Jessica Jeane King[1] (born July 21, 1975) is an American lawyer and politician from Wisconsin. She is a former Democratic member of the Wisconsin Senate, representing the 18th district when elected in 2011. She defeated incumbent Republican Senator Randy Hopper in a special recall election on August 9, 2011,[2] and took office August 25, 2011;[3] but lost the seat the following year to another Republican, Rick Gudex, in the November 2012 general election, which reverted that chamber back to Republican control.[citation needed]

Jessica King
Member of the Wisconsin Senate
from the 18th district
In office
August 25, 2011 – January 3, 2013
Preceded byRandy Hopper
Succeeded byRick Gudex
Personal details
Born (1975-07-21) July 21, 1975 (age 49)
Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationUniversity of Wisconsin, Oshkosh (BA)
Thomas Jefferson School of Law (JD)
WebsiteCampaign website

Background

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King was born and raised in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin.[4] Her parents were disabled, [clarification needed] and she became a ward of the state at age 15.

She put herself through the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, working in a juicebox factory and doing similar work, and went on to earn a J.D. degree from Thomas Jefferson School of Law in California.[5]

In 2004, she returned to Wisconsin to care for her aging parents. She opened a small business, and served as an adjunct professor at University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.[citation needed]

She is a former associate attorney who was with Steinhilber, Swanson, Mares, Marone & McDermott.[6]

King was elected to the Oshkosh Common Council, eventually becoming deputy mayor,[4] In 2008, she ran against Hopper for the Senate losing by only 163 votes (41,741 to 41,904).[7]

Wisconsin Senate

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In the wake of the 2011 Wisconsin protests, King was one of two Wisconsin Democratic challengers successful in unseating Republican incumbent senators who had supported Governor Walker. The 18th district includes Fond du Lac, Oshkosh, and Waupun. She narrowly defeated Hopper by 1254 votes (28,191 votes to 26,937).[8]

On November 13, 2012, King conceded to Republican Rick Gudex, then Fond du Lac City Council president.[9] As a result of the race, the Wisconsin Senate reverted to Republican control by a two-vote majority in January 2013.

2020 congressional election

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She ran against incumbent Glenn Grothman for Wisconsin's 6th congressional district in 2020. She received 164,239 votes, or 40.72% of the total votes cast, losing the election.[10]

References

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  1. ^ About this Candidate, fec.gov. Accessed October 25, 2022.
  2. ^ Veremis, Lindsay (August 10, 2011). "District 18: King defeats Hopper". WLUK-TV. Archived from the original on March 26, 2012. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  3. ^ Rolander, Leslie (August 18, 2011). "Wis. Dems to Take Oaths of Office Next Week". KSTP-TV. Hubbard Broadcasting Company. Archived from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  4. ^ a b "About Jess". Jessica King For Senate. Archived from the original on August 18, 2012. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  5. ^ "Jessica King '01 is a Contributing Author". Thomas Jefferson School of Law. July 13, 2011. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  6. ^ "Council Member Jessica King". Archived from the original on 2009-04-27. Retrieved 2009-04-27.
  7. ^ State of Wisconsin 2009-2010 Blue Book (PDF). Madison: Joint Committee on Legislative Organization, Wisconsin Legislature. 2009. p. 911. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 19, 2013. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  8. ^ "2011 Recall Election SD 2, 8, 10, 14, 18, 32 - Results". Wisconsin Elections Commission. September 8, 2011. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  9. ^ "Jessica King Concedes District 18 Race". Nbc26.com. Archived from the original on January 29, 2013. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  10. ^ "Jessica King (Wisconsin)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved November 5, 2023.
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Wisconsin Senate
Preceded by Member of the Wisconsin Senate
from the 18th district

2011–2013
Succeeded by