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Alberta Darling
Alberta Darling (Republican Party) was a member of the Wisconsin State Senate, representing District 8. She assumed office in 1993. She left office on December 1, 2022.
Darling (Republican Party) ran for re-election to the Wisconsin State Senate to represent District 8. She won in the general election on November 3, 2020.
Darling served in the Wisconsin State Assembly from 1990 to 1993. She joined the chamber by winning a special election in 1990. She served the remainder of the term and a full two-year term in the Wisconsin State Assembly before being elected to the state senate in 1992.
She retired from the state Senate on December 1, 2022.[1]
Biography
Darling received a B.S. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1966. Before she was elected to political office, Darling was a marketing director.[2]
Darling was born in Hammond, Indiana.
Committee assignments
Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at: editor@ballotpedia.org.
2021-2022
Darling was assigned to the following committees:
- Joint Legislative Council Committee
- Joint Survey Committee on Retirement Systems
- Senate Education Committee, Chair
- Elections, Election Process Reform and Ethics Committee, Vice Chair
- Judiciary and Public Safety Committee
- Universities and Technical Colleges Committee
2019-2020
Darling was assigned to the following committees:
- Employment Relations Committee
- Joint Legislative Audit Committee
- Joint Finance Committee, Co-Chair
- Joint Legislative Council Committee
- Senate Education Committee, Vice-Chair
- Senate Finance Committee, Chair
- Judiciary and Public Safety Committee
- Universities, Technical Colleges, Children and Families Committee
2017 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:
| Wisconsin committee assignments, 2017 |
|---|
| • Economic Development, Commerce, and Local Government |
| • Education, Vice chair |
| • Finance, Chair |
| • Employment Relations |
| • Joint Finance, Co-chair |
| • Joint Legislative Audit |
| • Joint Legislative Council |
2015 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Darling served on the following committees:
| Wisconsin committee assignments, 2015 |
|---|
| • Education, Vice Chair |
| • Finance, Chair |
| • Economic Development and Commerce |
| • Employment Relations |
| • Joint Finance, Co-Chair |
| • Joint Legislative Audit |
| • Joint Legislative Council |
2013-2014
At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Darling served on the following committees:
| Wisconsin committee assignments, 2013 |
|---|
| • Education |
| • Finance, Chair |
| • Workforce Development, Forestry, Mining, and Revenue, Vice Chair |
| • Employment Relations |
| • Joint Finance, Co-chair |
| • Joint Legislative Audit |
| • Joint Legislative Council |
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Darling served on the following committees:
| Wisconsin committee assignments, 2011 |
|---|
| • Audit |
| • Economic Development and Veterans and Military Affairs |
| • Education |
| • Employment Relations |
| • Finance, Chair |
| • Joint Finance, Co-Chair |
| • Joint Legislative Council |
2009-2010
In the 2009-2010 legislative session, Darling served on the following committees:
| Wisconsin committee assignments, 2009 |
|---|
| • Public Health, Human Services, and Revenue |
| • Economic Development |
| • Employment Relations |
| • Joint Finance |
| • Joint Legislative Council |
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
2020
See also: Wisconsin State Senate elections, 2020
General election
General election for Wisconsin State Senate District 8
Incumbent Alberta Darling defeated Neal Plotkin in the general election for Wisconsin State Senate District 8 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Alberta Darling (R) | 54.2 | 64,906 |
 | Neal Plotkin (D)  | 45.7 | 54,693 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 67 | ||
| Total votes: 119,666 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Wisconsin State Senate District 8
Neal Plotkin advanced from the Democratic primary for Wisconsin State Senate District 8 on August 11, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Neal Plotkin | 99.9 | 17,569 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 14 | ||
| Total votes: 17,583 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Frank Bryson (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Wisconsin State Senate District 8
Incumbent Alberta Darling advanced from the Republican primary for Wisconsin State Senate District 8 on August 11, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Alberta Darling | 99.5 | 16,172 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.5 | 74 | ||
| Total votes: 16,246 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Jeremy Somers (R)
Campaign finance
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 Alberta Darling ran unopposed in the Wisconsin State Senate District 8 general election.[3][4]
| Wisconsin State Senate, District 8 General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Alberta Darling Incumbent (unopposed) |
100.00% | 77,331 | |
| Total Votes | 77,331 | |||
| Source: Wisconsin Elections Commission | ||||
Incumbent Alberta Darling ran unopposed in the Wisconsin State Senate District 8 Republican primary.[5][6]
| Wisconsin State Senate, District 8 Republican Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Republican | Alberta Darling Incumbent (unopposed) | |
2012
Darling won re-election in the 2012 election for Wisconsin State Senate, District 8. Darling was unopposed in the Republican primary on August 14th and the general election which took place on November 6, 2012.[7][8]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Alberta Darling Incumbent |
95.6% | 76,402 | |
| Write-In | Beth L. Lueck | 0.6% | 453 | |
| - | Scattering | 3.9% | 3,079 | |
| Total Votes | 79,934 | |||
2011 recall
Darling defeated Sandy Pasch in a recall election held August 9, 2011.
