{{Short description|American politician (1951–2016)}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Kitty Rhoades | governor = Scott Walker | term_start2 = January 4, 1999 | office2 = Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly<br>from the 30th district | predecessor = Dennis Smith | successor = Linda Seemeyer | alma_mater = University of Wisconsin–River Falls (BA)<br>Illinois State University (MEd) | party = Republican | term_end = June 18, 2016 | birth_name = Kitty Richie | term_start = February 22, 2013 | office = Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services | death_place = Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. | birth_place = Hudson, Wisconsin, U.S. | death_date = June 18, 2016 (aged 64) | birth_date = April 7, 1951 | term_end2 = January 3, 2011 | predecessor2 = Sheila Harsdorf | successor2 = Dean Knudson }}
'''Kitty Rhoades''' (née '''Richie''') (April 7, 1951 – June 18, 2016) was an American politician. She served as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, where she represented the 30th district, before serving as Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
== Early life and education == Born in Hudson, Wisconsin, Rhoades received a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin–River Falls and a master's degree in education from Illinois State University.
== Career == Rhoades worked as an educator, small business owner, and consultant. In 1998, she was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly as a Republican.<ref>''Wisconsin Blue Book 2007-2008'', Biographical Sketch of Kitty Rhoades, p. 39.</ref>
In the 1990s, Rhoades proposed the term ''Winnesota'' to describe Wisconsin's St. Croix and Pierce Counties, which border Minnesota and are within the U.S. Census Bureau's Minneapolis-Saint Paul Metropolitan Area. According to Rhoades, "I still call my area Winnesota. We are in Wisconsin, but it sure is hard to remember it."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=402665 |title=Welcome to Minnesota: Twin Cities workers find comforts of home in St. Croix, Wisconsin's fastest-growing county |author=Bill Glauber |date=February 18, 2006 |publisher=The Milwaukee Journal |accessdate=2007-10-11 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070814125803/http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=402665 |archivedate=August 14, 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Rhoades retired from the state Assembly in 2010,<ref>[http://www.wispolitics.com/index.iml?Article=189445 Rhoades Retires From Wisconsin Assembly] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928235637/http://www.wispolitics.com/index.iml?Article=189445 |date=2011-09-28 }}</ref> and took a position with the administration of then-Governor Scott Walker in 2011 as Deputy Secretary of the Department of Health Services.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/news/pressreleases/2011/010411Leadership.htm |title=Health Services Announces New Leadership Team |accessdate=2013-07-10 |url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120212174142/http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/news/pressreleases/2011/010411Leadership.htm |archivedate=2012-02-12 }}</ref> In February 2013, following the resignation of Dennis Smith, she was appointed Secretary.<ref>Andy Rathburn, "Gov. Walker appoints Kitty Rhoades to top Wisconsin health post". ''St. Paul Pioneer Press''. February 22, 2013.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Kitty Rhoades appointed secretary of the Department of Health Services|url=https://www.rivertowns.net/lifestyle/health/1277791-kitty-rhoades-appointed-secretary-department-health-services|website=RiverTowns|language=en|access-date=2020-05-16}}{{Dead link|date=March 2026 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref>
== Death == Rhoades died on June 18, 2016, in Madison, Wisconsin from pneumonia.<ref>[http://www.wisn.com/politics/wisconsin-health-services-secretary-kitty-rhoades-dies-at-65/40119294 Wisconsin health services secretary Kitty Rhoades dies at 65]</ref><ref>[http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/twincities/obituary.aspx?pid=180398070 Kitty (Richie) Rhoades-obituary]</ref>
== Electoral history ==
=== Wisconsin State Assembly (1998–2008) === {| class="wikitable" !Year !Election !Date ! colspan="4" |Elected ! colspan="4" |Defeated !Total !Plurality |- ! rowspan="2" valign="top" |1998 |Primary<ref name="2012gen">{{cite report |url=https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/A4K4QRBLSRUNJE8R/full/ADLF26SJ7FPGWE9A |title=District Vote for Representatives to the Assembly - Primary elections, 1997 - 1998-Continued |date= |publisher=Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau |page=880 |access-date=October 7, 2024 |accessdate= |year=1999 |chapter=Elections |editor-first1=Lawrence S. |editor-first2=Patricia E. |editor-last1=Barish |editor-last2=Meloy}}</ref> |{{nowrap|Sep. 8}} |{{nowrap|'''Kitty Rhoades'''}} | valign="top" {{Party shading/Republican}} |Republican | align="right" valign="top" |2,788 | align="right" valign="top" |68.25% |{{nowrap|Jay Griggs}} | valign="top" {{Party shading/Republican}} |Rep. | align="right" valign="top" |1,297 | align="right" valign="top" |31.75% | align="right" valign="top" |4,085 | align="right" valign="top" |1,491 |- | valign="top" |General<ref name="2016gen">{{cite report |url=https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/A4K4QRBLSRUNJE8R/full/AFGF6GBIHIFFNB8R |title=District Vote for Representatives to the Assembly - Special and General Elections, 1998 |date= |publisher=Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau |page=882 |access-date=October 7, 2024 |accessdate= |year=1999 |chapter=Elections |editor-first1=Lawrence S. |editor-first2=Patricia E. |editor-last1=Barish |editor-last2=Meloy}}</ref> | valign="top" |{{nowrap|Nov. 3}} | valign="top" |{{nowrap|'''Kitty Rhoades'''}} | valign="top" {{Party shading/Republican}} |Republican | align="right" valign="top" |9,755 | align="right" valign="top" |57.29% |{{nowrap|James R. Johnson}} | valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} |Dem. |7,272 |42.71% | align="right" valign="top" |17,027 | align="right" valign="top" |2,483 |- ! valign="top" |2000 | valign="top" |General<ref>{{cite report |url=https://whs.access.preservica.com/uncategorized/IO_09c2e2a3-1386-4ff9-aad8-3248bf6bb3c5/ |title=Results of Fall General Election - 11/07/2000 |date=May 10, 2001 |publisher=Wisconsin State Elections Board |page=20 |access-date=October 7, 2024 |via=Wisconsin Historical Society}}</ref> | valign="top" |{{nowrap|Nov. 7}} | valign="top" |{{nowrap|'''Kitty Rhoades''' (inc)}} | valign="top" {{Party shading/Republican}} |Republican | align="right" valign="top" |17,303 | align="right" valign="top" |62.76% | valign="top" |{{nowrap|Laurie J. Lundgaard}} | valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} |Dem. | align="right" valign="top" |10,247 | align="right" valign="top" |37.17% | align="right" valign="top" |27,568 | align="right" valign="top" |7,056 |- ! valign="top" |2002 | valign="top" |General<ref>{{cite report |url=https://whs.access.preservica.com/uncategorized/IO_ae534b25-9fc6-4986-b261-7c785e581f09/ |title=Results of Fall General Election - 11/05/2002 |date=December 2, 2002 |publisher=Wisconsin State Elections Board |page=21 |access-date=October 7, 2024 |via=Wisconsin Historical Society}}</ref> | valign="top" |{{nowrap|Nov. 5}} | valign="top" |{{nowrap|'''Kitty Rhoades''' (inc)}} | valign="top" {{Party shading/Republican}} |Republican | align="right" valign="top" |12,563 | align="right" valign="top" |69.01% | valign="top" |{{nowrap|Bob Feickert}} | valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} |Dem. | align="right" valign="top" |5,635 | align="right" valign="top" |30.95% | align="right" valign="top" |18,205 | align="right" valign="top" |6,928 |- ! valign="top" |2004 | valign="top" |General<ref>{{cite report |url=https://whs.access.preservica.com/uncategorized/IO_dcaf3106-7971-45d7-9e8b-3b169afa2f9a/ |title=Results of Fall General Election - 11/02/2004 |date=December 1, 2004 |publisher=Wisconsin State Elections Board |page=20 |access-date=October 7, 2024 |via=Wisconsin Historical Society}}</ref> | valign="top" |{{nowrap|Nov. 