| Loren Oldenburg | |
| State: | Wisconsin |
| State Assembly: | Wisconsin |
| District: | 96th |
| Term Start: | January 7, 2019 |
| Predecessor: | Lee Nerison |
| Party: | Republican |
| Birth Date: | 8 September 1965 |
| Birth Place: | Viroqua, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Spouse: | Linda |
| Residence: | Viroqua, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Alma Mater: | University of Wisconsin–La Crosse |
Loren Oldenburg (born September 8, 1965) is an American politician, currently serving in the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing Vernon County, Crawford County, and the southern half of Monroe County. A Republican, he was first elected in 2018.
Oldenburg was born in Viroqua, Vernon County, Wisconsin. A fourth generation farmer, he was raised and still resides on a 315-acre farm in Vernon County passed down from his great grandfather.[1] Oldenburg graduated from Viroqua High School in 1984 and the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse.[2]
He was active within his community, as a member and president of the Westby Cooperative Creamery, and, for the last 19 years, as a member and president of the Chaseburg Cenex Cooperative. He was elected to the Town Board of Harmony, Vernon County, and served as the Town Board chairman.[1] [2]
He ran for the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2018, announcing his campaign just days after incumbent Lee Nerison announced his retirement.[1] He was unopposed in the Republican primary and won a narrow victory over Democrat Paul Buhr in the November general election, carrying 52% of the vote.[3]
In the Assembly, Oldenburg serves on the Committees on Consumer Protection, Energy and Utilities, Rural Development, and Workforce Development, and is vice chairman of the Committee on the Environment. He was also appointed to the Speaker's Task Force on Suicide Prevention, an issue that has become prominent in rural Wisconsin due to the increasing number of farm bankruptcies.[4] [5]
Oldenburg and his wife, Linda, reside and own the Oldenburg Centennial Farms in Vernon County, Wisconsin.[1] They are members of the Viroqua Church of Christ.[2]
| Year | Election | Date | Elected | Defeated | Total | Plurality | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | General[6] | Republican | 12,327 | 51.65% | Dem. | 11,536 | 48.34% | 23,866 | 791 | ||||
| 2020 | General[7] | Republican | 16,812 | 56.27% | Dem. | 13,059 | 43.71% | 29,876 | 3,753 | ||||
| 2022 | General[8] | Republican | 14,814 | 58.53% | Dem. | 10,483 | 41.42% | 25,308 | 4,331 | ||||
| 2024 | General[9] | Democratic | 16,615 | 50.97% | Rep. | 15,963 | 48.97% | 32,595 | 652 | ||||