Louis John Molepske Jr. (born January 6, 1974) is an American attorney, judge, and Democratic politician. He is a

Wisconsin circuit court The Wisconsin circuit courts are the general trial courts in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. There are currently 69 circuits in the state, divided into 9 judicial administrative districts. Circuit court judges hear and decide both civil and crimina ...

judge in

Portage County, Wisconsin Portage County is a county (United States), county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of th2020 census the population was 70,377. Its county seat is Stevens Point, Wisconsin, Stevens Point. Portage County comprises the Stevens Point, WI Micr ...

, since 2022. He previously served nine years as

district attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, county prosecutor, state attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or solicitor is the chief prosecutor or chief law enforcement officer represen ...

, and was 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. The Assembly is controlled by the Republican ...

for ten years before that.

Early life and education

Louis Molepske was born and raised in

Stevens Point, Wisconsin Stevens Point is a city in Portage County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. Its population was 25,666 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It forms the core of the Stevens Point micropolitan statistical area, which had a p ...

. He graduated from

Stevens Point Area Senior High School Stevens Point Area Senior High (commonly called SPASH) is a high school located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, United States. It is part of the Stevens Point Area Public School District. SPASH serves the Stevens Point area, including Stevens Point, ...

in 1993 and went on to earn his bachelor's degree in political science 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, United States. It was founded in 1848 when Wisconsin achieved st ...

. He then attended

Marquette University Law School Marquette University Law School is the Law school in the United States, law school of Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is one of two law schools in Wisconsin and the only private law school in the state. Founded in 1892 as the Mil ...

, where he earned his J.D. in 2001. While in high school, he wrote for a student section included in the Stevens Point daily newspaper, the ''

Stevens Point Journal ''Stevens Point Journal'' is a digital and print newspaper published in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. It is owned by Gannett and part of the USA Today Network. History The ''Stevens Point Journal'' was founded in 1853 as the ''Wisconsin Lumberma ...

''.

Political career

After completing law school, he went to work in the city government of Stevens Point. He first worked as an assistant to his father, the city attorney, and then as an assistant to the mayor, Gary Wescott, and finally as a special prosecutor in the office of the district attorney, Tom Eagon. In 2002, incumbent state senator Kevin Shibilski was indicted for fraud, which led to his resignation and the election of state representative

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

as his replacement. Lassa's elevation created a vacancy in

Wisconsin's 71st Assembly district The 71st Assembly district of Wisconsin is one of 99 districts in the Wisconsin State Assembly. Located in central Wisconsin, the district comprises most of Portage County, Wisconsin, Portage County and part of northeast Adams County, Wisconsin, ...

, and Molepske chose to enter the race for the open seat. He narrowly prevailed in the low-turnout

special election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, or a bypoll in India, is an election used to fill an office that has become vacant between general elections. A vacancy may arise as a result of an incumben ...

, receiving 37% of the vote in a four-way race. At the time he was sworn in, Molepske was the second youngest state legislator at 29 years old. He went on to win re-election four times. In the April 2012 election, Molepske's former boss, district attorney Tom Eagon, was elected a Wisconsin circuit court judge. Molepske soon announced that, rather than running for another term in the Assembly, he would instead run for

. He faced only one opponent in the race, the senior assistant district attorney, Veronica Isherwood, in the Democratic primary. Molepske won 65% of the vote in the primary and was unopposed in the general election. He was re-elected without opposition in 2016 and 2020. In the Fall of 2021, incumbent Wisconsin circuit court judge Robert J. Shannon filed his paperwork to indicate he would not run for re-election in 2022. Molepske entered the race for the judicial post; he defeated attorney Stephen W. Sawyer in the Spring general election and was sworn in in August 2022.

Personal life and family

Louis Molepske is a fifth-generation resident of Portage County, Wisconsin. His father is also an attorney and was in public office as city attorney of Stevens Point; his grandfather was a prominent realtor. Louis Molepske married Raquel Vechinski, a nurse practitioner from

Wisconsin Rapids Wisconsin Rapids is a city in and the county seat of Wood County, Wisconsin, United States, along the Wisconsin River. The population was 18,877 at the 2020 census. It is a principal city of the Marshfield–Wisconsin Rapids micropolitan stati ...

, in October 2013. They have three children now and reside in Stevens Point.

Electoral history

Wisconsin Assembly (2003–2010)

, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", Special Election, July 22, 2003

Portage County District Attorney (2012, 2016, 2020)

, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", Democratic Primary, August 14, 2012 , colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, November 6, 2012

Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge (2022)

, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, April 5, 2022

References

External links

Official (Assembly) website (Archived February 20, 2012)

Louis Molepske for State Assembly
''official campaign website''
Molepske for Judge
''2022 campaign website'' * * * ''Follow the Money'' - Louis Molepske
200820062004
campaign contributions
Campaign 2008
campaign contributions at ''Wisconsin Democracy Campaign'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Molepske, Louis 1974 births Living people Marquette University Law School alumni University of Wisconsin–Madison College of Letters and Science alumni People from Stevens Point, Wisconsin District attorneys in Wisconsin Wisconsin circuit court judges Democratic Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly Stevens Point Area Senior High School alumni 21st-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature