Samantha Kerkman (' Starzyk; born March 6, 1974) 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 ...

politician. She is the county executive of Kenosha County, Wisconsin, serving since April 2022. She previously represented Kenosha County in the Wisconsin State Assembly from 2001 through 2022.

Early life and career

Samantha Kerkman was born Samantha Starzyk in Burlington, Wisconsin. She graduated from

Wilmot Union High School Wilmot Union High School is a public secondary school located in Wilmot, Wisconsin, a community in the village of Salem Lakes in Kenosha County. Founded in the 1870s, the high school serves students grades 9 to 12 in the communities of Wilmot, ...

and attended the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater, where she earned a bachelor's degree in political science in 1996.

Political career

While in college, Kerkman began working as an intern and

legislative assistant A legislative assistant (LA) or legislative analyst is a person who works for a legislator as a legislative staffer, a government agency as a legislative affairs professional, or in the government relations and regulatory affairs industry by monitor ...

in the office of State Representative Cloyd A. Porter, and, after graduating, was named his chief of staff. She also began volunteering with the

Randall, Wisconsin Randall is a town in Kenosha County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 3,285 at the 2020 census. The unincorporated community of Bassett and census-designated place of Powers Lake are located in Randall, and the town surrounds the vi ...

, Fire Department Auxiliary. When Porter announced in 2000 that he would not seek reelection to a 15th term, Kerkman chose to enter the race to replace him. Porter quickly endorsed his former legislative aide, saying, "I think Samantha has made an excellent decision. I am confident that Samantha has the strength, energy, and the dedication to serve the people of the 66th to her full potential." She prevailed in the Republican

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with 85% of the vote and went on to take 61% of the general election vote against Democrat Virgil Gentz. Kerkman was subsequently reelected five times in the 66th assembly district, and, after

redistricting Redistribution (re-districting in the United States and in the Philippines) is the process by which electoral districts are added, removed, or otherwise changed. Redistribution is a form of boundary delimitation that changes electoral dist ...

in 2013, Kerkman has been serving in what is now the 61st assembly district. On April 5, 2022, Kerkman was elected

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 ...

Executive. She assumed office on April 18, 2022.

Personal life and family

Samantha Starzyk took the last name Kerkman in 2001, when she married attorney Chad Kerkman. They have two children and divorced in 2016.

References

External links

* https://www.kenoshacounty.org/144/County-Executive * https://www.votesamanthakerkman.com/ * https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-kerkman-5561656 {{DEFAULTSORT:Kerkman, Samantha University of Wisconsin ndash;Whitewater alumni Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly Women state legislators in Wisconsin 1974 births Living people 21st-century American politicians 21st-century American women politicians People from Burlington, Wisconsin People from Randall, Wisconsin