Don Pridemore

Don Pridemore
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
In office
January 7, 2013 – January 5, 2015
Preceded bySandy Pasch
Succeeded byJanel Brandtjen
Constituency22nd Assembly district
In office
January 3, 2005 – January 7, 2013
Preceded byMichael A. Lehman
Succeeded byChris Kapenga
Constituency99th Assembly district
Personal details
Born (1946-10-20) October 20, 1946 (age 78)
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
ResidenceHartford, Wisconsin
Alma materMarquette University (BS)
ProfessionEngineer, politician

Donald Pridemore (born October 20, 1946) is a retired American electrical engineer and Republican politician from Hartford, Wisconsin. He was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly for 10 years, from 2005 to 2015. He is running to return to the Assembly in 2024, in what is now Wisconsin's 98th Assembly district. He also ran unsuccessfully for Wisconsin Superintendent of Public Instruction in 2013 and for Wisconsin Senate in a 2021 special election.

Early life

Pridemore was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and graduated from Milwaukee Lutheran High School in 1964. From 1965 to 1969 he served in the U.S. Air Force. In 1977, he received a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Marquette University.[1][2] Before entering politics, Pridemore worked in electrical engineering.

Political career

Pridemore was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2004, and won re-election four more times.[3]

Wisconsin State Assembly

2010 Primary

In 2010, Pridemore faced a three-way primary for the 99th District from Hartford Mayor Scott Henke and former Sussex Village Trustee Jim Batzko. With endorsements from the NRA Political Victory Fund,[4] and a 100% rating from Wisconsin Right to Life,[5] Pridemore won with 58% of the vote.[6]

2012 Primary

Redistricting moved Pridemore to the 22nd District. Hartford was no longer in his district, but most of Menomonee Falls and parts of Milwaukee were. In 2012, Nick Oliver challenged Pridemore for the Republican nomination for the 22nd Assembly District. With endorsements from the Menomonee Falls Taxpayer Association,[7] Mark Belling,[8] and Governor Scott Walker,[9] Pridemore defeated Oliver 83% to 17%.[10]

Pridemore was unopposed in the general election after a review by the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board found that Democratic challenger Chad Bucholtz was 13 signatures short of the 200 needed to be on the ballot.[11]

2014

On April 9, 2014, Pridemore announced that he was retiring from the Wisconsin Assembly.[12]

Healthcare whistleblowers

Pridemore has sponsored legislation to protect whistleblowers in the health care industry.[13] His bill was supported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.[14]

Election reform

Pridemore has introduced legislation to require photo identification in Wisconsin elections.[15] Special registration deputies would also be required to have a criminal background check. His bill would also move the party primaries from September to August so as not to conflict with a federal law intended to give military and overseas voters enough time to vote.[16]

Nonmarital parenthood and child abuse

In 2012, Pridemore cosponsored a bill that recognized "nonmarital parenthood as a contributing factor to child abuse and neglect".[17] He commented that in some situations there may be other options than divorce, stating "If they can refind those reasons and get back to why they got married in the first place it might help."[18] Politifact rated as "True" the bill author's claim that children in a nonmarital parenthood setting "have a 20 times greater chance of being sexually abused."[19]

Dog breeders

In 2011, Pridemore sponsored legislation that would redefine "commercial breeder" to protect hobby breeders and rescues from restrictions targeting large scale 'puppy mills.' The previous restrictions had been implemented by former governor Jim Doyle in an effort to prevent 'puppy mills' where dogs live in abusive and neglectful conditions[20][21][22] The Dog Federation of Wisconsin argued that the previous restrictions were negatively impacting "rescue groups and smaller humane societies".[23] The previous restrictions were resulting in increased "dumping" of dogs in rural counties.[24]

2024 election

On February 26, 2024, Pridemore announced he would be a candidate for the 98th Assembly district.[25] He was defeated in the primary by Jim Piwowarczyk.

District 96 Republican primary[26]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jim Piwowarczyk 7,583 65.12
Republican Don Pridemore 4,044 34.73
Write-in 18 0.15
Total votes 11,645 100.0

Superintendent of Public Instruction

In December 2012, Pridemore announced he would be running for the Wisconsin Superintendent of Public Instruction office in the Wisconsin April 2013 Election.[27] In the April 2013 Wisconsin election, Pridemore was defeated by Tony Evers.[28]

Wisconsin State Senate

2021 special election

Pridemore ran for the 13th State Senate district in a 2021 special election. His residence was challenged, but the challenge was unsuccessful and he remained on the ballot.[29] Pridemore lost the Republican primary election to John Jagler.

