Sheila Harsdorf
Sheila Harsdorf (b. July 25, 1956) is a former secretary of agriculture, trade, and consumer protection of Wisconsin. She was appointed to the position by Gov. Scott Walker (R) in November 2017 and served until December 2018. She succeeded Interim Secretary Jeff Lyon.[1]
She is a former Republican member of the Wisconsin Senate, representing District 10 from 2001 to 2017. Harsdorf resigned from the state Senate effective November 10, 2017, after being appointed as Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.[1]
Harsdorf served in the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing District 30 from 1989 to 1999.
Biography
Harsdorf earned a B.S. in animal science from the University of Minnesota. Harsdorf's professional experience includes being a dairy farmer and loan officer for Production Credit Association.[2]
She survived a recall attempt in 2011.
Committee assignments
2017 legislative session
October 26, 2017: Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker last month signed legislation authorizing a $2.85 billion incentive package to encourage Foxconn to locate facilities in the state. Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Middleton, characterized the package as “a total environmental giveaway by the state of Wisconsin." In contrast, Sen. Sheila Harsdorf, R-River Falls, asserted that “no changes have been made to air, water and waste-related standards.”
Is Harsdorf correct?
Read Ballotpedia's fact check »
At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:
| Wisconsin committee assignments, 2017 |
|---|
| • Agriculture, Small Business, and Tourism |
| • Finance |
| • Public Benefits, Licensing, and State-Federal Relations, Vice chair |
| • Universities and Technical Colleges, Chair |
| • Information Policy and Technology, Co-chair |
| • Joint Finance |
2015 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Harsdorf served on the following committees:
| Wisconsin committee assignments, 2015 |
|---|
| • Agriculture, Small Business, and Tourism |
| • Universities and Technical Colleges, Chair |
| • Finance |
| • Education Reform and Government Operations, Vice-Chair |
| • Joint Finance |
| • Information Policy and Technology, Co-Chair |
2013-2014
At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Harsdorf served on the following committees:
| Wisconsin committee assignments, 2013 |
|---|
| • Agriculture, Small Business, and Tourism |
| • Energy, Consumer Protection, and Government Reform |
| • Finance |
| • Universities and Technical Colleges, Chair |
| • Joint Finance |
| • Information Policy and Technology, Co-chair |
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Harsdorf served on the following committees:
| Wisconsin committee assignments, 2011 |
|---|
| • Agriculture, Forestry, and Higher Education, Chair |
| • Finance |
| • Information Policy and Technology, Co-Chair |
| • State and Federal Relations and Information Technology, Chair |
2009-2010
In the 2009-2010 legislative session, Harsdorf served on the following committees:
| Wisconsin committee assignments, 2009 |
|---|
| • Agriculture and Higher Education |
| • Commerce, Utilities, Energy, and Rail |
| • Financial Institutions and Rural Issues |
| • Joint Finance |
Campaign themes
2012
Harsdorf's website highlighted the following campaign themes:
- Against cutting educational funding to fix the state deficit
- Supports the Clean Sweep program for disposing of hazardous chemicals
- Opposed to changing tort reform laws
- Supports annual audits of environmental management systems through the Green Tier program
- Job creation is a focus
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Elections
2016
- See also: Wisconsin State Senate elections, 2016
Elections for the Wisconsin State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election took place on August 9, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was June 1, 2016.
Incumbent Sheila Harsdorf defeated Diane Odeen in the Wisconsin State Senate District 10 general election.[3][4]
| Wisconsin State Senate, District 10 General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Sheila Harsdorf Incumbent |
63.22% | 56,496 | |
| Democratic | Diane Odeen | 36.78% | 32,863 | |
| Total Votes | 89,359 | |||
| Source: Wisconsin Elections Commission | ||||
Diane Odeen ran unopposed in the Wisconsin State Senate District 10 Democratic primary.[5][6]
| Wisconsin State Senate, District 10 Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Democratic | Diane Odeen (unopposed) | |
Incumbent Sheila Harsdorf ran unopposed in the Wisconsin State Senate District 10 Republican primary.[5][6]
| Wisconsin State Senate, District 10 Republican Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Republican | Sheila Harsdorf Incumbent (unopposed) | |
2012
Harsdorf won re-election to the Wisconsin State Senate, District 10. She ran unopposed in the August 14th primary and defeated Daniel Olson (D) in the general election, which took place on November 6, 2012.[7][8]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Daniel Olson | 40.7% | 35,728 | |
| Republican | Sheila Harsdorf Incumbent |
59.2% | 51,911 | |
| - | Scattering | 0.1% | 95 | |
| Total Votes | 87,734 | |||
2011 recall
Harsdorf successfully defeated a recall attempt against her in 2011.
