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 (born August 7, 1975) is an American politician and former television reporter. She served as the 44th Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin from 2011 to 2019. She is a member of the Republican Party.
She was first elected as Lieutenant Governor on November 2, 2010. She ran alongside Governor Scott Walker. They were re-elected in 2014 but lost their bid for a third term in 2018. In 2022, Kleefisch ran for Governor of Wisconsin but did not win the Republican nomination.
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Early Life and Career
Rebecca Ann Reed was born in Pontiac, Michigan. Her family later moved to Ohio. In 1994, she won the Miss Ohio Teen USA title. She competed in the national Miss Teen USA 1994 pageant but did not place.
Kleefisch graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She worked as a reporter for WIFR-TV in Rockford, Illinois. Later, she became a reporter and morning anchor for WISN-TV in Milwaukee. 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 and Stances
Rebecca Kleefisch has shared her views on several important topics.
Views on Health Care
Kleefisch has spoken against the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This is a law about health insurance in the United States. She has supported efforts to cancel this law. She has called the ACA "an abomination."
Views on Taxes and Family Leave
Kleefisch has criticized Wisconsin's current tax system. She has suggested making big changes to income taxes if she were governor. She also mentioned possibly removing taxes on retirement income.
She is open to the idea of paid family leave. This means parents could get paid time off to care for new babies. She believes it is important for parents to bond with their children.
Views on Climate Change
In 2009, Kleefisch stated that there was "no consensus that people have caused climate change." This means she questioned whether human actions were the main cause of global warming.
Views on Elections and Recalls
In 2012, Kleefisch faced a recall election. She said that recall elections should only be for serious wrongdoing. She felt they should not be used for disagreements over policies. However, in 2021, she supported a recall election for school board members over policy issues. In 2022, she suggested changing how elections are managed in Wisconsin.
Views on National Politics
In 2020, she praised former President Donald Trump's trade policies. She also supported his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. After the 2020 United States presidential election, she supported former President Donald Trump's views on the 2020 election. In 2021, she called for a ban on certain types of cities related to immigration. She also called for a ban on teaching critical race theory in public schools.
Serving as Lieutenant Governor
Rebecca Kleefisch's first step into politics was running for Lieutenant Governor in 2010. Her husband, Joel Kleefisch, was already a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly. During her campaign, she reached out to conservative radio hosts and groups like the Tea Party movement. She also appealed to social conservatives.
In the primary election, she won against four other candidates. She then won the general election in November 2010 as Scott Walker's running mate.
Kleefisch served eight years as Lieutenant Governor with Governor Walker. They both played a big part in supporting a large financial package for a company called Foxconn.
In 2018, Kleefisch made a claim about her opponent, Mandela Barnes, during the U.S. national anthem protests. She later apologized for her statement.
The 2012 Recall Election
After a disagreement about collective bargaining in 2011, people tried to recall Governor Walker and Lieutenant Governor Kleefisch. A recall election is when citizens vote to remove an elected official from office before their term ends. Over 800,000 valid signatures were collected to hold the 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. This group celebrated 100 years of women having the right to vote. She held this position until November 2019.
After that, she became a "Jobs Ambassador" for Associated Builders and Contractors of Wisconsin. In this role, she helps promote careers in skilled construction jobs.
2022 Governor Campaign
In September 2021, Kleefisch announced she would run for Governor of Wisconsin. She wanted to win the Republican nomination for the 2022 election. She started her campaign by criticizing the current Democratic Governor, Tony Evers. She also spoke about his response to the 2020 Kenosha unrest.
During her campaign, Kleefisch initially said that Joe Biden won the 2020 election. However, by early 2022, she changed her stance. In April 2022, she said the election was "rigged." But she also said that changing the results of the 2020 election in Wisconsin was "not constitutionally possible."
Former Governor Walker supported Kleefisch in her campaign. She was seen as a strong candidate. However, another candidate, Tim Michels, received 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, who was also a reporter and a State Representative. They have two daughters. The family used to live in Oconomowoc and were members of a church there. After she lost re-election, Kleefisch and her family moved to Concord, Wisconsin.
In August 2010, Kleefisch was diagnosed with colon cancer. She had surgery to remove a tumor in September 2010. She finished her chemotherapy treatment by April 2011.
Images for kids
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Kleefisch in 2013
