{{short description|American politician}} {{Infobox officeholder |name = Pat Kreitlow |image = File:Pat Kreitlow (cropped).jpg |caption = Kreitlow in 2012 |office = President pro tempore of the Wisconsin Senate |term_start = January 5, 2009 |term_end = January 3, 2011 |predecessor = Tim Carpenter |successor = Joe Leibham |state_senate1 = Wisconsin |district1 = 23rd |term_start1 = January 3, 2007 |term_end1 = January 3, 2011 |predecessor1 = David Zien |successor1 = Terry Moulton |birth_date = {{birth date and age|1964|7|3}} |birth_place = Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S. |death_date = |death_place = |party = Democratic |spouse = Sharry Fritsch |education = University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire (BA) }}
'''Patrick J. Kreitlow''' (born July 3, 1964) is an American politician, former broadcaster, and communications consultant. A Democrat, Kreitlow was a member of the Wisconsin State Senate, representing Wisconsin's 23rd Senate district, from 2007 to 2011.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Democratic Caucus|title=Pat Kreitlow for Senate|date=2008-09-05|url=http://www.kreitlowforsenate.com/|access-date=2010-05-07|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100513081033/http://kreitlowforsenate.com/|archive-date=2010-05-13}}</ref> In November 2008, Kreitlow was elected President pro tempore of the Wisconsin State Senate.<ref name=president>{{Cite news|last=The Chippewa Herald|title=State Sen. Kreitlow Elected Senate President Pro Tempore |date=2008-11-12|url=http://www.chippewa.com/news/article_698a804f-99e8-5d06-83f1-ebb6f9712054.html|access-date=2010-05-07}}</ref> He was defeated for reelection in 2010 by Terry Moulton.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Campaign Community Icontact|title=Pat Kreitlow General Information|date=2008-05-01|url=http://community.icontact.com/p/kreitlow/|access-date=2010-05-07}}{{Dead link|date=May 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Kreitlow ran for Wisconsin's 7th congressional district seat in the 2012 election against incumbent Sean Duffy, who was reelected.<ref name=campaign>{{Cite news|last=Wisconsin Radio Network|title= Kreitlow launches House bid |date=2011-04-25|url=http://www.wrn.com/2011/04/kreitlow-launches-house-bid/}}</ref>
==Early life, education, and journalism career== Born in 1964 in Saint Paul, Minnesota to parents Joan and Jerry Kreitlow, Kreitlow graduated from Apple Valley High School in 1982, then attended the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, where he graduated with a B.A. in Journalism in 1986.<ref name=facebook>{{Cite news|website=Facebook|title=State Senator Pat|date=2010-05-07|url=http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pat-Kreitlow/319131789926|access-date=2010-05-06}}</ref> He and his wife, Sharry, have two daughters, Samantha and Chelsea.<ref name=family>{{Cite news|title=Hot Races in 2006|publisher=Progressive Majority|date=2006-11-02|url=http://www.progressivemajority.org/candidates/all/?all=all/|access-date=2010-05-07|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100701085056/http://www.progressivemajority.org/candidates/all/?all=all%2F|archive-date=2010-07-01}}</ref>
Kreitlow is a former journalist, having worked at WAXX-FM/WAYY and other radio stations. He joined the news department of WEAU-TV in the mid-1990s, becoming the 6pm anchor and 10pm co-anchor in 1998. Kreitlow left WEAU-TV in May 2005. He also served as the president of the Western Wisconsin Press Club.<ref name="early career">{{Cite news|last=Assorted Authors|title=Ballotpedia|date=2006-11-02|url=http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Pat_Kreitlow|access-date=2010-05-07}}</ref>
==Wisconsin Senate== thumb|Kreitlow in 2009
===Elections=== ;2006 Kreitlow was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate in 2006, defeating 17-year incumbent Republican State Senator David Zien 51%-49%, a difference of just 1,096 votes.<ref name=senateelection>{{Cite news|last=Wisconsin Senate|title=Wisconsin Senator Pat Kreitlow|date=2007-01-02|url=http://www.legis.state.wi.us/w3asp/contact/legislatorpages.aspx?house=Senate&district=23&display=bio|access-date=2010-05-07}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=302030|title=Our Campaigns - WI Senate 23 Race - Nov 07, 2006|access-date=26 March 2017}}</ref>