The Democratic Party of Wisconsin began a recall campaign targeting Darling and 7 of her Republican colleagues in the Wisconsin State Senate in March 2011.[9] About 30,000 signatures to recall Darling were filed on April 21, 2011.[10] On May 31 the GAB upheld some of the challenges to the petition, but ultimately gave the go ahead for a recall election.[11]
Opponents
Democratic Assemblywoman Sandy Pasch ran against Darling. The Government Accountability Board (GAB) officially certified the recall election on June 3, setting the primary on July 12, and the recall election August 9.[12]
The recall would have been held on July 12, but Gladys Huber, a longtime Republican supporter, ran as a protest candidate, necessitating a Democratic primary between herself and Pasch.
Nicholas Brehm had filed to run as a "placeholder" Democrat, but did not take the final step to be on the ballot. Following the news that all six "fake" Democrats had turned in their final paperwork to get on the ballot to the GAB, the Democratic Party of Wisconsin announced that it would not be running their placeholder candidates in the recalls as they were no longer necessary. Party Chair Mike Tate explained, "The goal of the placeholder candidacies was to create an insurance policy against further Republican attempts to exploit the recall election schedule through dirty tricks and cynical plots."[13]
| July 12 Democratic primary[14] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
Sandy Pasch 
|
21,657 | 64.13% | ||
| Gladys Huber | 11,865 | 35.14% | ||
| Scattering | 246 | 0.73% | ||
- Nicholas Brehm Note: Brehm filed nomination papers with sufficient signatures but did not file final papers to be on the ballot.
Darling narrowly defeated Pasch in the August 9 recall.
| August 9 Recall - District 8[15] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
| Alberta Darling (R)
|
39,449 | 53.62% | ||
| Sandy Pasch (D) | 34,071 | 46.31% | ||
| Scattering | 56 | .08% | ||
2008
On November 4, 2008, Alberta Darling won re-election to the Wisconsin State Senate, District 8.[16]
Alberta Darling raised $534,408 for her campaign, while Sheldon Wasserman raised $543,953.[17]
| Wisconsin State Senate, District 8 (2008) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Alberta Darling (R)
|
50,125 | |||
| Sheldon Wasserman | 49,118 | |||
Campaign themes
2020
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Alberta Darling did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
2012
Darling's website highlighted the following campaign themes:
- Education is her main focus. She has advocated things such as a strong curriculum and good learning environments.
- Promotes improved child care, especially for at-risk children.
- Has passed legislation to provide greater protection against sexual predators and abusive clergy.
- Supports lower taxes and government spending caps.
- Supports exempting social security from the state income tax and tax breaks for senior citizens.
- Supports environmental preservation
- Supports hunting and fishing rights
- Supports campaign finance reform
- Supports more accessible and affordable health care with an emphasis on wellness and prevention
- Supports job creation and small business development
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.
Endorsements
Presidential preference
2012
Alberta Darling endorsed Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential election.[18]
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.
2022
In 2022, the Wisconsin State Legislature was in session from January 18 to March 8.
- Legislators are scored on whether they voted for or against MMAC's position.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on small business issues.
- Legislators are scored on their stances on conservation issues.
- 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."
- Legislators are scored on their votes on industry-specific legislation.
- Legislators are scored on their votes by the Wisconsin Professional Police Association on legislation related to Wisconsin's law enforcement community.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental issues.
2021
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show]. |
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In 2021, the Wisconsin State Legislature was in session from January 4 to December 31.
|
2020
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2020, click [show]. |
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In 2020, the Wisconsin State Legislature was in session from January 14 to May 13.
|
2019
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2019, click [show]. |
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In 2019, the Wisconsin State Legislature was in session from January 7, 2019 through January 13, 2020.
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2018
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2018, click [show]. |
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In 2018, the Wisconsin State Legislature was in session from January 16 through March 27. Special sessions were held from January 1 through February 27 and from March 15 through March 29.
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2017
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show]. |
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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.
|
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.
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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.
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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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See also
2020 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Urban Milwaukee, "Sen. Alberta Darling Is Retiring," November 26, 2022
- ↑ 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
- ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "Candidate Tracking by Office," accessed June 20, 2016
- ↑ 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
- ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Recall beat gets hot; anti-Darling group files signatures," April 21, 2011
- ↑ Times-Union, "GAB green-lights recall efforts against Darling," May 31, 2011
- ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "Recall of Senator Alberta Darling Certificate of Sufficiency and Order," June 3, 2011
- ↑ WisPolitics, "WisDems: Dems to end placeholder candidacies in recall elections," June 17, 2011
- ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "July 12 Primary Election Results District 8," accessed August 11, 2011
- ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "District 8 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
- ↑ Mitt Romney for President, "Mitt Romney Announces Wisconsin Endorsements," March 26, 2012
- ↑ 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
- ↑ Wisconsin Family Action, "2015-2016 legislative scorecard," accessed May 31, 2017
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
Wisconsin State Senate District 8 1993-2022 |
Succeeded by Daniel Knodl (R) |
| Preceded by - |
Wisconsin State Assembly 1990-1993 |
Succeeded by - |
