Mary Lazich (born October 3, 1952) is an American

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

politician. She served five years in 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. Representatives are elected for two-year terms, ...

and 19 years in the

State Senate A state legislature in the United States is the legislative body of any of the 50 U.S. states. The formal name varies from state to state. In 27 states, the legislature is simply called the ''Legislature'' or the ''State Legislature'', whil ...

, and was President of the Senate for her final session (2015–2016).

Early life

Born in

Loyal, Wisconsin Loyal is a city in Clark County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 1,261 at the 2010 census. The city is located within the Town of Loyal, though it is politically independent. Its name comes from the 1860s, when so many of its ...

, she graduated from Loyal High School and went on to earn her

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

from the

University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee The University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (UW–Milwaukee, UWM, or Milwaukee) is a public urban research university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is the largest university in the Milwaukee metropolitan area and a member of the University of Wiscons ...

, graduating summa cum laude. She was a New Berlin city councilmember from 1986 through 1992, and a

Waukesha County Waukesha County () is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 406,978, making it the third-most populous county in Wisconsin. Its county seat and largest city is Waukesha. Waukesha Co ...

supervisor from 1990 through 1993.

Legislative career

In the Senate, Lazich represented the 28th District since winning a special election in April 1998. She was elected as president of the Wisconsin Senate in January 2015, the first female ever elected to that position. She was previously a member of the

Wisconsin 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. Representatives are elected for two-year terms, e ...

from 1992 through 1998. In 2004, Lazich was criticized for lying about her vote for Senate Majority Leader. On March 21, 2016, Lazich announced that she would not run for re-election in 2016.

2011 recall attempt

Senator Lazich was one of several Wisconsin state senators who faced a recall campaign in 2011 and 2012 due to her support for Governor Scott Walker's "budget repair bill", which removed

collective bargaining Collective bargaining is a process of negotiation between employers and a group of employees aimed at agreements to regulate working salaries, working conditions, benefits, and other aspects of workers' compensation and rights for workers. The ...

rights from public employees. However, the recall attempt failed to get enough signatures to be put on the ballot.

Electoral history

References

External links

Senator Mary Lazich
at the

Wisconsin State 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 ...

constituency site
*
28th Senate District, Senator Lazich
in the

Wisconsin Blue Book The ''Wisconsin Blue Book'' is a biennial publication of the Wisconsin's Legislative Reference Bureau. The ''Blue Book'' is an almanac containing information on the government, economics, demographics, geography and history of the state of Wisc ...

(2005–2006) 1952 births Living people Wisconsin city council members County supervisors in Wisconsin Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee alumni Presidents of the Wisconsin Senate Republican Party Wisconsin state senators Women state legislators in Wisconsin 21st-century American politicians 21st-century American women politicians People from Loyal, Wisconsin People from New Berlin, Wisconsin Women city councillors in Wisconsin {{Wisconsin-WISenate-stub