;2010 In May 2010, numerous news sources mentioned Kreitlow as a possible candidate for the open United States House of Representatives seat from Wisconsin's 7th congressional district following the retirement of Congressman Dave Obey. He later declined to enter the race and endorsed Democratic State Senator Julie Lassa in her run for the seat.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chippewa.com/news/local/article_6dd59ed2-5920-11df-aad4-001cc4c002e0.html|title=Kreitlow mentioned as possible candidate for 7th District seat|first=ROD STETZER |last=rod.stetzer@lee.net|access-date=26 March 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wausaudailyherald.com/article/20100506/WDH0101/100506129/1981 |title=Decker one of three top Dems for Obey seat, party leader says | Wausa… |access-date=2010-05-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130209012136/http://www.wausaudailyherald.com/article/20100506/WDH0101/100506129/1981 |archive-date=2013-02-09 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/05/dems-scrambling-to-pick-new-candidate-for-obeys-seat.php|title=Dems Scrambling To Pick New Candidate For Obey's Seat|access-date=26 March 2017}}</ref>
On November 2, 2010, Terry Moulton, a former member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, defeated Kreitlow 54%-46%.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=701622|title=Our Campaigns - WI Senate 23 Race - Nov 02, 2010|access-date=26 March 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dunnconnect.com/articles/2010/11/06/news/doc4cd5b07963ec6949958501.txt|title=Dunn County News|first=Chippewa|last=Herald|access-date=26 March 2017}}</ref>
===Tenure=== Kreitlow delivered the 2010 Senate Democratic response to Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle's State of the State Address. In November 2009, along with Senators Julie Lassa and Jon Erpenbach, Kreitlow announced the Senate Democrats CORE business growth initiative.<ref name=democrat>{{Cite news|last=Wisconsin Senate Democrats|title=Democratic Response to Governor Scott Walker's 2010 State of the State Address|date=2010-01-26|url=http://www.legis.wi.gov/senate/sdc/video/2009/kreitlowsendemsjobsnov0909.asp|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121214105629/http://www.legis.wi.gov/senate/sdc/video/2009/kreitlowsendemsjobsnov0909.asp|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 14, 2012|access-date=2010-05-07}}</ref>
===Committee assignments=== During his tenure, he served on the Campaign Finance Reform, Rural Issues and Information Technology, Economic Development, Job Creation, Family Prosperity and Housing, Education; Ethics Reform and Government Operations; and Public Health, Senior Issues, Long Term Care and Privacy committees. Kreitlow served as chair of the committee on Rural Issues and Information Technology and the Special Committee on Domestic Bio-fuels.<ref name=committees>{{Cite news|last=Kreitlow|first=Pat|title=Senate Biography|date=2009-06-08|url=http://www.legis.state.wi.us/w3asp/contact/legislatorpages.aspx?house=Senate&district=23&display=committee|access-date=2010-05-07}}</ref>
==2012 congressional election== {{See also|United States House of Representatives elections in Wisconsin, 2012#District 7}} Kreitlow ran for Wisconsin's 7th Congressional district seat in the November 2012 election.<ref name="campaign"/> The incumbent representative, Sean Duffy, was reelected.
==2018 gubernatorial election== Kreitlow served as the senior advisor to candidate for Governor of Wisconsin Dana Wachs.
==References== {{Reflist|2}}
==External links== *[http://www.kreitlowforcongress.com/ Pat Kreitlow for U.S. Congress] official campaign website *{{CongLinks | votesmart = 67298 | fec = H2WI07065 }}
{{s-start}} {{s-par|us-wi-sen}} {{s-bef|before=David Zien}} {{s-ttl|title=Member of the Wisconsin Senate<br>from the 23rd district|years=2007–2011}} {{s-aft|after=Terry Moulton}} |- {{s-bef|before=Tim Carpenter}} {{s-ttl|title=President pro tempore of the Wisconsin Senate|years=2009–2011}} {{s-aft|after=Joe Leibham}} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kreitlow, Pat}} Category:1964 births Category:Living people Category:Politicians from Eau Claire, Wisconsin Category:Politicians from Saint Paul, Minnesota Category:University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire alumni Category:Democratic Party Wisconsin state senators Category:Apple Valley High School (Minnesota) alumni Category:21st-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature