Gordon N. Hintz (born November 29, 1973) is an American public servant and Democratic politician from

Oshkosh, Wisconsin Oshkosh is a city in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, of which it is the county seat. The city had a population of 66,816 in 2020, making it the ninth-largest city in Wisconsin. It is also adjacent to the Town of Oshkosh. History Oshkosh was ...

. He was the minority leader 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 ...

from 2017 through 2021. He was a member of the Assembly for eight terms, representing the 54th Assembly district from 2007 through 2022.

Early life and career

Hintz was born in

, and graduated from

Oshkosh North High School Oshkosh North High School is a public secondary/high school located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Part of the Oshkosh Area School District, the school serves students in grades 9 through 12. As of 2021, there are 1,193 students enrolled at the school. ...

in 1992. He obtained a B.A. from

Hamline University Hamline University is a private liberal arts college in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Founded in 1854, Hamline is known for its emphasis on experiential learning, service, and social justice. The university is named after Bishop Leonidas Lent Hamline ...

, in

Saint Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississippi River, Saint Paul is a regional business hub and the center ...

, and went on to earn his Masters of Public Administration from the Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs at 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 ...

. Prior to serving in the Legislature, Hintz worked in government at the federal, state, and local levels. Hintz worked on the 1996 U.S. Senate campaign of

Paul Wellstone Paul David Wellstone (July 21, 1944 – October 25, 2002) was an American academic, author, and politician who represented Minnesota in the United States Senate from 1991 until he was killed in a plane crash near Eveleth, Minnesota, in 2002. A ...

before going to work for U.S. 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 ...

and former U.S. Representative

Jay W. Johnson Jay Withington Johnson (September 30, 1943October 17, 2009) was an American politician and journalist who served as the 36th director of the United States Mint, and one-term member of the United States House of Representatives from Wisconsin. He ...

as a Legislative Staff Assistant in Washington, D.C. Hintz also served as a Research Assistant for Governor Tommy Thompson's Commission on State and Local Partnerships for the 21st Century (Kettl Commission) and worked as a Management Assistant and Budget Analyst for the City of

Long Beach, California Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...

Legislative career

Hintz first ran for the

in 2004, and lost. In 2006 Hintz made another attempt, this time winning the open seat. In September 2017, after 10 years in the Assembly, Hintz was elected by the Democratic caucus to serve as their next floor leader, following Representative

Peter Barca Peter William Barca (born August 7, 1955) is an American Democratic politician and the current Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Revenue in the administration of Governor Tony Evers. Barca is a lifelong resident of the Kenosha area. B ...

's announcement that he would stand down from the role. On March 3, 2022, he announced that he would not seek re-election.

Controversies

In the midst of the 2011 protests, on February 10, 2011, Hintz was found guilty of solicitation of prostitution. He was also ticketed by police for sexual misconduct at Heavenly Touch Massage Parlor in Appleton, Wisconsin. Police had been investigating the business because it was suspected of prostitution. Hintz pleaded no contest to sexual misconduct and paid a fine of $2,032, according to a news report in the ''

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel The ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'' is a daily morning broadsheet printed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where it is the primary newspaper. It is also the largest newspaper in the state of Wisconsin, where it is widely distributed. It is currently ...

''. He said he made "a bad decision" that "was out of character" and apologized for disappointing his family, friends, and community. He also sought to refocus attention on the important issues then facing the state, saying "My concern right now is that my personal situation is distracting from the much more important issue facing our state. We have tens of thousands of working people at the Capitol every day, and that must remain our focus." Hintz publicly berated a female colleague in 2011 and was forced to make an apology. He apologized on February 28, 2011, for comments directed at fellow legislator, Republican State Representative Michelle Litjens during a heated backroom debate, after Republicans allegedly broke procedural rules to end a 58-hour debate on the contentious Budget Repair Bill. Litjens said she did not take the comments personally and thought they were directed at all Republicans but thought he should be disciplined by the Assembly. Hintz was involved in an expletive-laced Facebook exchange on May 28, 2019, with a former friend in both public and private messages that were later provided to the ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'' by the friend and made public. Hintz apologized, stating, "But I need to move on and let it go, and say I'm sorry today happened".

Other

Hintz placed second in the 2003 National Air Guitar championships under the pseudonym, "Krye Tuff". He appears in the documentary '' Air Guitar Nation'' about the 2003 championships.

Electoral history

, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, November 2, 2004 , colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, November 7, 2006

References

External links

Representative Gordon Hintz
at

Wisconsin 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 Repub ...

Gordon Hintz for State Assembly
''official campaign website'' * *
Campaign 2008
campaign contributions at ''Wisconsin Democracy Campaign'' , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Hintz, Gordon 1973 births 2008 United States presidential electors 21st-century American politicians Hamline University alumni Living people Democratic Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly Politicians from Oshkosh, Wisconsin Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs alumni