Controversy

In 2009, the Democratic Party of Wisconsin filed a complaint with the Government Accountability Board alleging that Pridemore's criticism of a candidate for Superintendent of Public Instruction in a press release issued on his state letterhead violated state law.[30][31]

Notes

  1. ^ 'Wisconsin Blue Book 2011-2012,' Biographical Sketch of Don Pridemore, pg. 85
  2. ^ http://www.legis.state.wi.us/lrb/bb/09bb/pdf/1-98.pdf[permanent dead link‍]
  3. ^ "Wisconsin State Legislature Home Page". Legis.state.wi.us. 2022-04-19. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
  4. ^ "NRA Endorsement". Archived from the original on September 24, 2010. Retrieved 23 November 2012. Your National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund has endorsed REPRESENTATIVE DON PRIDEMORE in the Republican Primary in ASSEMBLY DISTRICT 99.
  5. ^ "Don Pridemore - Ratings". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  6. ^ Smaga, Paige (Sep 15, 2010). "Pridemore maintains 99th seat". Living Lake Country Reporter. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  7. ^ "MFTax.org Endorses Don Pridemore". MFTax.org. Retrieved 23 November 2012.[permanent dead link‍]
  8. ^ "Mark Belling on Pridemore". Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  9. ^ Walker, Scott (7 August 2012). "Gov. Scott Walker on Rep. Don Pridemore". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-15. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  10. ^ "Canvass Results for 2012 Partisan Primary" (PDF). Government Accountability Board. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  11. ^ Marley, Patrick (June 8, 2012). "Democrat thrown off ballot in suburban Assembly race". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on 28 January 2013. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  12. ^ 'Rep. Don Pridemore announced his retirement from Assembly,' Fox6Now.com., April 9, 2014
  13. ^ "Wisconsin Legislative Documents". Nxt.legis.state.wi.us. Archived from the original on 2011-09-29. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
  14. ^ "Editorial: Protect whistle-blowers - JSOnline". www.jsonline.com. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  15. ^ Petrie, Joe (April 25, 2011). "Pridemore Pushes Voter ID Bill". Sussex Patch. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  16. ^ Marley, Patrick (April 25, 2011). "Pridemore bill would require photo ID, move primary". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  17. ^ Pridemore, Don. "Pridemore campaign: The newly formed 98th Wisconsin Assembly District". WISPolitics. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  18. ^ http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/142161793.html Archived 2012-03-15 at the Wayback Machine
  19. ^ Kertscher, Tom (2012-03-25). "GOP Wisconsin State Senator Says a study shows that children who live with a biological parent and the parent's boyfriend or girlfriend "have a 20 times greater chance of being sexually abused."". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  20. ^ "Legislator wants to relax puppy mill law". 28 July 2011.
  21. ^ "GOP lawmaker circulates bill to ease regulations on dog breeders". 27 July 2011.
  22. ^ "Hands on Wisconsin: Puppy Mills, open for business?". August 2011.
  23. ^ Johnston, Tracey. "Newsletter - November 2010" (PDF). Dog Federation of Wisconsin. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  24. ^ Whitcomb, Rachael (July 1, 2011). "Wisconsin puppy-mills laws spur unintended consequences". DVM Newsmagazine. Archived from the original on 24 September 2011. Retrieved 23 November 2012.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  25. ^ Pridemore, Don (26 February 2024). "Pridemore campaign: The newly formed 98th Wisconsin Assembly District". WISPolitics. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  26. ^ "2024 Wisconsin State Assembly Primary Election Results" (PDF). Wisconsin Elections Commission. August 27, 2024.
  27. ^ Rep Don Pridemore Launches Run For State Superintendent
  28. ^ Tony Evers Wins State Superintendent Defeats Pridemore[permanent dead link‍]
  29. ^ Steffes, Judy (15 January 2021). "Don Pridemore to remain on February primary ballot for race in State Senate District 13". Washington County Insider. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  30. ^ "Democrats file complaint over comment on superintendent candidate".
  31. ^ "Democrats persist with allegation that Pridemore used his office for politics". Archived from the original on 2011-07-11. Retrieved 2010-01-24.
Wisconsin State Assembly
Preceded by Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the 99th district
January 3, 2005 – January 7, 2013 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the 22nd district
January 7, 2013 – January 5, 2015 		Succeeded by