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Don Pridemore

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Don Pridemore
Image of Don Pridemore
Prior offices
Wisconsin State Assembly District 22

Elections and appointments
Last election

August 13, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

Marquette University

Contact

Don Pridemore (Republican Party) was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing District 22. He assumed office in 2005. He left office in 2015.

Pridemore (Republican Party) ran for election to the Wisconsin State Assembly to represent District 98. He lost in the Republican primary on August 13, 2024.

Biography

Pridemore holds a degree in electrical engineering from Marquette University. He served in the United States Air Force and has worked as an electronics design engineer, electronics research technician, and senior electronics project engineer.[1]

Committee assignments

2015 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Pridemore served on the following committees:

2013-2014

At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Pridemore served on the following committees:

2011-2012

During the 2011-2012 legislative session, Pridemore served on these committees:

2009-2010

During the 2009-2010 legislative session, Pridemore served on these committees:

Issues

Legislation sponsored in 2009 includes:

  • AB-336 Health care facility, health care provider, or employee of: liability from immunity for reporting violation of law or certain standards, unprofessional conduct, or negligence in patient care; confidentiality of patient health care records provision
  • AB-359 Married couple with Wisconsin adjusted gross income under certain amount: refundable individual income tax credit created

For a full listing of sponsored legislation and details see the House site.

Elections

2024

See also: Wisconsin State Assembly elections, 2024

General election

General election for Wisconsin State Assembly District 98

Jim Piwowarczyk defeated Del Schmechel in the general election for Wisconsin State Assembly District 98 on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Jim Piwowarczyk
Jim Piwowarczyk (R)
 
71.1
 
28,823
Del Schmechel (D)
 
28.8
 
11,698
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.1
 
30

Total votes: 40,551
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Wisconsin State Assembly District 98

Del Schmechel advanced from the Democratic primary for Wisconsin State Assembly District 98 on August 13, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Del Schmechel
 
99.9
 
3,932
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.1
 
2

Total votes: 3,934
Candidate Connection = 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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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Wisconsin State Assembly District 98

Jim Piwowarczyk defeated Don Pridemore in the Republican primary for Wisconsin State Assembly District 98 on August 13, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Jim Piwowarczyk
Jim Piwowarczyk
 
65.1
 
7,583
Image of Don Pridemore
Don Pridemore
 
34.7
 
4,044
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.2
 
18

Total votes: 11,645
Candidate Connection = 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.

Campaign finance

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Pridemore in this election.

2021

See also: Wisconsin state legislative special elections, 2021

General election

Special general election for Wisconsin State Senate District 13

John Jagler defeated Melissa Winker, Spencer Zimmerman, Ben Schmitz, and Don Pridemore in the special general election for Wisconsin State Senate District 13 on April 6, 2021.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of John Jagler
John Jagler (R)
 
51.0
 
19,125
Image of Melissa Winker
Melissa Winker (D)
 
43.6
 
16,364
Image of Spencer Zimmerman
Spencer Zimmerman (Trump Conservative Party)
 
4.5
 
1,702
Image of Ben Schmitz
Ben Schmitz (American Solidarity Party) Candidate Connection
 
0.5
 
194
Image of Don Pridemore
Don Pridemore (R) (Write-in)
 
0.2
 
85
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.1
 
41

Total votes: 37,511
Candidate Connection = 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.

Democratic primary election

Special Democratic primary for Wisconsin State Senate District 13

Melissa Winker advanced from the special Democratic primary for Wisconsin State Senate District 13 on February 16, 2021.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Melissa Winker
Melissa Winker
 
100.0
 
4,552
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.0
 
1

Total votes: 4,553
Candidate Connection = 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.

Republican primary election

Special Republican primary for Wisconsin State Senate District 13

John Jagler defeated Don Pridemore and Todd Menzel in the special Republican primary for Wisconsin State Senate District 13 on February 16, 2021.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of John Jagler
John Jagler
 
57.0
 
6,034
Image of Don Pridemore
Don Pridemore
 
31.6
 
3,343
Image of Todd Menzel
Todd Menzel
 
11.4
 
1,204
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.0
 
3

Total votes: 10,584
Candidate Connection = 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

2017

Following his loss in the 2013 race for Wisconsin Superintendent of Public Instruction, Pridemore announced he would consider running again for the position in 2017 if no other conservatives step up.[2]

