Rob Stafsholt

Robert Richard Stafsholt (born November 1975) is an American politician. A Republican, he has been a member of the Wisconsin State Senate for the 10th district since 2021. He was previously a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the 29th assembly district for two terms.

Rob Stafsholt
Member of the Wisconsin Senate
from the 10th district
Assumed office
January 4, 2021
Preceded byPatty Schachtner
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
from the 29th district
In office
January 3, 2017 – January 4, 2021
Preceded byJohn Murtha
Succeeded byClint Moses
Personal details
BornNovember 1975 (1975-11) (age 47)
St. Croix County, Wisconsin, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
Colleen McNamara
​
(div. 2007)​
Children1
Residence(s)New Richmond, Wisconsin, U.S.
Occupationbusinessman, farmer
Website

Early life, education, and career before politics

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 previously ran his family's food manufacturing business, worked as a mortgage loan originator, and owned several rental units.[1]

Political career

In 2016, after incumbent Wisconsin State Assembly 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]

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, 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)
Wisconsin Assembly, 29th District Election, 2016[16][17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Primary, August 9, 2016
Republican Rob Stafsholt 1,352 73.44%
Republican Vince Trudell 485 26.34%
Scattering 4 0.22%
Plurality 867 47.09%
Total votes 1,841 100.0%
General Election, November 8, 2016
Republican Rob Stafsholt 16,774 61.10% -37.39%
Democratic Scottie E. Ard 10,661 38.83%
Scattering 19 0.07%
Plurality 6,113 22.27% -74.72%
Total votes 27.454 100.0% +80.83%
Republican hold
Wisconsin Assembly, 29th District Election, 2018[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 6, 2018
Republican Rob Stafsholt (incumbent) 12,523 54.70% -6.40%
Democratic John Rocco Calabrese 9,750 42.58% +3.75%
Libertarian Brian Corriea 620 2.71%
Scattering 3 0.01%
Plurality 2,773 12.11% -10.16%
Total votes 22,896 100.0% -16.60%
Republican hold

Wisconsin Senate (2020)
Wisconsin Senate, 10th District Election, 2020[19][20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Primary, August 11, 2020
Republican Rob Stafsholt 12,603 64.85%
Republican Cherie Link 6,828 35.13%
Scattering 4 0.02%
Plurality 5,775 29.71%
Total votes 19,435 100.0%
General Election, November 3, 2020
Republican Rob Stafsholt 61,914 59.91% +15.74%
Democratic Patty Schachtner (incumbent) 41,410 40.07% -14.53%
Scattering 29 0.03%
Plurality 20,504 19.84% +9.41%
Total votes 103,353 100.0% +360.70%
Republican gain from Democratic Swing 30.27%

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. 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. 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. Retrieved 2021-05-13.
  15. Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. "State Legislature". State of Wisconsin Blue Book (PDF) (Report) (2017-2018 ed.). State of Wisconsin. p. 52. Retrieved 2019-03-31.
  16. Canvass Results for 2016 Partisan Primary - 8/9/2016 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. September 30, 2016. p. 32. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  17. Canvass Results for 2016 General Election - 11/8/2016 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. December 22, 2016. p. 15. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  18. Canvass Results for 2018 General Election (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. Retrieved 2019-03-31.
  19. Canvass Results for 2020 Partisan Primary - 8/11/2020 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. August 26, 2020. p. 6. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  20. Canvass Results for 2020 General Election - 11/3/2020 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. November 18, 2020. pp. 4–5. Retrieved December 9, 2020.}
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