Fred Risser

Risser was born in Madison, Wisconsin on May 5, 1927^[1] into a prolific Wisconsin political family. Risser's father (Fred E. Risser), grandfather (Ernest Warner), and great-grandfather (Clement Warner) were all Wisconsin legislators representing part or all of Dane County, although none were Democrats.^[2] Risser's father was a member of the State Senate for 12 years.^[3]

Risser served in the United States Navy during World War II from 1945 to 1946.^[4] He was sworn into the Navy shortly before his high school graduation and Victory in Europe Day. He was a medic and served in Newport, Rhode Island, and the Panama Canal Zone.^[5]

Risser used the G.I. Bill to attend college, attending the University of Wisconsin–Madison and Carleton College before transferring to the University of Oregon. He received a Bachelor of Arts from Oregon in 1950 and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Oregon School of Law in 1952. Risser became a member of the State Bar of Wisconsin and the Oregon State Bar and practiced law in Wisconsin.^[5][6]

A Democrat,^[7] Risser served for six years in the Wisconsin Assembly (1957–1963) and 58 years in the Wisconsin Senate (1963–2021).^[7][3] He represented most of the city of Madison, including the campus of the University of Wisconsin–Madison.^[8]

By 2019, Risser was the only World War II veteran serving as a state legislator in the United States.^[9] At the time of his 2021 retirement, Risser was the longest-tenured state legislator in the history of the United States.^[7][3] He is known as a progressive,^[10][11] and has passed legislation allowing contraceptives to be sold to unmarried persons and banning smoking in indoor establishments.^[12] Risser has never lost an election.^{[8][dead link]}

Risser was first elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1956, succeeding fellow Democrat Ivan A. Nestingen (who had resigned in April of that year after he was elected mayor of Madison). He was re-elected in 1958 and 1960. Risser left the Assembly in 1963^[3] after being elected to the state Senate in 1962. He was succeeded in the Wisconsin Assembly by fellow Democrat Edward Nager.^[1]

Risser was elected to the state Senate in a 1962 special election triggered by the appointment of Horace W. Wilkie to the Wisconsin Supreme Court.^[1] He was elected to a full term in 1964 and was reelected every four years until his retirement.^{[5][failed verification]} He rose through the ranks quickly, becoming the minority leader in 1967^[1] due to his intense study of parliamentary procedure.^[2] After the Democrats gained the Senate majority in the 1974 election, Risser was elected as president pro tempore beginning in the 1975 session. He continued as president pro tempore until a state constitutional amendment in 1979 separated the offices of Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin and President of the Senate. When the amendment was certified on May 1, 1979, Risser was elected president of the Senate and the office of president pro tempore became defunct for a number of years. Risser held the office of president of the Senate continuously for the next 16 years, until Democrats lost the majority in the 1994 election. He was returned to the office of president every time the Democrats held the majority in the subsequent 20 years.^{[8][dead link]} Risser served as Senate Majority Leader for 25 years.^[13]

During the 2011 protests in Wisconsin, Risser, along with the 13 other Democratic State Senators, left the state to deny the State Senate a quorum on Governor Scott Walker's "Budget Repair" legislation.^[14][12]

On March 26, 2020, Risser announced that he would not run for re-election in November 2020.^[15][16][17] He left office in 2021 at the age of 93.^[7]

Risser was a delegate to both the 1960 Democratic National Convention and the 1964 Democratic National Convention. He served as chair of Wisconsin's presidential electors during the 1964 presidential election.^[1]