2013

See also: Wisconsin state executive official elections, 2013

Pridemore was a 2013 candidate for the nonpartisan statewide position of Wisconsin Superintendent of Public Instruction.[3] The incumbent, Tony Evers, ran for re-election. Unlike previous elections where multiple individuals filed to run, Pridemore was the only challenger to submit the necessary signatures required to appear on the ballot before the, thus negating the need for the scheduled February 19, 2013, primary election. Evers and Pridemore, a Republican member of the State House since 2005, instead faced off in the general election on April 2, 2013, which Evers won.[4][5][6]

  • General election
Wisconsin Superintendent of Public Instruction General Election, 2013
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Nonpartisan Green check mark transparent.pngTony Evers Incumbent 61.1% 487,030
     Nonpartisan Don Pridemore 38.7% 308,050
     Scattering Various 0.2% 1,431
Total Votes 796,511
Election Results via Wisconsin Government Accountability Board (dead link).


Debates

With less than three weeks to go until the election, incumbent state superintendent Tony Evers and Pridemore faced off on March 13, 2013, at a meeting of the Wisconsin Association of School Boards in Madison. The race, which is nonpartisan, had focused on education proposals put forth by Gov. Scott Walker (R) in his budget plan.[7]

Pridemore supports Walker's plan to expand the use of vouchers in the state while not increasing public school spending. Meanwhile Evers, who was first elected in 2009, opposes both measures and wants to increase spending by $225 per student.[8]

Pridemore said budgets are tight and schools should not expect more money. "A lot of these common core standards really started with international standards. Now, why should we be beholden to some worldwide organization that's just trying to dumb down America," he stated.[9]

Regarding school safety, Pridemore proposed allowing schools to have armed volunteers to provide security, which Evers said risks turning schools into the "wild west." While presenting a stark contrast in most of their views, the two did agree in their opposition to Walker's proposal to create a separate school board to oversee charter schools.[10]

Money in the campaign

On March 25, 2013, one week before the election, The Associated Press reported that incumbent Tony Evers' re-campaign had spent almost $210,000 since January, and will end the campaign with about $40,000 cash on hand.[11] These figures reflect the most recent campaign finance reports filed by the candidates' committees with the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. The latest report lists contributions and spending from Jan 1-March 18. According to the AP report, Pridemore's last filing, covering Jan. 1-Feb 4., showed him spending under $20,000, a significantly lower sum than his opponent. However the lion's share of Evers' spending occurred between Feb. 5 and March 18, therefore it is difficult to assess the candidates' comparative financial standing heading into the April 2 election without Pridemore's updated financial summary. The report also said Pridemore raised $2,400 and had $33,400 on hand as of Feb. 4, 2013.

2012

See also: Wisconsin State Assembly elections, 2012

Pridemore won re-election in the 2012 election for Wisconsin State Assembly District 22. Pridemore defeated Nick Oliver in the Republican primary on August 14 and was unopposed in the general election on November 6, 2012.[12][13]

Wisconsin State Assembly, District 22, General Election, 2012
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngDon Pridemore Incumbent 98.6% 23,817
     Scattering 1.4% 348
Total Votes 24,165
Wisconsin State Assembly, District 22 Republican Primary, 2012
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngDon Pridemore Incumbent 83.2% 8,290
Nick Oliver 16.8% 1,675
Total Votes 9,965

2010

See also: Wisconsin State Assembly elections, 2010

Pridemore was re-elected to Wisconsin State Assembly District 99. He defeated Democrat Tom Hibbard in the general election on November 2, 2010. He defeated Republicans Jim Batzko and Scott Henke in the September 14, 2010, primary election. [14]

Wisconsin State Assembly, District 99 General Election (2010)
Candidates Votes
Green check mark transparent.png Don Pridemore (R) 22,355
Tom Hibbard (D) 6,518
Wisconsin State Assembly, District 1 Republican Primary (2010)
Candidates Votes Percent
Green check mark transparent.png Don Pridemore (R) 7,618 57.65%
Scott M. Henke (R) 3,164 23.94%
Jim Batzko (R) 2,427 18.37%

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Don Pridemore did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

2021

Don Pridemore did not complete Ballotpedia's 2021 Candidate Connection survey.

2013

Pridemore's priorities for the Department of Public Instruction, if elected, include empowering local school boards and administrators to supersede teachers unions as the controlling forces behind state public schools, with the help of Act 10, and placing more emphasis on public schools and conservative style teaching, instead of "choice" schools, or charter schools, to meet the demands of the real world labor force. “There are so many jobs available where the kids coming out of tech schools and high schools don’t have the skills that match those jobs,” he said. “We need to make more connection with the actual world,” he told the Portage Daily Register in March 2013.[15]

Pridemore's website highlighted the following campaign themes:[16]

  • Local Control:

"It is time to get the power and the money out of Madison and back to the local schools. We spend over 500 million dollars per year on special programs. School districts should be allowed to spend that money where they decide it would be most beneficial."