2}} | valign="top" |{{nowrap|'''Kitty Rhoades''' (inc)}} | valign="top" {{Party shading/Republican}} |Republican | align="right" valign="top" |20,540 | align="right" valign="top" |61.09% |{{nowrap|Tom Parent}} | valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} |Dem. |13,071 |38.87% | align="right" valign="top" |33,624 | align="right" valign="top" |7,469 |- ! valign="top" |2006 | valign="top" |General<ref>{{cite report |url=https://whs.access.preservica.com/uncategorized/IO_e8d5fe23-b646-48ba-acb0-3b70c311a0fd/ |title=Results of Fall General Election - 11/07/2006 |date=December 5, 2006 |publisher=Wisconsin State Elections Board |page=21 |access-date=October 7, 2024 |via=Wisconsin Historical Society}}</ref> | valign="top" |{{nowrap|Nov. 7}} | valign="top" |{{nowrap|'''Kitty Rhoades''' (inc)}} | valign="top" {{Party shading/Republican}} |Republican | align="right" valign="top" |12,790 | align="right" valign="top" |57.40% | valign="top" |{{nowrap|Dan Gorman}} | valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} |Dem. | align="right" valign="top" |9,479 | align="right" valign="top" |42.54% | align="right" valign="top" |22,282 | align="right" valign="top" |3,311 |- ! rowspan="2" valign="top" |2008 | valign="top" |Primary<ref>{{cite report |url=https://whs.access.preservica.com/uncategorized/IO_2f634ffc-968c-450f-ab4e-58861dc3c70a/ |title=Results of Fall Primary Election - 09/09/2008 |date=September 29, 2008 |publisher=Wisconsin State Elections Board |page=40 |access-date=October 7, 2024 |via=Wisconsin Historical Society}}</ref> | valign="top" |{{nowrap|Sep. 9}} | valign="top" |{{nowrap|'''Kitty Rhoades''' (inc)}} | valign="top" {{Party shading/Republican}} |Republican | align="right" valign="top" |2,432 | align="right" valign="top" |86.70% | valign="top" |{{nowrap|Bob Hughes}} | valign="top" {{Party shading/Republican}} |Rep. | align="right" valign="top" |372 | align="right" valign="top" |13.26% | align="right" valign="top" |2,805 | align="right" valign="top" |2,060 |- | valign="top" |General<ref>{{cite report |url=https://whs.access.preservica.com/uncategorized/IO_900da12b-ee42-4eec-82a0-7978ab858db3/ |title=Results of Fall General Election - 11/04/2008 |date=December 1, 2008 |publisher=Wisconsin State Elections Board |page=19 |access-date=May 3, 2024 |via=Wisconsin Historical Society}}</ref> | valign="top" |{{nowrap|Nov. 4}} | valign="top" |{{nowrap|'''Kitty Rhoades''' (inc)}} | valign="top" {{Party shading/Republican}} |Republican | align="right" valign="top" |19,729 | align="right" valign="top" |54.74% | valign="top" |{{nowrap|Sarah A. Bruch}} | valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} |Dem. | align="right" valign="top" |16,278 | align="right" valign="top" |45.17% | align="right" valign="top" |36,041 | align="right" valign="top" |3,451 |}
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == * ''Follow the Money'' - Kitty Rhoades **[http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=110268 2008] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=87588 2006] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=68300 2004] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=8569 2002] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=58814 2000] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=56848 1998] campaign contributions *[http://www.wisdc.org/pro08-103675.php Campaign 2008] campaign contributions at ''Wisconsin Democracy Campaign''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rhoades, Kitty}} Category:1951 births Category:2016 deaths Category:People from Hudson, Wisconsin Category:University of Wisconsin–River Falls alumni Category:Illinois State University alumni Category:Businesspeople from Wisconsin Category:State cabinet secretaries of Wisconsin Category:Women state legislators in Wisconsin Category:21st-century American women politicians Category:20th-century American businesspeople Category:Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly Category:21st-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature Category:20th-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature Category:20th-century American women politicians