Become part of the movement for unbiased, accessible election information. Donate today.
Don Pridemore
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:
| Wisconsin committee assignments, 2015 |
|---|
| • Veterans and Military Affairs |
2013-2014
At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Pridemore served on the following committees:
| Wisconsin committee assignments, 2013 |
|---|
| • Campaigns and Elections, Vice Chair |
| • Education |
| • Urban Education, Chair |
| • Veterans |
| • Workforce Development |
2011-2012
During the 2011-2012 legislative session, Pridemore served on these committees:
| Wisconsin committee assignments, 2011 |
|---|
| • Children and Families, Chair |
| • Colleges and Universities |
| • Education |
| • Elections and Campaign Reform |
| • Personal Privacy |
2009-2010
During the 2009-2010 legislative session, Pridemore served on these committees:
| Wisconsin committee assignments, 2009 |
|---|
| • Energy and Utilities |
| • Jobs, the Economy and Small Business |
| • Judiciary and Ethics |
| • Tax Exemptions |
Issues
Sponsored legislation
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 | ||
| ✔ |  | 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 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
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 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
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 | ||
| ✔ | | Jim Piwowarczyk | 65.1 | 7,583 |
 | Don Pridemore | 34.7 | 4,044 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.2 | 18 | ||
| Total votes: 11,645 | |||
| = 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 | ||
| ✔ |  | John Jagler (R) | 51.0 | 19,125 |
 | Melissa Winker (D) | 43.6 | 16,364 | |
 | Spencer Zimmerman (Trump Conservative Party) | 4.5 | 1,702 | |
 | Ben Schmitz (American Solidarity Party) | 0.5 | 194 | |
| Don Pridemore (R) (Write-in) | 0.2 | 85 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 41 | ||
| Total votes: 37,511 | |||
| = 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 | ||
| ✔ | | Melissa Winker | 100.0 | 4,552 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.0 | 1 | ||
| Total votes: 4,553 | |||
| = 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 | ||
| ✔ | | John Jagler | 57.0 | 6,034 |
| Don Pridemore | 31.6 | 3,343 | |
 | Todd Menzel | 11.4 | 1,204 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.0 | 3 | ||
| Total votes: 10,584 | |||
| = 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
- Andrew Dickmann (R)
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
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 |  Tony 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]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Don Pridemore Incumbent |
98.6% | 23,817 | |
| – | Scattering | 1.4% | 348 | |
| Total Votes | 24,165 | |||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Don 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 | |||
| Don Pridemore (R)
|
22,355 | |||
| Tom Hibbard (D) | 6,518 | |||
| Wisconsin State Assembly, District 1 Republican Primary (2010) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
| 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.
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
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.
- Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce: 2013-2014 voting record
- Legislators are scored on whether they voted for or against MMAC's position.
- National Federation of Independent Business in Wisconsin: 2013-2014 legislative voting record
- Legislators are scored on their votes on small business issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to labor policy.
- Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters: 2013-2014 scorecard
- Legislators are scored on their stances on conservation issues.
- Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce: 2013-2014 voting record
- Legislators are scored on their votes on legislation WMC deemed as "most important issues for the business community."
- Wisconsin Professional Police Association: 2013-2014 report card
- Legislators are scored on their votes by the Wisconsin Professional Police Association on legislation related to Wisconsin's law enforcement community.
- Wisconsin Sierra Club: 2013-2014 scorecard
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental issues.
2013
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2013, click [show]. |
|---|
|
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]. |
|---|
|
In 2012, the Wisconsin State Legislature was in session from January 10 through March 16.
|
See also
2024 Elections
External links
|
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ The Greendale Patch, "Election Preview: State Superintendent of Schools," March 22, 2013 (dead link)
- ↑ WisPolitics, "Pridemore still open to another DPI run in 2017," May 4, 2013
- ↑ /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)
- ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "Candidate List-Spring 2013 Elections," accessed January 2, 2013 (dead link)
- ↑ Green Bay Press Gazette, "State Superintendent Supreme Court Justice will face challenges," accessed January 8, 2013
- ↑ WTAQ, "State public school superintendent candidates take jabs at each other," accessed January 8, 2013
- ↑ Walworth County Today, "Wisconsin superintendent candidates to debate," March 12, 2013 (dead link)
- ↑ Twin Cities, "Wisconsin: Evers, Pridemore clash in education superintendent debate," March 13, 2013
- ↑ WXOW, "Evers, Pridemore clash in superintendent debate," March 13, 2013
- ↑ Wisconsin Radio Network, "Stark contrast in state superintendent race," March 13, 2013
- ↑ nbc15.com, "Superintendent Candidate Evers Spends over 200 Thousand Dollars on Re-election Campaign," March 25, 2013
- ↑ Government Accountability Board, "2012 Fall Partisan Primary," accessed May 5, 2014
- ↑ Government Accountability Board, "2012 Fall General Election," accessed May 5, 2014
- ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "Official 2010 Primary election results," accessed April 25, 2014 (dead link)
- ↑ Portage Daily Register, "Pridemore: Take control of education from union," March 8, 2013
- ↑ Pridemore for Wisconsin, "Issues," accessed March 12, 2013
- ↑ The Republic, "GOP education superintendent candidate's campaign blacklists 5 Wisconsin reporters," March 17, 2013
- ↑ Project Vote Smart, "Biography," accessed May 5, 2014
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
Wisconsin State Assembly District 22 2005-2015 |
Succeeded by - |
