Kitty Rhoades
American politician (1951–2016)
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Kitty Rhoades (née Richie) (April 7, 1951 – June 18, 2016) was an American politician. She served as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, where she represented the 30th district, before serving as Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
Kitty Rhoades | |
|---|---|
| Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services | |
| In office February 22, 2013 – June 18, 2016 | |
| Governor | Scott Walker |
| Preceded by | Dennis Smith |
| Succeeded by | Linda Seemeyer |
| Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the 30th district | |
| In office January 4, 1999 – January 3, 2011 | |
| Preceded by | Sheila Harsdorf |
| Succeeded by | Dean Knudson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Kitty Richie April 7, 1951 Hudson, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Died | June 18, 2016 (aged 64) Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Alma mater | University of Wisconsin–River Falls (BA) Illinois State University (MEd) |
Early life and education
Born in Hudson, Wisconsin, Rhoades received a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin–River Falls and a master's degree in education from Illinois State University.
Career
Rhoades worked as an educator, small business owner, and consultant. In 1998, she was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly as a Republican.[1]
In the 1990s, Rhoades proposed the term Winnesota to describe Wisconsin's St. Croix and Pierce Counties, which border Minnesota and are within the U.S. Census Bureau's Minneapolis-Saint Paul Metropolitan Area. According to Rhoades, "I still call my area Winnesota. We are in Wisconsin, but it sure is hard to remember it."[2]
Rhoades retired from the state Assembly in 2010,[3] and took a position with the administration of then-Governor Scott Walker in 2011 as Deputy Secretary of the Department of Health Services.[4] In February 2013, following the resignation of Dennis Smith, she was appointed Secretary.[5][6]
Death
Rhoades died on June 18, 2016, in Madison, Wisconsin from pneumonia.[7][8]
Electoral history
Wisconsin State Assembly (1998–2008)
| Year | Election | Date | Elected | Defeated | Total | Plurality | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Primary[9] | Sep. 8 | Kitty Rhoades | Republican | 2,788 | 68.25% | Jay Griggs | Rep. | 1,297 | 31.75% | 4,085 | 1,491 |
| General[10] | Nov. 3 | Kitty Rhoades | Republican | 9,755 | 57.29% | James R. Johnson | Dem. | 7,272 | 42.71% | 17,027 | 2,483 | |
| 2000 | General[11] | Nov. 7 | Kitty Rhoades (inc) | Republican | 17,303 | 62.76% | Laurie J. Lundgaard | Dem. | 10,247 | 37.17% | 27,568 | 7,056 |
| 2002 | General[12] | Nov. 5 | Kitty Rhoades (inc) | Republican | 12,563 | 69.01% | Bob Feickert | Dem. | 5,635 | 30.95% | 18,205 | 6,928 |
| 2004 | General[13] | Nov. 2 | Kitty Rhoades (inc) | Republican | 20,540 | 61.09% | Tom Parent | Dem. | 13,071 | 38.87% | 33,624 | 7,469 |
| 2006 | General[14] | Nov. 7 | Kitty Rhoades (inc) | Republican | 12,790 | 57.40% | Dan Gorman | Dem. | 9,479 | 42.54% | 22,282 | 3,311 |
| 2008 | Primary[15] | Sep. 9 | Kitty Rhoades (inc) | Republican | 2,432 | 86.70% | Bob Hughes | Rep. | 372 | 13.26% | 2,805 | 2,060 |
| General[16] | Nov. 4 | Kitty Rhoades (inc) | Republican | 19,729 | 54.74% | Sarah A. Bruch | Dem. | 16,278 | 45.17% | 36,041 | 3,451 | |