Louise M. Tesmer

Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Tesmer graduated from Bay View High School. She then received her bachelor's degree from University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee in 1964 and went on to earn her J.D. from University of Wisconsin Law School in 1967.

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Even before graduating from law school she ran for her first public office. At age 23, she was elected municipal court judge in the Milwaukee suburb of St. Francis in the 1966 spring election.^[1][2] After graduating from law school, she was hired as an assistant district attorney for Milwaukee County, which was her primary employment until her election to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1972.^[3]

In 1972, Tesmer announced she would launch a primary challenge against 24-year incumbent U.S. Congressman Clement J. Zablocki. Tesmer established a platform on opposition to the Vietnam War and support for progressive tax reform. She asserted that Zablocki had been too supportive of President Richard Nixon's war policies, and had lost touch with the needs of his constituents.^[4][5] Tesmer withdrew her candidacy, however, when another "peace" candidate—Grant Waldo—announced he would enter the race against Zablocki.^[6]

Instead, Tesmer launched a primary challenge against 12-year incumbent Democratic state representative John E. McCormick, in the newly drawn 19th State Assembly district. Before the primary, however, McCormick was granted a judicial appointment and quit the race.^[7] Tesmer ultimately faced five other candidates in the primary for the now-open seat. In the September primary, she prevailed with 45% of the six-way vote and went on to take nearly 70% of the general election vote over Republican Ebner Luetzow.^[8] She went on to win reelection 8 times, serving until 1989.

During her time in the Assembly, Tesmer served as chairperson of the Assembly Committee on Financial Institutions and Insurance (1987–1989) and was a member of the Judiciary Committee for her entire time in the legislature. She was also elected Speaker pro tempore (then referred to as "Deputy Speaker") by her caucus for the 1981–1982 session of the legislature, becoming the first woman to serve in the Assembly leadership.^[9][10]

In 1989, Tesmer entered the race for Milwaukee County's newest branch of the Wisconsin circuit courts. In a crowded seven-person nonpartisan primary, she prevailed again with 38%, and went on to win the April election with 63%.^[11] Two of her former primary opponents in the election—Daniel L. Konkol and Robert Crawford—would later go on to serve as circuit court judges.^[1] She was reelected in 1995 and retired at the end of her second term in 2001.^[1] As of 2021, she continues to serve as a reserve judge in the 1st judicial administrative district.^[12]

Tesmer appeared on the popular television gameshow What's My Line? in 1966, with Betty White and Allen Ludden as guest panelists.^[13]

Wisconsin Assembly, 19th district (1972–1980)

More information Year, Election ...

Year	Election	Date	Elected				Defeated				Total	Plurality
1972[8]	Primary	September 12	Louise M. Tesmer	Democratic	2,566	45.06%	Dennis J. Klazura	Dem.	1,074	18.86%	5,695	1,492
							Robert E. McCormick	Dem.	806	14.15%
							David R. Zepecki	Dem.	720	12.64%
							Daniel M. Rozeski	Dem.	468	8.22%
							Matthew S. Chutich	Dem.	61	1.07%
	General	November 7	Louise M. Tesmer	Democratic	13,202	69.35%	Ebner H. Luetzow	Rep.	5,834	30.65%	19,036	7,368
1974[14]	Primary	September 10	Louise M. Tesmer (inc.)	Democratic	3,276	83.57%	Richard R. Matthews	Dem.	644	16.43%	3,920	2,632
	General	November 5	Louise M. Tesmer (inc.)	Democratic	9,237	100.0%					9,237	9,237
1976[15]	Primary	September 14	Louise M. Tesmer (inc.)	Democratic	3,709	62.81%	Ralph Voltner	Dem.	1,257	21.29%	5,905	2,452
							Ronald L. Tessmer	Dem.	939	15.90%
	General	November 2	Louise M. Tesmer (inc.)	Democratic	15,220	100.0%					15,220	15,220
1978[16]	Primary	September 12	Louise M. Tesmer (inc.)	Democratic	3,239	62.98%	Carole Ewald	Dem.	894	17.38%	5,143	2,345
							Charles J. Lacke	Dem.	634	12.33%
							Thomas Brennan	Dem.	376	7.31%
	General	November 7	Louise M. Tesmer (inc.)	Democratic	10,006	71.34%	Fred L. McCabe II	Rep.	4,019	28.66%	14,025	5,987
1980[17]	General	November 4	Louise M. Tesmer (inc.)	Democratic	13,295	70.54%	John J. Mackey	Rep.	5,552	29.46%	18,847	7,743

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Wisconsin Assembly, 1st district (1982)

More information Year, Election ...

Year	Election	Date	Elected				Defeated				Total	Plurality
1982[18]	Primary	September 14	Louise M. Tesmer	Democratic	4,582	58.70%	Phillip J. Tuczynski	Dem.	3,224	41.30%	7,806	1,358
	General	November 2	Louise M. Tesmer	Democratic	13,103	83.95%	William A. Rinnemaki	Rep.	2,223	14.24%	15,608	10,880
							Elaine Bergstrom	Lib.	282	1.81%

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Wisconsin Assembly, 19th district (1984–1988)

More information Year, Election ...

Year	Election	Date	Elected				Defeated				Total	Plurality
1984[19]	General	November 6	Louise M. Tesmer	Democratic	16,147	75.23%	Douglas D. Haag	Rep.	5,316	24.77%	21,463	10,831
1986[20]	General	November 4	Louise M. Tesmer (inc.)	Democratic	10,198	69.48%	Douglas D. Haag	Rep.	4,480	30.52%	14,678	5,718
1988[21]	General	November 8	Louise M. Tesmer (inc.)	Democratic	15,731	78.32%	Douglas D. Haag	Rep.	4,354	21.68%	20,085	11,377

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Wisconsin Circuit Court (1989, 1995)

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Wisconsin Circuit Court, Milwaukee Circuit, Branch 40 Election, 1989^[11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
Nonpartisan Primary, February 21, 1989
	Nonpartisan	Louise M. Tesmer	17,148	38.40%
	Nonpartisan	Sheila M. Parrish	5,741	12.85%
	Nonpartisan	Daniel L. Konkol	5,286	11.84%
	Nonpartisan	Anthony J. Machi	5,275	11.81%
	Nonpartisan	James F. Blask	4,576	10.25%
	Nonpartisan	David M. Kaiser	3,646	8.16%
	Nonpartisan	Robert Crawford	2,990	6.69%
Total votes			44,662	100.0%
General Election, April 4, 1989
	Nonpartisan	Louise M. Tesmer	78,586	63.77%
	Nonpartisan	Sheila M. Parrish	44,642	36.23%
Plurality			33,944	27.55%
Total votes			123,228	100.0%

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