{{short description|American politician (1968–2022)}} {{Use American English|date=July 2022}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2022}} {{Infobox officeholder |birth_name = Jeffrey T. Plale |image = File:Sen. Plale (3347653876) (3x4).jpg |caption = Plale in 2009 |order = |office = Wisconsin Commissioner of Railroads |governor = Scott Walker |term_start = August 2011 |term_end = January 2016 |predecessor = Roger Breske |successor = Yash Wadhw |office1 = Administrator of the Wisconsin Division of State Facilities |governor1 = Scott Walker |deputy1 = Peter Maternowski |term_start1 = January 2011 |term_end1 = August 2011 |predecessor1 = David Helbach |successor1 = Summer Shannon-Bradley |state2 = Wisconsin |state_senate2 = Wisconsin |district2 = 7th |term_start2 = May 9, 2003 |term_end2 = January 3, 2011 |predecessor2 = Richard Grobschmidt |successor2 = Chris Larson |state3 = Wisconsin |state_assembly3 = Wisconsin |district3 = 21st |term_start3 = March 26, 1996 |term_end3 = May 9, 2003 |predecessor3 = Richard Grobschmidt |successor3 = Mark Honadel |birth_date = {{Birth date|1968|05|31}} |birth_place = South Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. |death_date = {{Death date and age|2022|07|02|1968|05|31}} |death_place = South Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. |resting_place = Forest Home Cemetery, Milwaukee |spouse = {{marriage|Elizabeth Mary Tesch||2001|end=divorce}} |children = 2 |alma_mater = Marquette University {{small|(B.A., M.A.)}} |profession = Stockbroker, politician |party = Democratic }}
'''Jeffrey T. Plale''' (May 31, 1968 – July 2, 2022)<ref>[https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/south/news/south-milwaukee/2022/07/05/jeff-plale-former-state-legislator-south-milwaukee-dies-54/7814848001/ Jeff Plale, a former Democratic state legislator who went on to serve in a Republican administration, dies at age 54]</ref> was an American politician and stockbroker. Plale served as the Wisconsin Railroad Commissioner. Earlier in his career he represented South Milwaukee in the Wisconsin State Senate (2003–2011) and Wisconsin State Assembly (1996–2003).
==Background and career== Born in South Milwaukee in 1968, Plale graduated from South Milwaukee High School. He worked as a stockbroker at Strong Capital Management from 1988 to 1996. He earned a B.A. in communications and public relations from Marquette University in 1990, and an M.A. in the same field in 1992. He was a member of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) when he was a legislator.<ref>Lisa Kaiser (April 25, 2012). "[http://expressmilwaukee.com/article-permalink-18491.html How the Wisconsin Legislature Was Bought: Right-wing group ALEC gets its way]" ''Shepherd Express''</ref> Plale was a Catholic, but never attended mass, religion was just used as a tool to attract voters in a very Catholic district. He and his former wife had two children. He was a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians.<ref>[https://votesmart.org/candidate/biography/10117/jeffrey-plale#.XLNilSuYV4U Plale biography on VoteSmart]</ref>
== Public office == In 1992, he was elected as an alderman for South Milwaukee. He was first elected to the 21st District of the Assembly (South Milwaukee, Oak Creek and a small portion of Cudahy) in a March 1996 special election, with 6758 votes to 5609 for Republican Mike McCarrier; and was reelected in November 1996 with 14,020 votes to 6544 for Republican Arden Degner.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://legis.wisconsin.gov/lrb/bb/97bb/index.htm |title=Lawrence S. Barish ''et al.'', eds. ''State of Wisconsin 1997–1998 Blue Book'' Madison: Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau, 1997; pp. 35, 903 |access-date=2012-04-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120405152501/http://legis.wisconsin.gov/lrb/bb/97bb/index.htm |archive-date=2012-04-05 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He was re-elected through 2002, and resigned in May 2003 after being elected to the Senate in an April 2003 special election, and was succeeded in the Assembly by Republican Mark Honadel.
