Janet Bewley (Wisconsin politician) explained

Janet Bewley
Office:Minority Leader of the Wisconsin Senate
Term Start:April 24, 2020
Term End:January 3, 2023
Predecessor:Jennifer Shilling
Successor:Melissa Agard
State Senate1:Wisconsin
District1:25th
Term Start1:January 3, 2015
Term End1:January 3, 2023
Predecessor1:Robert Jauch
Successor1:Romaine Quinn
State Assembly2:Wisconsin
District2:74th
Term Start2:January 3, 2011
Term End2:January 3, 2015
Predecessor2:Gary Sherman
Successor2:Beth Meyers
Birth Date:10 November 1951
Birth Place:Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Party:Democratic
Spouse:David Saetre
Children:3
Education:Case Western Reserve University (BA)
University of Maine (MEd)

Janet Bewley (born November 10, 1951) is an American politician and former Democratic minority leader in the Wisconsin State Senate. She was a member of the Wisconsin Senate from 2015 through 2023, and previously served four years in the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing Iron, Ashland, Bayfield, and Price counties in the northwest of the state.

Biography

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Bewley graduated from Cleveland's James Ford Rhodes High School in 1969 and earned her B.A. from Case Western Reserve University. She was the first member of her family to graduate from college and went on to earn a Master's in Academic Administration from the University of Maine in 1977. She was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2010, replacing Gary Sherman (who did not seek re-election). Before being elected to the assembly, she served on the city council of Ashland. She is a former community relations officer for the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority.[1] [2]

On December 16, 2013, Bewley announced her intention to run for the Wisconsin Senate, District 25, to replace retiring Senator Robert Jauch, also a Democrat.[3] She won the primary election with 72% of the vote and was opposed by Republican Dane Deutsch (Jauch's 2010 opponent) in the November general election.[4] Her old seat was contested by Democrat Beth Meyers and Republican Jamey Francis in the November 2014 general election.[5] On November 4, 2014, Bewley was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate, and Meyers was elected to Bewley's old Assembly seat.

On April 24, 2020, the Wisconsin Senate Democratic Caucus chose Bewley as their new leader after the resignation of Senator Jennifer Shilling from that role.[6]

On July 22, 2022, Bewley was involved in a fatal car crash. She drove her car out of a public beach to turn east onto U.S. Highway 2. Her car was struck by a vehicle driven by 27-year-old Alyssa Ortman, which was driving west at roughly 100 mph. Ortman's car was forced across the highway and hit a third car that was traveling east. Both Ortman and her five-year-old daughter were killed in the crash. An electronic cigarette containing delta-8-THC was found in Ortman's possession.[7] Bewley was talking on the phone with a reporter from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel at the time of the crash and had had eye surgery the day before.[8]

Bewley did not run for reelection in 2022.[9]

External links

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Notes and References

  1. Web site: Meet Janet.
  2. Web site: 2019 Wisconsin State Representatives. docs.legis.wisconsin.gov.
  3. Web site: Bewley announces campaign to replace Jauch : Madisondotcom . https://archive.today/20131226061948/http://host.madison.com/news/state-and-regional/bewley-announces-campaign-to-replace-jauch/article_80fabfc4-3a8d-57c1-a8bc-2c7f2023e0c5.html . 26 December 2013 . dead.
  4. Web site: Allen, Brostoff, Wanggaard, Bowen win legislative primaries. www.jsonline.com.
  5. Web site: apg-wi.com. APG of. Wisconsin. APG of Wisconsin.
  6. News: Wisconsin Senate Democrats choose Janet Bewley as new minority leader . April 24, 2020 . April 25, 2020 . . Reilly . Briana .
  7. Web site: Woman who died in crash with Senate Minority Leader Janet Bewley was traveling 100 MPH, records show .
  8. News: Pennsylvania woman, daughter, 5, dead after crash with Wisconsin senator . July 25, 2022 . July 25, 2022 . . Bowen. Joe .
  9. Web site: Quinn and Westlund fight for 25th senate district .