Bradley M. Pfaff (born December 7, 1967) is an American agriculture policy administrator and Democratic politician from La Crosse County, Wisconsin. He is a member of the

Wisconsin Senate The Wisconsin Senate is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Together with the Wisconsin State Assembly they constitute the legislative branch of the state of Wisconsin. The powers of the Wisconsin Senate are modeled after those ...

, representing

Wisconsin's 32nd Senate district Wisconsin's 32nd Senate district is one of 33 districts in the Wisconsin Senate. Located in western Wisconsin, the district comprises all of La Crosse County, Wisconsin, La Crosse County and nearly all of Vernon County, Wisconsin, Vernon C ...

since 2021. He was an unsuccessful candidate for

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

in 2022. He previously served as secretary-designee of the

Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of Wisconsin responsible for regulating agriculture, trade, and commercial activity in the state. The department is administered by ...

in 2019, during the first term of Governor

Tony Evers Anthony Steven Evers ( ; born November 5, 1951) is an American politician and educator serving since 2019 as the 46th governor of Wisconsin. A member of the Democratic Party, he served from 2009 to 2019 as Wisconsin's 26th superintendent of p ...

, but his appointment was rejected by the Republican state Senate ten months into his term. Pfaff subsequently worked as director of business and rural development for the

Wisconsin Department of Administration The Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA) is an agency of the Wisconsin state government which provides a range of services and programs, from operations, technology, and logistical support for the state, to assistance programs for low-inc ...

. Earlier in his career, Pfaff served as a federal appointee in the

Obama administration Barack Obama's tenure as the 44th president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 2009, and ended on January 20, 2017. Obama, a Democrat from Illinois, took office following his victory over Republican nomine ...

, working as the Wisconsin state executive director of the

Farm Service Agency The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is the United States Department of Agriculture agency that was formed by merging the farm loan portfolio and staff of the Farmers Home Administration (FmHA) and the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service ...

and deputy administrator for farm programs at the

United States Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an executive department of the United States federal government that aims to meet the needs of commercial farming and livestock food production, promotes agricultural trade and producti ...

Early life and education

Pfaff was born in

La Crosse County, Wisconsin La Crosse County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. At the 2020 census, the county's population was 120,784. Its county seat is the city of La Crosse. La Crosse County is included in the La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN Metropo ...

, and raised on his family's farm there. He earned his

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

in public and environmental administration from the

University of Wisconsin–Green Bay The University of Wisconsin–Green Bay (UW–Green Bay, UWGB, or Green Bay) is a public university in Green Bay, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1965, it is part of the University of Wisconsin System. As of fall 2024, student enrollment h ...

and a

Master of Public Administration A Master of Public Administration (MPA) is a specialized professional graduate degree in public administration that prepares students for leadership roles, similar or equivalent to a Master of Business Administration but with an emphasis on the ...

from

George Mason University George Mason University (GMU) is a Public university, public research university in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Located in Northern Virginia near Washington, D.C., the university is named in honor of George Mason, a Founding Father ...

Career

Early in his career, Pfaff became involved in public service and politics, working as an aide to state representative Virgil Roberts. He then worked as a constituent outreach staffer for U.S. senator

Herb Kohl Herbert Hiken Kohl (February 7, 1935 – December 27, 2023) was an American businessman, philanthropist, and Democratic politician from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He served 24 years as a United States senator from Wisconsin, from 1989 to 2013, and ...

. In 1996, he made his first run for political office, running 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 94th Assembly district. With his brother as campaign manager, he challenged incumbent Republican

Michael Huebsch Michael D. "Mike" Huebsch (born July 19, 1964) is an American Republican politician from La Crosse County, Wisconsin. He was the 76th speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly, serving a total of 16 years in the Assembly (1995–20 ...

, who had defeated his former boss Virgil Roberts in the 1994 election. Pfaff received the Democratic Party nomination without opposition in the primary, but was defeated in the general election by about 2,000 votes. After the 1996 election, Pfaff joined the staff of congressman

Ron Kind Ronald James Kind (born March 16, 1963) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the U.S. representative for from 1997 to 2023. He is a member of the Democratic Party. His former district is in western Wisconsin, anchored by La Cross ...

in 1997, where he worked as a policy advisor on rural and agricultural issues for the next twelve years. At the time, he was also a member of the Southwest Badger Resource Conservation and Development Council. In 2004, Pfaff made another run for office, running for

in the 32nd Senate district seat, which was vacated by Mark Meyer's appointment to the state Public Service Commission. Pfaff prevailed in the Democratic primary over Monte L. Jacobson, but was narrowly defeated in the general election by Republican

Dan Kapanke Daniel E. Kapanke is an American businessman and politician who was a former Republican Party (United States), Republican member of the Wisconsin Senate, representing the 32nd District from 2005 until losing his seat to Jennifer Shilling in the 2 ...