He was elected to the Senate seat held by Democrat Richard Grobschmidt until Grobschmidt's resignation to take a position as Assistant Superintendent of Public Instruction under Governor-elect Jim Doyle.<ref>Ross, J.R. ''Associated Press'' "Democratic Senator to Take State Education Job; Richard Grobschmidt is Resigning His Seat to Become the State's Top Librarian in DPI." ''Wisconsin State Journal'' Dec. 21, 2002</ref> Plale won a three-way Democratic primary, and a general election in which he polled 5282 votes to 2199 for Green Jim Carpenter (the Republicans did not contest the seat).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://legis.wisconsin.gov/lrb/bb/03bb/index.htm |title=Lawrence S. Barish ''et al.'', eds. ''State of Wisconsin 2003–2004 Blue Book'' Madison: Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau, 2003; pp. 32, 907–908 |access-date=2012-04-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120418025319/http://legis.wisconsin.gov/lrb/bb/03bb/index.htm |archive-date=2012-04-18 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He won re-election in 2006 (after shaking off opposition in his primary) with 41,502 votes to 21,104 for Republican Dimity Grabowski and 3,564 for Green Claude VanderVeen (whose showing was the best of any Green candidate for Wisconsin Senate that year).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://legis.wisconsin.gov/lrb/bb/07bb/index.htm |title=Lawrence S. Barish ''et al.'', eds. ''State of Wisconsin 2007–2008 Blue Book'' Madison: Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau, 2007; pp. 908–909 |access-date=2012-04-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120405184807/http://legis.wisconsin.gov/lrb/bb/07bb/index.htm |archive-date=2012-04-05 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
He lost his 2010 bid for re-nomination on September 14, 2010, when he was defeated in the Wisconsin Democratic primary election by Chris Larson, a member of the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors,<ref>[http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/102929649.html Stein, Jason. "Larson unseats Plale in state Senate race: He will face Republican Ripp in general election in 7th District"], ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'' September 14, 2010</ref> who contended that Plale was too conservative.<ref>[http://www.expressmilwaukee.com/article-11642-and-the-candidates-a.html Fortis, Louis and Lisa Kaiser. "And the Candidates Are…: A preview of the September primary matchups"] ''Shepherd Express'' July 21, 2010</ref> Plale lost by 5,148 (39.3%) to 7,962 (60.7%) for Larson.<ref>[http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/102483644.html "Fall 2010 primary election results" ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'' September 14, 2010]</ref> Larson subsequently won the Senate race, in an election that saw four Democratic seats fall to Republicans.<ref>[http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/106582898.html Stein, Jason and Annysa Johnson. "Republicans take over state Senate, Assembly: It's first time one party wins both houses since 1938"] ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'' November 3, 2010</ref>
During the lame duck legislative session after the election, Plale was one of two defeated Democratic state senators who voted against renewing contracts with state employee unions. After the vote, Plale was appointed administrator of state facilities in January, and later as Wisconsin Railroad Commissioner, by Governor Scott Walker, also a Republican.<ref>[http://www.progressive.org/walker_wi_railroad.html DiNovella, Elizabeth. "Gov. Scott Walker Appoints Democrat Jeff Plale to Railroad Commission"] ''The Progressive'', August 23, 2011]</ref>
==Personal life and family==
Plale married Elizabeth Mary Tesch. They had two children together before divorcing in 2001.<ref name="died">{{cite news|url= https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/south/news/south-milwaukee/2022/07/05/jeff-plale-former-state-legislator-south-milwaukee-dies-54/7814848001/ |title= Jeff Plale, a former Democratic state legislator who went on to serve in a Republican administration, dies at age 54 |first1= Erik S. |last1= Hanley |first2= Ben |last2= Baker |newspaper= Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |date= July 5, 2022 |accessdate= April 10, 2023 }}</ref>
In 2022, Plale suffered from a severe lung infection that spread to other parts of his body. He was hospitalized for several months and died on July 2, 2022.<ref name="died"/>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{CongLinks|votesmart= 10117}} *{{Ballotpedia|Jeffrey_Plale|Jeffrey Plale}} *[http://legis.wisconsin.gov/lrb/bb/05bb/32-33.pdf 7th Senate District, Senator Plale] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100529191218/http://www.legis.wisconsin.gov/lrb/bb/05bb/32-33.pdf |date=May 29, 2010 }} in the Wisconsin Blue Book (2005–2006)
{{s-start}} {{s-par|us-wi-sen}} {{s-bef|before = Richard Grobschmidt}} {{s-ttl|title = {{nowrap|Member of the Wisconsin Senate from the 7th district}}|years=2003{{spaced ndash}}2011}} {{s-aft|after = Chris Larson}} {{s-gov}} {{s-bef|before = David Helbach}} {{s-ttl|title = {{nowrap|Administrator of the Wisconsin Division of State Facilities}}|years=2011}} {{s-aft|after = Summer Shannon-Bradley}} {{s-bef|before = Roger Breske}} {{s-ttl|title = Wisconsin Commissioner of Railroads |years= 2011{{spaced ndash}}2016}} {{s-aft|after = Yash Wadhw}} {{s-end}} {{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Plale, Jeff}} Category:1968 births Category:2022 deaths Category:People from South Milwaukee, Wisconsin Category:Politicians from Milwaukee County, Wisconsin Category:Businesspeople from Wisconsin Category:Marquette University alumni Category:Democratic Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly Category:Wisconsin city council members Category:Democratic Party Wisconsin state senators Category:American stockbrokers Category:Catholics from Wisconsin Category:21st-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature Category:20th-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature