Rebecca Kleefisch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rebecca Kleefisch
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Kleefisch in 2013
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| 44th Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin | |
| In office January 3, 2011 – January 7, 2019 |
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| Governor | Scott Walker |
| Preceded by | Barbara Lawton |
| Succeeded by | Mandela Barnes |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Rebecca Ann Reed
August 7, 1975 Pontiac, Michigan, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Joel Kleefisch |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | University of Wisconsin, Madison (BA) |
Rebecca Ann Kleefisch was born on August 7, 1975. She is an American politician and was once a television reporter. She served as the 44th Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin from 2011 to 2019. She is a member of the Republican Party.
Rebecca Kleefisch was elected Lieutenant Governor on November 2, 2010. She ran alongside Governor Scott Walker. They worked together for eight years. In 2018, they lost their bid for a third term. Kleefisch also ran for Governor of Wisconsin in 2022. She lost the Republican nomination to Tim Michels.
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Early Life and Career
Rebecca Ann Reed was born in Pontiac, Michigan. Her family later moved to Ohio. There, she won the Miss Ohio Teen USA title in 1994. She competed in the national Miss Teen USA 1994 pageant.
Kleefisch studied at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. After college, she became a reporter for WIFR-TV in Rockford, Illinois. Later, she worked for WISN-TV in Milwaukee. She was a reporter and then a morning anchor. She left television in 2004. After that, she started her own company, Rebecca Kleefisch Enterprises. She also contributed to a radio program on WTMJ Radio.
Political Views
Rebecca Kleefisch has shared her views on several important topics.
Marriage Rights
Kleefisch has shown support for same-sex marriage. She has said her views have changed over time. In 2010, she made comments that she later called a "poor choice of words." By 2022, she stated that her opinion had changed. She said that "gay marriage will be legal when I am governor of Wisconsin."
Health Care
Kleefisch does not support the Affordable Care Act (ACA). She has supported efforts to end this law. She has called the ACA "an abomination."
Other Important Views
Kleefisch has spoken about Wisconsin's tax system. She has criticized the state's progressive income tax. She promised "transformational income tax reform" if she became governor. She also suggested removing taxes on retirement income.
She is open to the idea of paid family leave. She believes it is important for parents to have time to bond with their babies.
In 2009, Kleefisch said there was "no consensus" that people caused climate change.
She has also talked about the recall process for elected officials. In 2012, she faced a recall election herself. She argued that recalls should only be for serious wrongdoing. However, in 2021, she supported the recall of school district officials over policy disagreements. In 2022, she suggested changing how elections are managed in Wisconsin.
In 2020, she praised Donald Trump's trade policies. She also supported his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. After the 2020 United States presidential election, she supported questions about the election results.
In 2021, she called for a ban on sanctuary cities. She also wanted to ban the teaching of critical race theory in public schools.
Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin
Rebecca Kleefisch's husband, Joel Kleefisch, was already a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly. Rebecca's own political career began when she ran for Lieutenant Governor in 2010. During her campaign, she reached out to conservative radio hosts and Tea Party groups. She also appealed to social conservatives. She even circulated a flyer saying she would rely on her faith in Jesus if elected.
In the primary election, she won against four other candidates. This included Brett Davis, who was favored by the Republican candidate for governor, Scott Walker. In November 2010, she was elected as Walker's running mate.
Kleefisch served as Lieutenant Governor for eight years with Governor Walker. They both played a big part in supporting a large financial package for Foxconn.
In 2018, Kleefisch made a claim about her campaign opponent, Mandela Barnes. She said he was kneeling during the U.S. national anthem protests at the Wisconsin State Fair. She later apologized for this statement.
2012 Recall Election
After a disagreement about collective bargaining in 2011, an effort began to recall Governor Walker and Lieutenant Governor Kleefisch. Many people signed petitions to hold a recall election. On June 5, 2012, voters decided to keep Walker and Kleefisch in office. Rebecca Kleefisch is the only lieutenant governor in U.S. history to face a recall election and remain in office.
After Being Lieutenant Governor
In January 2019, Kleefisch was appointed to lead the Women's Suffrage Centennial Commission. She worked there until November 2019. Then, she became a Jobs Ambassador for Associated Builders and Contractors of Wisconsin. In this role, she helps promote jobs in skilled construction trades.
2022 Campaign for Governor
In September 2021, Kleefisch announced she would run for the Republican nomination for Governor of Wisconsin. She compared herself to Donald Trump. She started her campaign by criticizing the current Democratic Governor, Tony Evers. She also spoke about his response to the 2020 Kenosha unrest.
In October 2021, she told Republicans they needed to "hire mercenaries" and do "ballot harvesting" to help her win. (She has also called for banning ballot harvesting.) In November 2021, she claimed that a vaccine rule for poll workers was meant to stop Republicans from working at polling places. Kleefisch also sued the Wisconsin Elections Commission. She claimed they broke the law during the 2020 election.
During her campaign, Kleefisch first said that Biden won the 2020 election. But by early 2022, she did not take a clear position. In April 2022, Kleefisch said the election was "rigged." However, she also said that changing the results of the 2020 election in Wisconsin was "not constitutionally possible."
Former Governor Walker supported Kleefisch months before the primary election. She was seen as the main candidate. However, her opponent, Tim Michels, gained support from Donald Trump and former Governor Tommy Thompson. Kleefisch lost the primary election to Michels. Michels then lost the general election to Governor Evers.
Personal Life
Rebecca Kleefisch is married to Joel Kleefisch. He was also a reporter for WISN-TV and a former State Representative. They have two daughters. The family used to live in Oconomowoc. They were members of Crosspoint Community Church, a large church in Oconomowoc. After losing her re-election, Kleefisch and her family moved to Concord, Wisconsin.
In August 2010, Kleefisch was diagnosed with colon cancer. She had a tumor removed in September 2010. She finished her chemotherapy treatment by April 2011.
Images for kids
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Kleefisch in 2013
See also
- List of female lieutenant governors in the United States
