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Tom Palzewicz
Tom Palzewicz (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Wisconsin State Senate to represent District 5. He lost in the Democratic primary on August 9, 2022.
Palzewicz was a candidate for Wisconsin's 5th Congressional District in the U.S. House. Palzewicz lost the general election on November 6, 2018, after advancing from the primary on August 14, 2018.
Biography
Tom Palzewicz was born in Brown Deer, Wisconsin. Palzewicz received his bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1990. His professional experience includes working as a business coach and small business owner. Palzewicz served in the United States Navy from 1982 to 1988.[1]
Elections
2022
See also: Wisconsin State Senate elections, 2022
General election
General election for Wisconsin State Senate District 5
Rob Hutton defeated Jessica Katzenmeyer in the general election for Wisconsin State Senate District 5 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Rob Hutton (R) | 53.2 | 49,025 |
 | Jessica Katzenmeyer (D) | 46.7 | 42,962 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 97 | ||
| Total votes: 92,084 | |||
 = 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 Senate District 5
Jessica Katzenmeyer defeated Tom Palzewicz in the Democratic primary for Wisconsin State Senate District 5 on August 9, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jessica Katzenmeyer | 54.2 | 9,086 |
 | Tom Palzewicz | 45.7 | 7,651 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 15 | ||
| Total votes: 16,752 | |||
| = 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 Senate District 5
Rob Hutton advanced from the Republican primary for Wisconsin State Senate District 5 on August 9, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Rob Hutton | 99.4 | 20,714 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.6 | 124 | ||
| Total votes: 20,838 | |||
| = 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
2020
See also: Wisconsin's 5th Congressional District election, 2020
Wisconsin's 5th Congressional District election, 2020 (August 11 Republican primary)
Wisconsin's 5th Congressional District election, 2020 (August 11 Democratic primary)
General election
General election for U.S. House Wisconsin District 5
Scott Fitzgerald defeated Tom Palzewicz in the general election for U.S. House Wisconsin District 5 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Scott Fitzgerald (R) | 60.1 | 265,434 |
| Tom Palzewicz (D) | 39.8 | 175,902 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 263 | ||
| Total votes: 441,599 | |||
| = 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 U.S. House Wisconsin District 5
Tom Palzewicz advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Wisconsin District 5 on August 11, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Tom Palzewicz | 99.9 | 43,710 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 49 | ||
| Total votes: 43,759 | |||
| = 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 U.S. House Wisconsin District 5
Scott Fitzgerald defeated Clifford DeTemple in the Republican primary for U.S. House Wisconsin District 5 on August 11, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Scott Fitzgerald | 77.2 | 60,676 |
 | Clifford DeTemple | 22.7 | 17,829 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 63 | ||
| Total votes: 78,568 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Endorsements
To view Tom Palzewicz's endorsements in the 2020 election, please click here.
2018
General election
General election for U.S. House Wisconsin District 5
Incumbent F. James Sensenbrenner defeated Tom Palzewicz in the general election for U.S. House Wisconsin District 5 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | F. James Sensenbrenner (R) | 62.0 | 225,619 |
| Tom Palzewicz (D) | 38.0 | 138,385 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.0 | 1 | ||
| Total votes: 364,005 | |||
| = 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
- Kris Riley (Independent)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Wisconsin District 5
Tom Palzewicz advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Wisconsin District 5 on August 14, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Tom Palzewicz | 100.0 | 43,192 |
| Total votes: 43,192 | |||
| = 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
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Wisconsin District 5
Incumbent F. James Sensenbrenner defeated Jennifer Vipond in the Republican primary for U.S. House Wisconsin District 5 on August 14, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | F. James Sensenbrenner | 81.2 | 73,397 |
 | Jennifer Vipond | 18.8 | 17,011 | |
| Total votes: 90,408 | |||
| = 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 themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Tom Palzewicz did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
2020
Tom Palzewicz completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Palzewicz's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
| Collapse all
- Bring Integrity Back to Politics
- Servant Leadership
- A New Way Forward
2. Common-sense Gun Control
3. Climate Change
4. An Economy for All
5. The Student Loan Crisis
6. Reinvigorating the Rural Economy
7. Investing in Teachers and Students
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
2018
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Tom Palzewicz completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Palzewicz's responses.