  • School Boards:

“School boards should be given the freedom to hire or allow a competent, well trained school official or employee who is experienced with returning force whenever force is required. Police officers, either retired or still on duty, who are trained to respond to school safety situations are the best example of such a qualified person."

  • Virtual Schools:

"There can be no doubt that online learning presents the greatest opportunity to take education to the next level for all Americans. Access to specialized instruction that was out of reach 10 years ago is now only a click of the mouse away. We must allow technology and education to come together."

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.


Don Pridemore campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2024* Wisconsin State Assembly District 98Lost primary$1,175 $3,970
2021Wisconsin State Senate District 13Lost general$145,176 $95,743
2012Wisconsin State Assembly, District 22Won $62,131 N/A**
2010Wisconsin State Assembly, District 99Won $18,883 N/A**
2008Wisconsin State Assembly, District 99Won $15,310 N/A**
2006Wisconsin State Assembly, District 99Won $16,495 N/A**
2004Wisconsin State Assembly, District 99Won $6,928 N/A**
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Noteworthy events

Blacklisted reporters

On March 17, 2013, the Associated Press reported that a memo from Pridemore's campaign contained the names of five members of the press who had been blacklisted, along with their affiliated media outlets, for exhibiting what Pridemore considers "liberal bias." The memo was turned over to the AP by one of the blacklisted reporters, Jack Craver, from The Capital Times. The memo said: "If the reporter requests an interview, they must submit their questions in a written form and they will receive a written response to only those questions we want to respond to. These are all LIBERAL's and have chosen to parse words, phrases and spin my responses to fit their agendas. If they continue to spin our written responses, they will be ignored in the future." It further instructed that campaign staffers record and track all interactions with blacklisted reporters on a spreadsheet. The memo did not provide specific examples for the biased reporting that led to Craver's and the others' shunning by the campaign.[17]

Personal

Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Pridemore is a member of the Erin Park Board, American Legion, Hartford Lions, Hartford Area Taxpayers Association, National Rifle Association (NRA), Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Washington County Republican Party, and Waukesha County Republican Party.[18]

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in Wisconsin

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.









2014

In 2014, the Wisconsin State Legislature was in session from January 14 through June 4.

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 votes on bills related to labor policy.
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 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.

2013


2012

See also


External links

Footnotes

  1. The Greendale Patch, "Election Preview: State Superintendent of Schools," March 22, 2013 (dead link)
  2. WisPolitics, "Pridemore still open to another DPI run in 2017," May 4, 2013
  3. /page/candidates_registered_4_2_2013_spring_election_1__81844.PDF Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "Candidate List-Spring 2013 Elections," accessed January 2, 2013 (dead link)
  4. Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "Candidate List-Spring 2013 Elections," accessed January 2, 2013 (dead link)
  5. Green Bay Press Gazette, "State Superintendent Supreme Court Justice will face challenges," accessed January 8, 2013
  6. WTAQ, "State public school superintendent candidates take jabs at each other," accessed January 8, 2013
  7. Walworth County Today, "Wisconsin superintendent candidates to debate," March 12, 2013 (dead link)
  8. Twin Cities, "Wisconsin: Evers, Pridemore clash in education superintendent debate," March 13, 2013
  9. WXOW, "Evers, Pridemore clash in superintendent debate," March 13, 2013
  10. Wisconsin Radio Network, "Stark contrast in state superintendent race," March 13, 2013
  11. nbc15.com, "Superintendent Candidate Evers Spends over 200 Thousand Dollars on Re-election Campaign," March 25, 2013
  12. Government Accountability Board, "2012 Fall Partisan Primary," accessed May 5, 2014
  13. Government Accountability Board, "2012 Fall General Election," accessed May 5, 2014
  14. Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "Official 2010 Primary election results," accessed April 25, 2014 (dead link)
  15. Portage Daily Register, "Pridemore: Take control of education from union," March 8, 2013
  16. Pridemore for Wisconsin, "Issues," accessed March 12, 2013
  17. The Republic, "GOP education superintendent candidate's campaign blacklists 5 Wisconsin reporters," March 17, 2013
  18. Project Vote Smart, "Biography," accessed May 5, 2014

Political offices
Preceded by
-
Wisconsin State Assembly District 22
2005-2015
Succeeded by
-


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