Patrick J. Kreitlow (born July 3, 1964) is an American politician, former broadcaster, and communications consultant. 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 ...

, Kreitlow was a member of the Wisconsin State Senate, representing Wisconsin's 23rd Senate district, from 2007 to 2011. In November 2008, Kreitlow was elected

President pro tempore A president pro tempore or speaker pro tempore is a constitutionally recognized officer of a legislative body who presides over the chamber in the absence of the normal presiding officer. The phrase ''pro tempore'' is Latin "for the time being". ...

of the Wisconsin State Senate. He was defeated for reelection in 2010 by

Terry Moulton Terry Moulton (born July 19, 1946) is a former Republican member of the Wisconsin Senate, who represented the 23rd district from 2011 to 2019. He was previously a member of the Wisconsin Assembly, representing the 68th district from 2005 to 20 ...

. Kreitlow ran for

Wisconsin's 7th congressional district Wisconsin's 7th congressional district is a congressional district of the United States House of Representatives in northwestern and central Wisconsin; it is the largest congressional district in the state geographically, covering 20 counties (i ...

seat in the

2012 election This national electoral calendar for 2012 lists the national/ federal elections held in 2012 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included. January *3–4 January: ...

against incumbent Sean Duffy, who was reelected.

Early life, education, and journalism career

Born in 1964 in

Saint Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County, Minnesota, Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississip ...

to parents Joan and Jerry Kreitlow, Kreitlow graduated from

Apple Valley High School Apple Valley High School is the name of two high schools in the United States: * Apple Valley High School (California) * Apple Valley High School (Minnesota) {{Schooldis ...

in 1982, then attended the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, where he graduated with a B.A. in

Journalism Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the "news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree. The word, a noun, applies to the occupation (profes ...

in 1986. He and his wife, Sharry, have two daughters, Samantha and Chelsea. Kreitlow is a former journalist, having worked at WAXX-FM/

WAYY WAYY (790 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. It broadcasts a sports radio format and is owned by Mid-West Family Broadcasting. Programming is mostly from CBS Sports Radio. It also carries Milwaukee Brewers base ...

and other radio stations. He joined the news department of

WEAU-TV WEAU (channel 13) is a television station licensed to Eau Claire, Wisconsin, United States, serving the La Crosse–Eau Claire market as an affiliate of NBC and The CW Plus. The station is owned by Gray Television, and maintains studios on Sou ...

in the mid-1990s, becoming the 6pm anchor and 10pm co-anchor in 1998. Kreitlow left

in May 2005. He also served as the president of the Western

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

Press Club Organizations A press club is an organization for journalists and others professionally engaged in the production and dissemination of news. A press club whose membership is defined by the press of a given country may be known as a National Press ...

Wisconsin Senate

Elections

;2006 Kreitlow was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate in 2006, defeating 17-year incumbent Republican State Senator David Zien 51%-49%, a difference of just 1,096 votes. ;2010 In May 2010, numerous news sources mentioned Kreitlow as a possible candidate for the open

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

seat from

following the retirement of

Congressman A Member of Congress (MOC) is a person who has been appointed or elected and inducted into an official body called a congress, typically to represent a particular constituency in a legislature. The term member of parliament (MP) is an equivalen ...

Dave Obey David Ross Obey ( ; born October 3, 1938) is an American lobbyist and former politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives for from 1969 to 2011. The district includes much of the northwestern portion of the st ...

. He later declined to enter the race and endorsed Democratic

State Senator A state senator is a member of a state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature. Description A state senator is a member of an upper house in the bicameral legislatures of 49 U ...

Julie Lassa Julie M. Lassa (born October 21, 1970) is a former Democratic Party member of the Wisconsin State Senate, who represented the 24th District from April 2003 to January 2017. She was a member of the Wisconsin Assembly for the 71st District from 19 ...

in her run for the seat. On November 2, 2010,

, a former member 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, ...

, defeated Kreitlow 54%-46%.

Tenure

Kreitlow delivered the 2010 Senate Democratic response to

Wisconsin Governor The governor of Wisconsin is the head of government of Wisconsin and the commander-in-chief of the state's Wisconsin Army National Guard, army and Wisconsin Air National Guard, air forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the ...

Jim Doyle's State of the State Address. In November 2009, along with Senators

and

Jon Erpenbach Jon B. Erpenbach (born January 28, 1961) is an American politician serving as a Democratic member of the Wisconsin Senate, representing the 27th District since 1999. Early life, education and career Erpenbach was born in Middleton, Wisconsin a ...

, Kreitlow announced the Senate Democrats CORE business growth initiative.

Committee assignments

During his tenure, he served on the Campaign Finance Reform, Rural Issues and Information Technology, Economic Development, Job Creation, Family Prosperity and Housing, Education; Ethics Reform and Government Operations; and Public Health, Senior Issues, Long Term Care and Privacy committees. Kreitlow served as chair of the committee on Rural Issues and Information Technology and the Special Committee on Domestic Bio-fuels.

2012 congressional election

Kreitlow ran for Wisconsin's 7th Congressional district seat in the November 2012 election. The incumbent representative, Sean Duffy, was reelected.

2018 gubernatorial election

Kreitlow served as the senior advisor to candidate for

Governor of Wisconsin The governor of Wisconsin is the head of government of Wisconsin and the commander-in-chief of the state's army and air forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Wiscons ...

Dana Wachs.

References

External links

Pat Kreitlow for U.S. Congress
official campaign website * , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Kreitlow, Pat 1964 births 21st-century American politicians Living people Politicians from Eau Claire, Wisconsin Politicians from Saint Paul, Minnesota University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire alumni Democratic Party Wisconsin state senators Apple Valley High School (Minnesota) alumni