Rob Stafsholt
State senateWisconsin
District10th
Term startJanuary 4, 2021
PredecessorPatty Schachtner
State assembly 1Wisconsin
District 129th
Term start 1January 3, 2017
Term end 1January 4, 2021
Predecessor 1John Murtha
Successor 1Clint Moses
Birth nameRobert Richard Stafsholt
Birth dateNovember 1975 (age 50–51)
Birth placeSt. Croix County, Wisconsin, U.S.
PartyRepublican
SpouseColleen McNamara
EducationUniversity of Wisconsin, Eau Claire
University of Wisconsin, River Falls
Website

Robert Richard Stafsholt (born November 1975) is an American farmer, businessman, and Republican politician from St. Croix County, Wisconsin. He is a member of the Wisconsin Senate, representing Wisconsin's 10th Senate district since 2021. He previously served two terms in the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing the 29th Assembly district from 2017 to 2021.

Early life and career

Stafsholt graduated from New Richmond High School in 1994.[1] He attended the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire and University of Wisconsin–River Falls.[2][3]

Stafsholt comes from a farming family and managed the family farm; he also ran his family's food manufacturing business, worked as a mortgage loan originator, and owned several rental units.[1]

Political career

State Assembly

In 2016, after incumbent state representative John Murtha declared that he would not seek re-election to a sixth term, Stafsholt filed to run for the 29th district seat. Stafsholt won the Republican primary, and defeated Democrat Scottie Ard in the 2016 general election. He was re-elected in 2018.[4][5][6] In 2020, Stafsholt ran for Wisconsin State Senate from the 10th Senate district, defeating Cherlie Link of Somerset in the Republican primary[7] and incumbent Democratic state senator Patty Schachtner in the general election.[8]

In the state Assembly, Stafsholt sponsored legislation to eliminate state protections for wetlands and air quality[9] and to prohibit state and local government from using the power of eminent domain to create or extend bike trails, recreational trails, and sidewalks.[10] Stafsholt authored legislation in 2019 that eliminated Wisconsin's minimum hunting age.[11] In 2021, Stafsholt and other Republican state legislators demanded that the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources implement immediately a wolf hunt season before the wolf could potentially be re-added to the federal Endangered Species List.[12]

State Senate

During his 2020 campaign for state Senate, Stafsholt criticized public-health orders issued by Governor Tony Evers to prevent the spread of COVID-19 during the pandemic, calling the orders "unlawful government overreach."[13] In 2021, Stafsholt proposed legislation to prevent the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Technical College System from requiring on-campus students to be vaccinated or regularly tested against COVID-19 in order to access campus buildings.[14]

He is a member of the American Farm Bureau Federation, the National Rifle Association of America, the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance, and Safari Club International; he is a former member of the Wisconsin Bear Hunters' Association and the Wisconsin Association of Mortgage Brokers.[15]

Electoral history

Wisconsin Assembly (2016, 2018)

YearElectionDateElectedDefeatedTotalPlurality
2016Primary[16]Aug. 9Rob StafsholtRepublican1,35273.44%Vince TrudellRep.48526.34%1,841867
General[17]Nov. 8Rob StafsholtRepublican16,77461.10%Scottie E. ArdDem.10,66138.83%27,4546,113
2018General[18]Nov. 6Rob Stafsholt (inc)Republican12,52354.70%John Rocco CalabreseDem.9,75038.94%31,7395,432
Brian CorrieaLib.6202.71%

Wisconsin Senate (2020–present)

YearElectionDateElectedDefeatedTotalPlurality
2020Primary[19]Aug. 11Rob StafsholtRepublican12,60364.85%Cheri LinkRep.6,82835.13%19,4355,775
General[20]Nov. 3Rob StafsholtRepublican61,91459.91%Patty Schachtner (inc)Dem.41,41038.83%103,35320,504
2024General[21]Nov. 5Rob Stafsholt (inc)Republican66,65262.35%Paul HambletonDem.40,15837.57%106,89926,494

References

  1. ^ Jason Schulte, Three declare for Murtha's seat, RiverTowns (March 17, 2016).
  2. ^ Rebecca C. Mariscal, Hear from the Wisconsin District 10 candidates, RiverTowns (October 13, 2020).
  3. ^ "Representative Rob Stafsholt". docs.legis.wisconsin.gov
  4. ^ Schulte, Jason (2016-03-17). "Three declare for Murtha's seat". New Richmond News. Archived 2019-03-31 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2019-03-31.
  5. ^ "WisconsinVote.org.-Rob Stafsholt"
  6. ^ "Our Campaigns - Candidate - Rob Stafsholt". www.ourcampaigns.com
  7. ^ Shawn Johnson, Wisconsin Primary Races Shape State Senate, Set Stage For November, Wisconsin Public Radio (August 11, 2020).
  8. ^ Lindquist, Eric (November 4, 2020). "Stafsholt rolls to victory over Schachtner in 10th Senate District". Eau Claire Leader-Telegram. Archived November 9, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  9. ^ Steven Verburg, Wisconsin Republicans launch new rollback of air, water protections, Wisconsin State Journal (October 3, 2017).
  10. ^ Todd Richmonds, Evers budget restores eminent domain for bike trails, Associated Press (April 7, 2019).
  11. ^ Sandy Cullen, Assembly eliminates Wisconsin's minimum hunting age, Wisconsin State Journal (November 3, 2017).
  12. ^ Todd Richmond, Republicans demand DNR resume wolf hunt immediately, Associated Press (January 19, 2021).
  13. ^ Bailey Rieger-Borer, 10th Senate District Candidates Debate COVID-19 Response, Education Spending, Wisconsin Oublic Radio (October 28, 2020).
  14. ^ Kremer, Rich (2021-05-12). "Republican Bill Would Ban UW System, Tech Colleges From Requiring COVID-19 Testing Or Vaccinations". Wisconsin Public Radio. Archived 2021-05-12 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2021-05-13.
  15. ^ Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. "State Legislature". State of Wisconsin Blue Book. 2017-2018 ed. State of Wisconsin. p. 52. Archived from the original on 2019-04-01. Retrieved 2019-03-31.
  16. ^ Canvass Results for 2016 Primary Election - 8/9/2016. Wisconsin Elections Commission. August 23, 2016. p. 32. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
  17. ^ Canvass Results for 2016 General Election - 11/8/2016. Wisconsin Elections Commission. December 22, 2016. p. 15. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
  18. ^ Canvass Results for 2018 General Election - 11/6/2018. Wisconsin Elections Commission. February 22, 2019. p. 16. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
  19. ^ Canvass Results for 2020 Primary Election - 8/11/2020. Wisconsin Elections Commission. August 26, 2020. p. 6. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
  20. ^ Canvass Results for 2020 General Election - 11/3/2020. Wisconsin Elections Commission. November 18, 2020. pp. 4–5. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
  21. ^ County by County Report - 2024 General Election. Wisconsin Elections Commission. November 27, 2024. p. 5. Retrieved November 30, 2024.