Travis Tranel (born September 12, 1985) is 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 ...

politician, legislator and

dairy farmer Dairy farming is a class of agriculture for long-term production of milk, which is processed (either on the farm or at a dairy plant, either of which may be called a dairy) for eventual sale of a dairy product. Dairy farming has a history that ...

from

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 ...

Background

Born in

Dubuque, Iowa Dubuque (, ) is the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. At the time of the 2020 census, the population of Dubuque was 59,667. The city lies at the junction of Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin, a r ...

, Tranel graduated from Wahlert Catholic High School of Dubuque in 2004, and

Loras College Loras College is a private Catholic college in Dubuque, Iowa. It has an enrollment of approximately 1,600 students and is the oldest post-secondary institution in the state of Iowa. The school offers both undergraduate and graduate degree ...

in 2007. He operates his own dairy farm.

Legislative career

He was elected as a 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, e ...

in 2010. After winning his

primary election Primary elections, or direct primary are a voting process by which voters can indicate their preference for their party's candidate, or a candidate in general, in an upcoming general election, local election, or by-election. Depending on the ...

by 3,024 to 2,519 votes, he unseated incumbent Democrat Phil Garthwaite, with 10,384 votes to his opponent's 7,844. He is a member of the

Knights of Columbus The Knights of Columbus (K of C) is a global Catholic fraternal service order founded by Michael J. McGivney on March 29, 1882. Membership is limited to practicing Catholic men. It is led by Patrick E. Kelly, the order's 14th Supreme Knight. ...

and the

National Rifle Association of America The National Rifle Association of America (NRA) is a gun rights advocacy group based in the United States. Founded in 1871 to advance rifle marksmanship, the modern NRA has become a prominent gun rights lobbying organization while conti ...

. In 2012, he was re-elected, with 14,232 votes to 11,961 for Democrat Carol Beals, president of the

AFSCME The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) is the largest trade union of public employees in the United States. It represents 1.3 million public sector employees and retirees, including health care workers, correcti ...

union local for employees of the

University of Wisconsin–Platteville University of Wisconsin–Platteville (UW–Platteville) is a public university in Platteville, Wisconsin. Part of the University of Wisconsin System, it offers bachelor's and master's degrees. The university has three colleges that serve over ...

. In 2014, he won re-election again with 12,240 votes to Democrat Chad Henneman's 7,689. In 2016, Tranel was elected to a fourth term with 15,056 votes, beating Democrat Jesse Bennett. In 2018, Tranel was elected to a fifth term with 12,858 votes, beating Democratic challenger Mike Mooney, who received 8,968 votes. In 2020, Tranel was elected to a sixth term with 16,741 votes, beating Democrat Shaun Murphy-Lopez, who received 11,528 votes. In 2022, Tranel was elected to a seventh term with 14,626 votes, beating Democrat Lynne Parrott, who received 8,724 votes.

References

Farmers from Wisconsin Politicians from Dubuque, Iowa People from Cuba City, Wisconsin Loras College alumni Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly 1985 births Living people 21st-century American politicians {{Wisconsin-WIAssembly-Republican-1980s-stub