Jeff Fitzgerald (born October 12, 1966) is an American businessman and politician who served as the 78th Speaker of 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, ...

during the 100th Wisconsin Legislature. 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 ...

, he represented the 39th Assembly District from 2001 until 2013. He ran for the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...

, but lost the Republican primary by a wide margin to former Governor

Tommy Thompson Tommy George Thompson (born November 19, 1941) is an American Republican politician who most recently served as interim president of the University of Wisconsin System from 2020 to 2022. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served a ...

. After leaving the Assembly, he became a lobbyist."Block revolving door at Capitol"
Wisconsin State Journal online. Retrieved December 25, 2014.

Early life and education

Born in

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, Fitzgerald moved with his family to

Hustisford, Wisconsin Hustisford is a village in Dodge County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,123 at the 2010 census. The village is located within the town of Hustisford. History The village was named for John Hustis, a pioneer settler. Geography ...

. After graduating from Hustisford High School, Fitzgerald attended

University of Wisconsin-Green Bay 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 States, th ...

and received his bachelor's degree from the

University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh 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 States, the ...

Career

He was a small business owner and served on the

Beaver Dam, Wisconsin Beaver Dam is a city in Dodge County, Wisconsin, United States, along Beaver Dam Lake and the Beaver Dam River. The population was 16,708 at the 2020 census, making it the largest city primarily located in Dodge County. It is the principal city ...

Common Council from 2000 to 2003. He is a member of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

Wisconsin State Assembly

Elections

He was elected in 2000. 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 fifth term with 60% of the vote. In 2010, he won re-election to a sixth term unopposed. In 2012, he decided against running for re-election, instead announcing, in October 2011, that he would seek the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by retiring US Senator

Herb Kohl Herbert H. Kohl (born February 7, 1935) is an American businessman and politician. Alongside his brother and father, the Kohl family created the Kohl's department stores chain, of which Kohl went on to be president and CEO. Kohl also served as a ...

2012 U.S. Senate election

In October 2011, Fitzgerald announced that he would run for the

seat being vacated by retiring Senator

, a Democrat.Jeff Fitzgerald to run for US Senate
thirdage.com, October 11, 2011. Retrieved December 25, 2014. He lost the nomination on August 14, 2012 in a four-way primary battle against former Governor

(the winner), millionaire Eric Hovde, and former Congressman

Mark Neumann Mark William Neumann (born February 27, 1954) is an American businessman and politician. He represented for two terms, from 1995 to 1999. In 2010, Neumann lost a bid to become the Republican nominee for Governor of Wisconsin. Neumann was a can ...

.Vaccino, Steve
"Tommy Thompson Wins G.O.P. Senate Primary Race in Wisconsin"
''The New York Times'', August 15, 2012. Retrieved December 25, 2014.

Personal life

Jeff Fitzgerald lives with his wife, Andrea, and two children in

Horicon, Wisconsin Horicon is a city in Dodge County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 3,655 at the 2010 census. Geography Horicon is located at (43.4482, -88.6329). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which ...

. His older brother,

Scott L. Fitzgerald Scott Lawrence Fitzgerald (born November 16, 1963) is an American politician and former newspaper publisher. A Republican, he represents in the U.S. House of Representatives. The district includes many of Milwaukee's northern and western suburb ...

, is the U.S. representative for , and the former State Senate Majority Leader. Jeff's state assembly district was coextensive with the northeastern portion of Scott's state senate district; in Wisconsin, state senate districts are formed by combining three state assembly districts.

References

External links

* *
2008 campaign contributions for Jeff Fitzgerald

2006 campaign contributions Jeff Fitzgerald

2004 campaign contributions Jeff Fitzgerald

2002 campaign contributions Jeff Fitzgerald

2000 campaign contributions Jeff Fitzgerald
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fitzgerald, Jeff 1966 births Living people People from Horicon, Wisconsin Speakers of the Wisconsin State Assembly Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh alumni Wisconsin city council members 21st-century American politicians People from Hustisford, Wisconsin People from Beaver Dam, Wisconsin