Lindee Rae Brill ( Claerbout; born June 27, 1981) is an American marketing professional and
Republican politician from
Sheboygan County, Wisconsin. She is 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 ...
, representing
Wisconsin's 27th Assembly district
The 27th Assembly district of Wisconsin is one of 99 districts in the Wisconsin State Assembly. Located in eastern Wisconsin, the district comprises much of Sheboygan County and parts of southeast Manitowoc County and northeast Fond du&nb ...
since
2025
So far, the year has seen the continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudanese civil war, and the Gaza war. Internal crises in Bangladesh post-resignation v ...
. She was also previously known as Lindee Rae Salazar, during her first marriage.
Early life and education
Lindee Brill was born Lindee Claerbout, in June 1981 at
Kohler, Wisconsin
Kohler is a village in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, United States, along the Sheboygan River. The population was 2,195 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is included in the Sheboygan, Wisconsin, Sheboygan metropolitan statistical ...
, just outside of
Sheboygan. She was raised in the Sheboygan area, graduating from
Oostburg High School
Oostburg High School is a public high school located in Oostburg, Wisconsin
Oostburg is a village in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 3,056 at the 2020 census. It is included in the Sheboygan, Wisconsin Metropol ...
in 1999. She went on to attend
Hope College
Hope College is a private Christian liberal arts college in Holland, Michigan, United States. It was originally opened in 1851 as the Pioneer School by Dutch immigrants four years after the community was first settled. The first freshman coll ...
in
Holland, Michigan
Holland is a city in Ottawa County, Michigan, Ottawa and Allegan County, Michigan, Allegan counties in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located in the West Michigan, western region of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, Lower Peninsula, the city is si ...
, earning her bachelor's degree in 2003, studying management and Spanish. While attending Hope College, she spent a semester abroad at
Pontifical Catholic University of Chile
The Pontifical Catholic University of Chile (UC Chile; ) is a traditional private university based in Santiago, Chile. It is one of the thirteen Catholic universities existing in Chilean university system and one of the two pontifical univ ...
.
After graduating from college, she worked for about a year in human resources at
Sterling Plumbing in
Union City, Tennessee
Union City is a city in and the county seat of Obion County, Tennessee, United States. 11,170 people were living in the town as of the 2020 census. It is the principal urban settlement of the surrounding micropolitan area, which includes Obion Cou ...
, before returning to the Sheboygan area as human resources director for Dutchland Plastics in 2005. She had previously worked at Dutchland in entry-level roles during high school. Over the next 2 decades, she worked in marketing for a number of other Sheboygan businesses and nonprofits, including the Sheboygan County YMCA, Oostburg State Bank, and Anchor of Hope Health Center (a
pro-life pregnancy center), and finally Samaritan's Hand (an addiction treatment center).
Political career
Brill made her first run for elected office in 2024, when she announced that she would run for
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 ...
in the
27th Assembly district. The 27th district had been represented by
Amy Binsfeld, but the 2024
redistricting act had dramatically redrawn the districts in the Sheboygan area, and Binsfield was drawn out of the district. Another Republican incumbent,
Terry Katsma, was drawn into the district, but chose to retire. The new 27th district was safely Republican, and Brill faced a challenging
Republican Party primary against Oostburg village president Brian Hilbelink. The primary was fiercely contested, and Brill was a target of negative ads from a PAC called , which advertised against several Republican primary candidates. The PAC was funded by another PAC, known as which had also been a major contributor to a PAC which exclusively supported Republican Assembly speaker
Robin Vos
Robin Joseph Vos (born July 5, 1968) is an American businessman and Republican politician and the 79th speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly, serving in that role since 2013. He has been a member of the Assembly since 2005, representing mos ...
. Brill won the primary by just 249 votes.
She easily won the general election with 67% of the vote.
She took office in January 2025.
During the opening session of the
107th Wisconsin legislature
The One Hundred Seventh Wisconsin Legislature is the current ongoing legislative term in Wisconsin. It was convened on in regular session, and is scheduled to conclude on though it will likely adjourn for legislative activity in the Spring of ...
, Brill abstained from voting for incumbent Speaker of the Assembly, and fellow Republican,
Robin Vos
Robin Joseph Vos (born July 5, 1968) is an American businessman and Republican politician and the 79th speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly, serving in that role since 2013. He has been a member of the Assembly since 2005, representing mos ...
.
Personal life and family
Lindee Brill is one of two children born to Daven and Teresa (' Wachter) Claerbout. Her mother was an active volunteer for the Republican Party and
pro-life causes.
Lindee Claerbout took the last name Salazar when she married Cesar Salazar in 2009. They had been coworkers at Dutchland Plastics, but divorced just two years later.
Lindee subsequently married Eric J. Brill of Sheboygan and took his last name. They have 3 children and reside in the town of
Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin
Sheboygan Falls is a city in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, United States, along the Sheboygan River. The population was 8,210 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Sheboygan metropolitan area.
History
Sheboygan Falls took its name from the ne ...
.
Electoral history
Wisconsin Assembly (2024)
References
External links
Campaign websiteRepresentative Lindee Brillat
Wisconsin Legislature
The Wisconsin Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house, Wisconsin State Senate, and the lower Wisconsin State Assembly, both of which have had Republ ...
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Brill, Lindee
1981 births
Living people
People from Oostburg, Wisconsin
People from Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin
Hope College alumni
Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly
Women state legislators in Wisconsin
21st-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature
21st-century American women politicians