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
My main priorities for my first term in office will include moving towards universal healthcare, fixing our broken education system, and reducing the negative effects of climate change. Fulfilling these priorities will be no easy task, but I have always been one to step up when there's a need for leadership. After serving six years in the Navy and running my own small business I know what it takes to get the job done. Too many of us don't have insurance or simply cannot afford it. The costs of prescription medication, basic tests and visiting a doctor are simply too high for way too many American families. Meanwhile, our healthcare system is one of the most expensive in the world. Since we spend so much on healthcare, shouldn't we be the healthiest country in the world with the best patient outcomes? Unfortunately, this is not the case. In my view, access to affordable, quality healthcare is a fundamental human right, not a privilege. We should work towards universal coverage for all Americans. Our nation is facing an educational crisis. States continue to cut real funding for both K-12 schools and public universities and technical colleges. The Trump administration is waging an all-out war on our schools, threatening our future with policies that seek to undermine our entire public education system. Wisconsin's ranking for investment in education is sinking. We have to reverse this trend. Our public education system needs to be strengthened and protected. This means that we have to adequately fund our K-12 education system and work to solve the student debt loan crisis. Climate change is the greatest challenge of our time. But, as I've always said, the world's greatest challenges create the world's greatest opportunities. We owe it to our children to fix our mistakes and leave our beautiful planet in better shape than we found it. We can do this by first recommitting to the Paris Climate Agreement because America should be a leader in solving the issue of climate change. Then we ought to shift our focus to research in to renewable energy and working towards achieving 100% renewable energy by 2050.
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
I'm running for Congress because we need to create an economy that doesn't just work for a few Americans but instead gives everyone a chance at achieving the American dream. First and foremost, we need a Medicare for All system for healthcare that ensures every American can be healthy and live to their fullest potential. Healthcare should be a right for everyone in this country, to ensure that every member of our society is able to achieve their own American dream without fear of bankruptcy or death. I also believe we need to ensure all of us can earn a liveable wage, because too many Americans are still working two or three jobs in order to support their families. We also must fix our broken education system to ensure that future generations of Americans are able to get good-paying jobs. This means we must lower debt for college graduates and fully fund our public school systems. This country is built on the idea that every single one of us is entitled to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Our country is going down a dark path and we have to decide who we are as Americans. Are we the country of opportunity, equality, and democracy, or are we a society that works only for the richest amongst us to everyone else's detriment.
Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?
Theodore Roosevelt is someone I greatly admire. His dedication to reforming civil service ensured that public servants were chosen for their merits and helped insulate civil service and many federal programs from political whims. As someone who enjoys the outdoors and is dedicated to protecting our environment, his work in conservation and jumpstarting our National Parks System is inspiring. Roosevelt was someone with deep progressive beliefs who put his leadership skills to work for the betterment of all Americans, and his actions have shaped this country for the better.
What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?
I'm a small business owner and Navy veteran challenging a 40-year incumbent to bring responsible leadership back to Wisconsin's 5th congressional district. After serving on a nuclear submarine in the Navy, I spent 15 years in risk management for banks, and as Treasurer of the mortgage division at a major bank, my foresight helped that Institution avoid participating in the risky lending that led to the 2008 crash. I then started my own small business helping other local small businesses create good-paying jobs, including more than 1,000 in the last two years. I believes in servant leadership, and I believes in Wisconsin.
What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?
The most important responsibility for a member of the House of Representatives is to not only listen to their constituents, but to work for them as well. This means that representatives must be willing to work across the aisle and be willing to cross party votes in order to get things done for the people of their district. This is something that has been completely absent from the Wisconsin's fifth Congressional district. Representative Jim Sensenbrenner has lost touch with his constituents and no longer represents their best interests. I'm running to change that.
What process do you favor for redistricting?
Being from Wisconsin, I know the negative implications that gerrymandering can have on a thriving democracy. My opponent has been in office for 40 years mostly because Wisconsin's 5th Congressional District has been drawn in a way that makes it one of the most republican districts in the country. I don't believe that those elected to public office should be able to draw their own district lines. People should be elected on ideas, and re-elected on results. In too many parts of our country, that's not the case. I favor a redistricting process similar to the one used in Iowa. The state of Iowa created a nonpartisan board to work on legislative districts give the people of Iowa fair and competitive maps. It's been working pretty well in Iowa and I think it's a similar model that could work for the rest of the country.
What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?
Partisan gridlock is not only the greatest challenges of our lifetime, but it is one of the biggest threats to our republic as a whole. Politicians are more concerned about aligning party and special interests rather than voting for what they think is right. We have to elect leaders that are more concerned with passing legislation that helps their constituents. When elected, I will be determined to work across the aisle with my fellow legislators and pass meaningful legislation that helps the people of WIsconsin's fifth Congressional district.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Palzewicz submitted the following answer to the question, "What is your political philosophy?" through Ballotpedia’s biographical information submission form:
| “ | I'm running for Congress to help more Americans achieve the American Dream
I want to bring bipartisan common sense solutions to Congress and get our government back to working for the people. [2] |
” |
| —Tom Palzewicz | ||
See also
2022 Elections
External links
|
Candidate Wisconsin State Senate District 5 |
Personal |
Footnotes
