Alice Clausing
Alice Clausing (born June 7, 1944) is an American Democratic politician and educator from Port Washington, Wisconsin. She was a member of the Wisconsin State Senate, representing Wisconsin's 10th Senate district from 1993 until 2001.[1]
Alice Clausing | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Wisconsin Senate from the 10th district | |
| In office January 4, 1993 – January 1, 2001 | |
| Preceded by | William Berndt |
| Succeeded by | Sheila Harsdorf |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 7, 1944 Port Washington, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Howard |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, University of Wisconsin-Stout |
| Occupation | Educator, politician |
Early life and career
Clausing was born on June 7, 1944, in Port Washington, Wisconsin. She graduated from Port Washington High School in 1962. She is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and the University of Wisconsin-Stout. She was an educator and landlord of rental properties. She married Howard F. Clausing, also from Port Washington, in 1966 and their two children were born in the city as well.
In 1989 Clausing had been teaching her children how to swim at the local lake when she noticed the abnormal level of algae in the water, caused by Phosphorus pollution. As a response, she began engaging in activism to clean up the lake, gathering 3,500 signatures to petition the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to reform various regulations surrounding pollution. When the legislation to reform the rules was put to a vote, William "Bill" Berndt voted against the amendment, killing the bill. In response to the end of that piece of legislation, Clausing announced her campaign to unseat Berndt and did so in the 1992 Senate elections.[2] After her election, the rule change was successfully passed
State Senate
Clausing was first elected to the Senate in 1992. She would serve as a member from 1993 until 2001, after she was defeated for re-election in 2000 by Sheila Harsdorf. In 2004, Clausing was an unsuccessful candidate in the Democratic primary for her former Senate seat.[3]
At the time of her election, Clausing had been the third Democrat to represent the district in the 20th century.
Running for re-election in 2000, Clausing faced a difficult race. Millions of dollars were being spent in races like hers, as control of the state senate would play a role in which party would direct the redistricting process in Wisconsin for the next decade.[4]
References
- ^ "Historical Essay - Clausing, Alice 1944". Wisconsin Historical Society. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
- ^ Lyons, Barbara (October 30, 2000). "'Clean the Green' propelled Clausing to Senate". The Chippewa Herald. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
- ^ "Clausing, Alice". Our Campaigns.com. Retrieved 2011-11-17.
- ^ Babington, Charles (October 30, 2000). "Big Spending on Statehouse Races to Sway Redistricting". Washington Post. Retrieved October 4, 2024.