. He was subsequently elected to the La Crosse County board of supervisors in April 2006, and was re-elected in 2008. He resigned from the county board in 2009 after he received his federal appointment.

Obama administration

In 2009, Pfaff was appointed the

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

executive director for the

at the

USDA The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that aims to meet the needs of commerc ...

. In 2015, Pfaff was appointed to serve as the USDA Deputy Administrator for Farm Programs, a position responsible for the implementation and delivery of all

Title 1 The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was passed by the 89th United States Congress and signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on April 11, 1965. Part of Johnson's " War on Poverty", the act has been one of the most far-r ...

crop commodity programs and the

Conservation Reserve Program The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is a cost-share and rental payment program of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Under the program, the government pays farmers to take certain agriculturally used croplands out of produc ...

. After President Obama left office in 2017, Pfaff rejoined congressman Ron Kind's office as deputy chief of staff.

Evers administration

In December 2018, Governor-elect Evers announced his nomination of Pfaff to serve as secretary of the

. Pfaff began work in January 2019, but his appointment remained contingent on confirmation by the Wisconsin Senate. Eleven months later, in November 2019, the State Senate voted along party lines to reject Pfaff's appointment. Evers subsequently hired Pfaff as director of business and rural development in the

State Senate

In 2020, Pfaff decided to make another run for Wisconsin Senate in the 32nd Senate district, following the announcement that incumbent Democratic senator

Jennifer Shilling Jennifer Shilling (''née'' Ehlenfeldt; born July 4, 1969) is an American Democratic politician, lobbyist, and former state legislator. She was a member of the Wisconsin State Senate for nine years and was senate minority leader from 2015 to 202 ...

would not seek re-election. Shilling endorsed Pfaff in May 2020, and Pfaff defeated his opponents in the Democratic primary with 62% of the vote. He went on to win the 2020 general election, narrowly defeating Dan Kapanke in a rematch of their 2004 election. The 32nd Senate district—which comprises most of Pfaff's native La Crosse County, as well as most of Vernon County, part of Monroe County, and all of Crawford County—is one of the few competitive districts in the Wisconsin Senate. With the last two State Senate elections decided by fewer than 600 votes.

2022 congressional election

After the announcement that 13-term incumbent congressman Ron Kind would retire in 2022, Pfaff declared his candidacy for

to replace his former boss in

Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district covers most of the Driftless Area in southwestern and western Wisconsin. The district includes the cities of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Eau Claire, La Crosse, Wisconsin, La Crosse, and Stevens Point, Wisconsin, ...

. Pfaff was narrowly defeated by Republican

Derrick Van Orden Derrick Francis Van Orden (born September 15, 1969) is an American politician, actor, and retired United States Navy SEAL who is the U.S. representative for Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district. He is a member of the Republican Party. Early ...

in the

2022 general election The following elections were scheduled to occur in 2022. The National Democratic Institute also maintains a calendar of elections around the world. * 2022 United Nations Security Council election * 2022 national electoral calendar * 2022 loca ...

Personal life and family

Brad Pfaff is a son of Leon Pfaff, who served 20 years on the La Crosse County board of supervisors. Brad's younger brother, Shawn, served as an external relations manager on the staff of Governor

Jim Doyle James Edward Doyle Jr. (born November 23, 1945) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 44th governor of Wisconsin from 2003 to 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he narrowly defeated incumbent Republican governor Scott M ...

during his first term, and later served as mayor of

Fitchburg, Wisconsin Fitchburg is a city in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 29,609 at the 2020 census. It is a suburb south of Madison and is part of the Madison metropolitan area. Fitchburg consists of a mix of suburban neighborhoods clos ...

. Brad met his wife, Betty (' Lounsbrough), in high school. They married in 1991, they now reside in

Onalaska, Wisconsin Onalaska ( ) is a city in La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 18,803 at the 2020 census. It borders the larger La Crosse, Wisconsin, and is a part of the La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN Metropolitan Area. Onalaska is buil ...

, and have two adult children.

Electoral history

Wisconsin Assembly (1996)

, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, November 5, 1996

Wisconsin Senate (2004)

, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", Democratic Primary, September 14, 2004 , colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, November 3, 2004

U.S. House of Representatives (2022)

, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", Democratic Primary, August 9, 2022 , colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, November 8, 2022

Wisconsin Senate (2020, 2024)

References

External links

Brad Pfaff for Congress
campaign website
Profile
at the

* *
32nd Senate District map (2022–present)
, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Pfaff, Brad 1967 births American environmentalists Farmers from Wisconsin George Mason University alumni Living people Marymount University faculty Obama administration personnel People from La Crosse, Wisconsin State cabinet secretaries of Wisconsin United States congressional aides University of Wisconsin–Green Bay alumni Democratic Party Wisconsin state senators Candidates in the 2022 United States House of Representatives elections 21st-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature