University of Wisconsin–Madison
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United Stat ...
, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in secondary education in 1966. After graduating from UW-Madison, she moved to Milwaukee and did graduate work at the
University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
The University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (UW–Milwaukee, UWM, or Milwaukee) is a public urban research university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is the largest university in the Milwaukee metropolitan area and a member of the University of Wisc ...
from 1972 to 1974.
Prior to her election to the legislature, Darling taught high school English and was later the marketing and business development director for the
Milwaukee Art Museum
The Milwaukee Art Museum (MAM) is an art museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Its collection contains nearly 25,000 works of art.
Location and Visit
Located on the lakefront of Lake Michigan, the Milwaukee Art Museum is one of the largest art museu ...
.
Darling met her husband, Dr. William "Bill" Darling, during their time at UW-Madison. The two married in 1967, and up until his death in the spring of 2015, Bill was an ear, nose and throat surgeon in southeast Wisconsin. Darling and her husband have two children and three grandchildren. She is a longtime resident of
River Hills, Wisconsin
River Hills is a village in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,597 at the 2010 census.
History
In the early 19th century, the River Hills area was controlled by Native Americans, including the Menominee, Potawatomi, ...
, which she represents in the Senate.
Wisconsin State Legislature
Darling first joined the
Wisconsin State Legislature
The Wisconsin Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house, Wisconsin State Senate, and the lower Wisconsin State Assembly, both of which have had Republ ...
by winning a special election in 1990 for the
10th district, defeating
Rick Graber in the primary. She served the remainder of the term and a full two-year term in the
State Assembly
State Assembly is the name given to various legislatures, especially lower houses or full legislatures in states in federal systems of government.
Channel Islands
States Assembly is the name of the legislature of the Bailiwick of Jersey. The Bail ...
before being elected in 1992 to the state Senate, a seat she has held ever since. Darling faced a contentious election in 2008, though she fended off a challenge from State Representative
Sheldon Wasserman
Sheldon A. Wasserman (born August 5, 1961) is an American physician and politician, currently serving as Milwaukee County Supervisor for the 3rd District. Wasserman is a member of the Democratic Party and formerly served in the Wisconsin State ...
by a mere percentage point and would go unopposed in the next two regular election cycles in 2012 and 2016. In 2020, Darling faced a challenge from Neal Plotkin, a sales representative and substitute teacher from Glendale. The race was heavily targeted by Democrats amidst eroding support for Republicans in suburban districts, and Darling was outspent as Plotkin was boosted by a significant edge in outside spending.
However, Darling won re-election by eight percentage points (a margin nearly identical to the 2011 recall) as she garnered
split-ticket support among
Joe Biden voters to secure a comfortable win despite a razor thin 167 vote margin in the presidential election in her district. Throughout her tenure in the Legislature, Darling has earned a reputation as a fiscal conservative with moderate views on some issues. She endorsed Ted Cruz over Donald Trump in the 2016
Republican presidential primary.
From 2000 to 2021, she served on the influential Joint Finance Committee (responsible for the state budget) and notably served as the longtime Senate co-chair. Her six sessions chairing the committee is tied for most in state history.
As of the 2021-2023 legislative session, Darling currently chairs the Committee on Education, serves as the Vice-Chair of the Committee on Elections, Election Process Reform and Ethics and also serves on the Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, the Committee on Universities and Technical Colleges, the Joint Survey Committee on Retirement Systems, and the Joint Legislative Council. She is also a member of the Wisconsin State Fair Park Board and the Wisconsin Center District.
2011 recall
Darling was one of nine Senators (six Republicans and three Democrats) to face a
recall election
A recall election (also called a recall referendum, recall petition or representative recall) is a procedure by which, in certain polities, voters can remove an elected official from office through a referendum before that official's term of of ...
effort in 2011 following the enactment of
2011 Wisconsin Act 10 The 2011 Wisconsin Act 10, also known as the Wisconsin Budget Repair Bill, is legislation proposed by Republican Governor Scott Walker and passed by the Wisconsin Legislature to address a projected $3.6 billion budget deficit. The legislation prim ...
. On March 2, 2011, the "Committee to Recall Darling" officially registered with the
Wisconsin Government Accountability Board and on April 20, 2011, the recall campaigns announced that they had gathered nearly 30,000 signatures - enough to trigger a recall election. The 8th Senate District was considered a heavy target for Democrats and outside spending,
yet Darling would defeat Democratic challenger
Sandy Pasch
Sandra "Sandy" Pasch (''née'' Kawczynski; born May 19, 1954) is an American nurse and Democratic politician. She served six years in the Wisconsin State Assembly (2009–2015), representing north-central Milwaukee County.
Background
Pa ...
by a larger margin than she had won in 2008; 54 percent to 46 percent.
[Barbour, Clay and Mary Spicuzza.]
Republicans hold off Dems in recalls, win enough seats to keep majority in Senate
. ''Wisconsin State Journal
The ''Wisconsin State Journal'' is a daily newspaper published in Madison, Wisconsin by Lee Enterprises. The newspaper, the second largest in Wisconsin, is primarily distributed in a 19 county region in south-central Wisconsin. As of September ...
'', August 10, 2011. The election was notably the last race to be called with the balance of the Senate and the ultimate fate of Republican reforms at stake, and received national coverage on election night as a result.
Electoral history
Wisconsin Assembly (1990)
Wisconsin Senate (1992–2020)
References
External links
Senator Alberta Darlingat the
Wisconsin State Legislature
The Wisconsin Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house, Wisconsin State Senate, and the lower Wisconsin State Assembly, both of which have had Republ ...
constituency siteAlberta Darlingofficial campaign site
Biographyat
Ballotpedia
Ballotpedia is a nonprofit and nonpartisan online political encyclopedia that covers federal, state, and local politics, elections, and public policy in the United States. The website was founded in 2007. Ballotpedia is sponsored by the Lucy Bur ...
*
8th Senate District, Senator Darlingin the
Wisconsin Blue Book
The ''Wisconsin Blue Book'' is a biennial publication of the Wisconsin's Legislative Reference Bureau. The ''Blue Book'' is an almanac containing information on the government, economics, demographics, geography and history of the state of Wis ...
(2005–2006)
10th Assembly District, Representative Darlingin the
Wisconsin Blue Book
The ''Wisconsin Blue Book'' is a biennial publication of the Wisconsin's Legislative Reference Bureau. The ''Blue Book'' is an almanac containing information on the government, economics, demographics, geography and history of the state of Wis ...
(1991–1992)
*
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Darling, Alberta
Republican Party Wisconsin state senators
Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly
1944 births
Living people
People from Hammond, Indiana
University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee alumni
Women state legislators in Wisconsin
People from Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
21st-century American politicians
21st-century American women politicians