Mary Kay Wagner (born January 14, 1949) is an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

lawyer and retired judge. She served 30 years as a

Wisconsin circuit court The Wisconsin circuit courts are the general trial courts in the state of Wisconsin. There are currently 69 circuits in the state, divided into 10 judicial administrative districts. Circuit court judges hear and decide both civil and criminal case ...

judge in

Kenosha County Kenosha County is located in the southeastern corner of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 169,151 as of the 2020 census, making it the eighth most populous county in Wisconsin. The county shares the same name as the city of Kenosh ...

(1991–2021) and was chief judge of Wisconsin's 2nd judicial administrative district from 2008 to 2014. Earlier in her career, she represented Kenosha County 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, ...

for two terms.

Biography

Born in

Burlington, Wisconsin Burlington is a city in Racine and Walworth counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, with the majority of the city located in Racine County. The population of the city was 11,047 as of the 2020 census. History Prior to the arrival of Europea ...

, Wagner graduated from Central High School in Salem, Wisconsin. She earned her bachelor's degree from the

University of Wisconsin–Madison The University of Wisconsin–Madison (University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin, UW, UW–Madison, or simply Madison) is a public land-grant research university in Madison, Wisconsin. Founded when Wisconsin achieved statehood in 1848, UW–Madison ...

in 1971 and went to work as a teacher. She was elected Kenosha County Clerk in 1976, then elected to the

in 1978, representing the 66th assembly district as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

. She continued her education and, in 1982, earned her J.D. from the

University of Wisconsin Law School The University of Wisconsin Law School is the professional graduate law school of the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, the school was founded in 1868. The University of Wisconsin Law School is guided by a "law in ...

. She was re-elected in 1980, but was defeated seeking re-election in 1982 after being

redistricted Redistricting in the United States is the process of drawing electoral district boundaries. For the United States House of Representatives, and state legislatures, redistricting occurs after each decennial census. The U.S. Constitution in Ar ...

into a matchup with fellow incumbent Cloyd A. Porter. After leaving the Assembly, Wagner worked as an attorney and state tax commissioner. In 1991, Kenosha County Circuit Judge Jerold W. Breitenbach declined to seek re-election. Wagner was one of six candidates who decided to run for the open judgeship. She came in second in the primary but was able to defeat —an ally of then-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 ...

—in the general election by 621 votes. Judge Wagner went on to win re-election in 1997, 2003, 2009, and 2015. In 2008, Judge Wagner was appointed Chief Judge of the 2nd Judicial Administrative District by the

Wisconsin Supreme Court The Wisconsin Supreme Court is the highest appellate court in Wisconsin. The Supreme Court has jurisdiction over original actions, appeals from lower courts, and regulation or administration of the practice of law in Wisconsin. Location The Wi ...

. She remained chief judge for the maximum 3 two-year terms. She was Chair of the Committee of Chief Judges in 2013 and 2014. On November 9, 2020, Wagner announced her plans to step down at the end of her fifth term. She said she loved being a judge, but felt it was time to move on. "I wanted to retire at the end of a term so we could have a good election," she said, saying she wanted to make sure she left the bench when her replacement would be elected rather than appointed mid-term. Former Deputy District Attorney Angelina Gabriele was elected April 6, 2021, to take over the Branch 6 seat beginning August 1, 2021.

Personal life and family

On September 11, 1982, Wagner married Judge John E. Malloy, who was then a Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge in Kenosha County.

Electoral history

Wisconsin Assembly (1978, 1980, 1982)

, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", Primary Election, September 12, 1978 , colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, November 7, 1978 , colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, November 4, 1980 , colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, November 2, 1982

Wisconsin Circuit Court (1991, 1997, 2003, 2009, 2015)

, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", Primary Election, February 19, 1991 , colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, April 2, 1991

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wagner, Mary 1949 births Living people People from Burlington, Wisconsin People from Brighton, Kenosha County, Wisconsin University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni University of Wisconsin Law School alumni County clerks in Wisconsin Wisconsin state court judges Women state legislators in Wisconsin Democratic Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly