Robert Lewis Cowles III (born July 31, 1950) is a retired American
Republican politician from
Green Bay, Wisconsin. He served 38 years as 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 2nd Senate district
The 2nd Senate district of Wisconsin is one of 33 districts in the Wisconsin Senate. Located in northeast Wisconsin, the district comprises all of Menominee County, Wisconsin, Menominee County along with th southern half of Oconto County, Wiscon ...
from 1987 to 2025. Before being elected to the Senate, he served four 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. The Assembly is controlled by the Republican ...
(1983–1987).
Early life and education
Robert Cowles was born and raised and lived most of his life in
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay is a city in Brown County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. It is located at the head of Green Bay (Lake Michigan), Green Bay (known locally as "the bay of Green Bay"), a sub-basin of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the F ...
. He attended 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 ...
, earning 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 math and science in 1975. After graduating, he briefly pursued his
master's in public administration at University of Wisconsin–Green Bay, but did not complete that degree.
He was formerly a director of an
alternative energy
Renewable energy (also called green energy) is energy made from renewable resource, renewable natural resources that are replenished on a human lifetime, human timescale. The most widely used renewable energy types are solar energy, wind pow ...
division for a communications construction company.
[Julie Pohlman (ed.) ]
State of Wisconsin 2015-2016 Blue Book
'. Madison: Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau, 2015, p. 22.
Early political career
Despite his parents being prominent local Republicans, Cowles became active in politics with the
Democratic Party during his college years.
In 1974, he was a campaign co-chairman for unsuccessful Democratic
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 ...
candidate Jon A. LeDuc. During the
1976 Democratic Party presidential primaries
From January 27 to June 8, 1976, voters of the Democratic Party chose its nominee for president in the 1976 United States presidential election. Former Georgia governor Jimmy Carter was selected as the nominee through a series of primary el ...
he was an organizer in Wisconsin for Arizona U.S. representative
Mo Udall
Morris King Udall (June 15, 1922 – December 12, 1998) was an American attorney and Democratic politician who served as a U.S. representative from Arizona from May 2, 1961, to May 4, 1991. He was a leading contender for the 1976 Democratic pr ...
's presidential campaign. He was also active in the
United States Junior Chamber
The United States Junior Chamber, also known as the Jaycees, JCs or JCI USA, is a leadership training service organization and civic organization for people between the ages of 18 and 40. It is a branch of Junior Chamber International (JCI). ...
, and was president of the group in 1977.
In 1978, Cowles made his first bid for state elected office.
He ran for Wisconsin State Assembly in what was then the
4th Assembly district; in the Democratic primary, he faced the candidate he had previously worked for, Jon A. LeDuc, who was then making his third bid for election to the Assembly. Cowles and LeDuc ran on nearly identical policy platforms, both arguing for cuts to state bureaucracy and both proposing a plan for indexing the state income tax to inflation. For Wisconsin's then-surplus, they also both advocated sending the money to municipalities in shared revenue as part of a program for municipalities to cut property taxes. Cowles prevailed in the primary, receiving 57% of the vote, but was defeated in the general election by Republican
Gary T. Dilweg.
After losing the 1978 election, Cowles reduced his political activity and re-emerged in 1982 as a
Republican. On his party-change, he explained that he found the Republican Party better fit his conservative political philosophy.
That year, he ran for Assembly again in what was then the
75th Assembly district under the 1982
court-ordered redistricting plan. He faced two opponents in the Republican primary, but prevailed with 50% of the vote. He went on to defeat Democrat Joel Edler in the general election, receiving 56% of the vote.
Another redistricting act was passed in 1983, Cowles ran for his second term in 1984 in what was then the
6th Assembly district. He prevailed in another contested primary, and went on to defeat Democrat Gregory Kirschling in the general election.
Wisconsin Senate
While Cowles was being re-elected to the assembly in 1986, his district's state senator,
Don Hanaway, was being elected
Attorney General of Wisconsin
The attorney general of Wisconsin is a constitutional officer in the executive branch of the government of Wisconsin, government of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Forty-five individuals have held the office of attorney general since statehood. The ...
. Hanaway still had two years remaining on his term in 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 ...
, and therefore a
special election
A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, or a bypoll in India, is an election used to fill an office that has become vacant between general elections.
A vacancy may arise as a result of an incumben ...
was called for the spring of 1987 to fill the vacancy in the
2nd Senate district. Cowles was one of four Republicans who entered the special primary to succeed Hanaway, he went on to win the primary with 41% of the vote over state representative
Cathy Zeuske and former representative
William J. Rogers. In the general election, he defeated Democrat
Rosemary Hinkfuss.
Since the 1987 special election, Cowles has been re-elected nine times and survived one recall election.
In the
106th Wisconsin Legislature
The One Hundred Sixth Wisconsin Legislature convened from to in regular session, though it adjourned for legislative activity on The Legislature also convened in a special session on
This was the only legislative term under the Redistricti ...
, Cowles chairs the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy; he has been chair of the Senate committee dealing with energy legislation since 2011, and also held the chair multiple times when Republicans held the majority between 1993 and 2006.
[Previous iterations of committees dealing with energy where Cowles served included the "Senate Committee on Energy, Consumer Protection, and Government Reform" (2013), "Senate Committee on Energy, Biotechnology, and Consumer Protection" (2011), "Senate Committee on Energy, Utilities and Information Technology" (2005), "Senate Committee on Energy and Utilities" (2003), "Senate Committee on Environment and Energy" (1995)] He also previously served as co-chair of the
Joint Committee on Audit, and he sits on the Senate Committee on Transportation and Local Government; he has sat on the committee responsible for transportation issues since 2013.
Recall effort
At the start of the
100th Wisconsin Legislature
The One-Hundredth Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 3, 2011, through January 7, 2013, in regular session, though it adjourned for legislative activity on May 22, 2012. The legislature also held two special sessions and ...
, Cowles supported Governor
Scott Walker's controversial "budget repair bill," which passed into law as
2011 Wisconsin Act 10
2011 Wisconsin Act 10, also known as the Wisconsin Budget Repair Bill or the Wisconsin Budget Adjustment Act, is a controversial law enacted by the 100th Wisconsin Legislature which significantly limited the rights and compensation of state and l ...
after months of intense partisan controversy and
protest
A protest (also called a demonstration, remonstration, or remonstrance) is a public act of objection, disapproval or dissent against political advantage. Protests can be thought of as acts of cooperation in which numerous people cooperate ...
. Much of the controversy was caused by a provision of the law which removed the rights of public employee unions to engage in collective bargaining with state and municipal governments. The law's passage launched a state-wide effort to recall state elected officials who had supported the bill, and Cowles was one of the state senators targeted in that recall effort.
March 2, 2011, the "Committee to Recall Cowles" registered with the
Wisconsin Government Accountability Board
The Wisconsin Government Accountability Board (G.A.B.) was a regulatory agency of the U.S. state of Wisconsin which administered and enforced Wisconsin law pertaining to campaign finance, elections, ethics, and lobbying. The board was composed of ...
. On April 28, roughly 26,000 signatures to recall Cowles were filed with the Government Accountability Board. In late May 2011, the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board verified petitions against Cowles. The recall election was held on August 9, 2011, with Cowles defeating the Democratic challenger, Nancy Nusbaum, 60 percent to 40 percent.
[Barbour, Clay and Mary Spicuzza.]
Republicans hold off Dems in recalls, win enough seats to keep majority in Senate
, ''Wisconsin State Journal
The ''Wisconsin State Journal'' is a daily newspaper published in Madison, Wisconsin by Lee Enterprises. The newspaper, the second largest in Wisconsin, is primarily distributed in a 19 county region in south-central Wisconsin. As of Septembe ...
'', August 10, 2011.
Retirement
The 2024
redistricting act substantially redrew the maps in the Green Bay area. Cowles was drawn out of his 2nd Senate district seat and into the 30th Senate district with two other incumbent Republican state senators. Cowles initially announced he would relocate to the new 2nd Senate district, but later announced that he would retire and end his 42 year legislative career.
Just before the
2024 election, Cowles announced that he would vote for the Democratic Party presidential nominee,
Kamala Harris
Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 49th vice president of the United States from 2021 to 2025 under President Joe Biden. She is the first female, first African American, and ...
, and stated that Donald Trump "has to be defeated". In announcing his decision, Cowles said, "I really think this is one of the most important things I've done... Cowles made this announcement in an episode of the Civic Media show, “Rational Revolution,” hosted by Mark Becker on October 24th 2024, Just before the Presidential Election, hoping to move the Needle. Cowles Said I believe this guy Trump is a Totalitarian and very much a Fascist,” said Cowles. The big picture that really came to me in recent days, in the last week, is thinking about thinking about fascism in World War II, and members of my own family that fought the fascists both in Japan and Germany, and all the guys that are buried all over the place of this country, in Arlington, he said. During the Radio show, Becker played a clip from Liz Cheney’s recent speech in Ripon, Wisconsin, endorsing Harris, and Cowles talked about agreeing with all of what she had to say. Hopefully, people will accept that and listen to me, those that have trusted me and believed in me will think about that, and if they're undecided, that we have to make a change here... Trump has to be defeated, and we have to protect the Constitution. And the country will go on, even with some liberal things that Harris might do, or might not do... You have to have the foundation of the Constitution, to protect democracy. If you don't have that, we will disappear."
Personal life and family
Robert Cowles III is the eldest of three sons born to Robert Cowles Jr. and his wife Margaret (' Lindstrom). Robert Cowles Jr. was a mechanical engineer and a co-founder of Marathon Engineering; he was also an original shareholder in the
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
. His father, Robert Cowles Sr., was a prominent physician and civic leader in Green Bay.
Through his paternal grandmother, Emily Cone Harris (' Murphy) Cowles, Cowles was an heir to a portion of the ownership of Horseshoe Bay Farms, Door County Wisconsin, Penobscot Mines Minnesota,The Pacific Lumber Company California, The Morley-Murphy Company, founded by her father, Frank Emery Murphy. Her uncle, William Herbert Murphy, was also a prominent businessman, and was one of the founders of the
Lincoln Motor Company
Lincoln Motor Company, or simply Lincoln, is the luxury vehicle division of American automobile manufacturer Ford Motor Company. Marketed among the top luxury vehicle brands in the United States, Lincoln is positioned closely against its Gene ...
.
Electoral history
Wisconsin Assembly, 4th district (1978)
Wisconsin Assembly, 75th district (1982)
Wisconsin Assembly, 6th district (1984, 1986)
Wisconsin Senate (1987–2020)
Notes
References
External links
Official legislative website Voting record and bills authored website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cowles, Robert
1950 births
Living people
Politicians from Green Bay, Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin–Green Bay alumni
Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly
Republican Party Wisconsin state senators
20th-century American Episcopalians
21st-century American Episcopalians
21st-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature
20th-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature