Jennifer Shilling

Jennifer Shilling (née Ehlenfeldt; born July 4, 1969) is an American Democratic politician, lobbyist, and former state legislator. She was a member of the Wisconsin State Senate for nine years and was senate minority leader from 2015 to 2020. She previously served 10 years in the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing the city of La Crosse and La Crosse County.[3][4]

Jennifer Shilling
Wisconsin Senate Minority Leader
In office
January 5, 2015 – April 24, 2020
Preceded byChris Larson
Succeeded byJanet Bewley
Member of the Wisconsin Senate
from the 32nd district
In office
August 25, 2011 – May 15, 2020
Preceded byDan Kapanke
Succeeded byBrad Pfaff
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
from the 95th district
In office
January 3, 2001 – August 25, 2011
Preceded byMark Meyer
Succeeded byJill Billings
Personal details
Born
Jennifer Ehlenfeldt

(1969-07-04) July 4, 1969
Oshkosh, Wisconsin, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)
Chris Shilling
​
(m. 2000)​
[1]
Children2[2]
EducationUniversity of Wisconsin-La Crosse (BA)

Background

Shilling was born Jennifer Ehlenfeldt on July 4, 1969, in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, to Richard and Lynn Ehlenfeldt. She graduated from Buffalo Grove High School in Buffalo Grove, Illinois.[5] She served as a La Crosse County Supervisor from 1990 to 1992,[6] and earned a joint B.A. in political science and public administration at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, graduating in 1992. Prior to being elected to the State Assembly, she worked as a legislative aide for Democratic United States Representative Ron Kind and later for State Representative Mark Meyer.

During her first week of work as an aide for Meyer, on January 8, 1993, Shilling's parents and five employees were murdered at the family's restaurant in Palatine, Illinois, during a robbery-murder now known as the Brown's Chicken massacre. Both of Shilling's younger sisters were also scheduled to be at the restaurant that night, but happened not to be present at the time of the killing.[7]

State Assembly

In 2000, Ehlenfeldt was elected to succeed her boss, Mark Meyer, in the 95th Assembly District (Meyer was making a successful bid for the State Senate). She won her primary election with ease and won the general election with 13,789 votes to 11,530 for Republican nominee Deb Suchla. Subsequent to the November election, she married and changed her name to Jennifer Shilling. She was assigned to the Assembly's standing committees on financial institutions, health, insurance and personal privacy, as well as the Legislative Advisory Committee to the Wisconsin-Minnesota Boundary Commission.[8]

In the meantime, Shilling graduated from the Bowhay Institute on Legislative Leadership Development and the Citizen's Police Academy in La Crosse. In addition, she was also a member of the Wisconsin Technology Council Board of Directors.[9] In 2001, she was selected to participate in the American Council of Young Political Leaders delegation to the Philippines, and in 2002 was the commencement speaker for graduation ceremonies at UW–La Crosse.[10]

Re-elected in 2002, she remained on the financial institutions, health and insurance committees, and was also assigned to the committees on colleges and universities, and on highway safety.[11] In 2008, running unopposed, Shilling won 97% of the vote.[12]

State Senate

On April 9, 2011, Shilling formally announced her intention to run in the Senate recall election against Republican Dan Kapanke.[13] That summer, she defeated him in the recall election winning 55% of the vote, and took office August 26, 2011.[14]

In March 2012, Bill Feehan, a La Crosse businessman and county board supervisor, announced that he would run against Shilling in the 2012 general election.[15] In the newly redistricted district, Shilling took over 58% of the vote, with 51,091 votes to Feehan's 36,527.[16]

In 2014, Shilling was elected Senate Minority Leader by fellow Democrats.[3] Her top priorities include increasing spending on education, both at the K-12 and college level.[17]

Shilling was reelected in the November 2016 election.

In 2020, Shilling announced she would step down as Minority Leader and would not seek re-election in 2020.[18] On May 15, 2020, Shilling resigned from the Wisconsin Senate.[19]

After the senate

Shilling announced after her senate resignation in 2020 that she would go to work as a lobbyist for Dairyland Power Cooperative—a La Crosse-based energy generation and transmission cooperative.[20]


References
  1. Kent, Joan (June 12, 2005). "Jennifer Shilling: A legislator with a tragic past and a bright future". La Crosse Tribune. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  2. "Senator Jennifer Shilling". Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  3. John Davis (November 20, 2014). "New State Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling". Wisconsin Public Radio. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  4. Reilly, Briana (April 24, 2020). "Wisconsin Senate Democrats choose Janet Bewley as new minority leader". The Capital Times. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
  5. "Jennifer Shilling". Wisconsin Historical Society. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  6. "Jennifer Shilling for State Senate". Jennifershilling.com. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  7. Jungen, Anne (January 31, 2011). "Shilling to share story of survival after parents killed". La Crosse Tribune. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  8. Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. "State of Wisconsin 2001-2002 Blue Book Madison: Joint Committee on Legislative Organization, Wisconsin Legislature, 2001. pp. 85, 928, 931.
  9. "Representative Jennifer Shilling". Legis.wisconsin.gov. Retrieved July 13, 2011.
  10. "Representative Jennifer Shilling". Legis.state.wi.us. Archived from the original on October 26, 2008. Retrieved July 13, 2011.
  11. Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. "State of Wisconsin 2003-2004 Blue Book Madison: Joint Committee on Legislative Organization, Wisconsin Legislature, 2003; pp. 83, 924.
  12. La Crosse County Clerk. Official Canvass La Crosse County Wisconsin November 4 2008 General Election.
  13. Geri Parlin (April 11, 2011). "Shilling: We need leaders to stand up to the governor". La Crosse Tribune. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  14. "2 Dems who won recalls to take oaths of office next week". Madison.com. Lee Enterprises. Associated Press. August 18, 2011. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  15. Hubbuch, Chris (March 6, 2012). "La Crosse County GOP head announces state Senate run". La Crosse Tribune. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  16. Wisconsin Vote (October 1, 2013). ""State Senate District 32 - General" wisconsinvotes.org; November 7, 2012". Wisconsinvote.org. Retrieved October 13, 2013.
  17. "Sen. Shilling ready for her role as Minority Leader". January 6, 2015. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  18. Reilly, Briana (April 21, 2020). "Wisconsin Senate Democratic leadership up in the air as Shilling prepares to step down Friday". The Capital Times. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
  19. Former Wisconsin Senate minority leader Shilling quits Legislature
  20. Associated Press (June 1, 2020). "Former Democratic Leader Shilling Takes Lobbying Job With Dairyland Power Cooperative". Wisconsin Public Radio. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
Wisconsin State Assembly
Preceded by
Mark Meyer		 Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the 95th district
January 3, 2001 – August 25, 2011		 Succeeded by
Jill Billings
Wisconsin State Senate
Preceded by
Dan Kapanke		 Member of the Wisconsin Senate from the 32nd district
August 25, 2011 – May 15, 2020		 Succeeded by
Brad Pfaff
Preceded by
Chris Larson		 Minority Leader of the Wisconsin Senate
January 5, 2015 – April 24, 2020		 Succeeded by
Janet Bewley
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