The Democratic Party of Wisconsin began a recall campaign targeting Harsdorf and 7 of her Republican colleagues in the Wisconsin State Senate in March 2011.[9] On April 19, 2011, the committee to recall Harsdorf filed more than 23,000 signatures with election officials.[10]
In early May the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board verified the petitions had enough signatures to force a recall. On May 31, the GAB threw out most of the challenges to the petition, giving the go ahead for a recall election.[11]
Opponents
Democrat Shelly Moore ran against Harsdorf. The GAB officially certified the recall election on June 3, setting the election for July 12. However, since multiple candidates filed, a primary was held July 12 with the recall election on August 9.[12]
Isaac Weix, a Republican supporter, ran as a protest candidate in order to necessitate a Democratic primary between himself and Moore.
| July 12 Democratic primary[13] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
Shelly Moore 
|
19,300 | 53.98% | ||
| Isaac Weix | 16,029 | 44.83% | ||
| Scattering | 427 | 1.19% | ||
Harsdorf defeated Moore in the August 9 recall.
| August 9 Recall - District 10[14] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
| Sheila Harsdorf (R)
|
37,102 | 57.6% | ||
| Shelly Moore (D) | 27,257 | 42.32% | ||
| Scattering | 52 | .08% | ||
Senator Harsdorf campaign commercial |
2008
On November 4, 2008, Sheila Harsdorf won re-election to the Wisconsin State Senate, District 10.[15]
Sheila Harsdorf raised $204,770 for her campaign, while Alison Page raised $163,773.[16]
| Wisconsin State Senate, District 10 (2008) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Sheila Harsdorf (R)
|
55,816 | |||
| Alison Page | 43,041 | |||
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Harsdorf and her husband, Vern Bailey, have one child.[2]
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Wisconsin scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2017
In 2017, the Wisconsin State Legislature was in session from January 3 through December 31. There were also special sessions. The first special session was January 5. The second special session was August 1 through September 15.
- Legislators are scored on whether they voted for or against MMAC's position.
- National Federation of Independent Business in Wisconsin: 2016 legislative voting record
- Legislators are scored on their votes on small business issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to labor policy.
- Wisconsin Family Action: 2017-2018 legislative scorecard
- Legislators are scored by the Wisconsin Family Action on their votes on legislation related to "marriage, family, the sanctity of human life, or religious freedom."[17]
- Legislators are scored on their stances on conservation issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on legislation WMC deemed as "most important issues for the business community."
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental issues.
2016
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show]. |
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In 2016, the Wisconsin State Legislature was in session from January 12 through March 15.
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2015
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2015, click [show]. |
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In 2015, the Wisconsin State Legislature was in session from January 5 through December 31.
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2014
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2014, click [show]. |
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In 2014, the Wisconsin State Legislature was in session from January 14 through June 4.
|
2013
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2013, click [show]. |
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In 2013, the Wisconsin State Legislature was in session from January 7 to December 31.
|
2012
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2012, click [show]. |
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In 2012, the Wisconsin State Legislature was in session from January 10 through March 16.
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Recent news
This section displays the most recent stories in a Google News search for the term "Sheila + Harsdorf + Wisconsin + Senate"
- All stories may not be relevant to this legislator due to the nature of the search engine.
See also
| Wisconsin | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
|---|---|---|
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External links
- Profile from Open States
- Legislative Profile from Project Vote Smart
- Biography from Project Vote Smart
- Campaign contributions: 2012, 2011, 2010, 2008, 2006, 2004, 2002, 2000, 1998
- Stand with Sheila on Twitter
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Fox 6 Now, "“I am honored:” Governor Scott Walker appoints Sen. Sheila Harsdorf as Agriculture head," November 10, 2017
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Project Vote Smart, "Biography," accessed May 5, 2014
- ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "Candidates on Ballot by Election - 2016 General Election - 11/8/2016," accessed November 4, 2016
- ↑ Wisconsin Elections Commission, "2016 Fall General Election Results," accessed December 2, 2016
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "Candidate Tracking by Office," accessed June 20, 2016
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Wisconsin Elections and Ethics Commissions, "2016 Partisan Primary," accessed September 16, 2016
- ↑ Government Accountability Board, "2012 Fall Partisan Primary," accessed May 5, 2014
- ↑ Government Accountability Board, "2012 Fall General Election," accessed May 5, 2014
- ↑ AOL News, "Wisconsin Election Recall Reality Check," February 23, 2011
- ↑ Associated Press, "Petition filed to recall 4th GOP Wisconsin senator," April 19, 2011
- ↑ 620 WTMJ, "GAB gives go-ahead for Harsdorf recall election," May 31, 2011
- ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "Recall of Senator Sheila Harsdorf Certificate of Sufficiency and Order," June 3, 2011
- ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board "July 12 Primary Election Results District 10," accessed August 11, 2011
- ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "District 10 Recall Election Results," accessed August 19, 2011
- ↑ Government Accountability Board, "Wisconsin State Election Results," accessed May 5, 2014
- ↑ Follow the Money, "2008 contributions," accessed May 5, 2014
- ↑ Wisconsin Family Action, "2015-2016 legislative scorecard," accessed May 31, 2017
- ↑ Wisconsin Family Action, "2015-2016 legislative scorecard," accessed May 31, 2017
- ↑ Wisconsin Family Action, "2015-2016 legislative scorecard," accessed May 31, 2017
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Alice Clausing |
Wisconsin State Senate District 10 2000–2017 |
Succeeded by Patty Schachtner |
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Jeff Lyon |
Wisconsin Secretary of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection 2017–2018 |
Succeeded by Randy Romanski |
