| Louis Molepske | |
| Office: | for the |
| Term Start: | August 1, 2022 |
| Predecessor: | Robert J. Shannon |
| Office1: | Portage County District Attorney |
| Term Start1: | January 7, 2013 |
| Term End1: | June 2022 |
| Predecessor1: | Thomas B. Eagon |
| Successor1: | Cass Cousins |
| State2: | Wisconsin |
| State Assembly2: | Wisconsin |
| District2: | 71st |
| Term Start2: | August 11, 2003 |
| Term End2: | January 7, 2013 |
| Predecessor2: | Julie Lassa |
| Successor2: | Katrina Shankland |
| Party: | Democrat |
| Birth Date: | 6 January 1974 |
| Birth Place: | Stevens Point, Wisconsin |
| Residence: | Stevens Point, Wisconsin |
| Children: | 3 |
| Alma Mater: | University of Wisconsin–Madison Marquette University Law School |
| Profession: | attorney |
| Website: | Campaign website |
Louis John Molepske Jr. (born January 6, 1974) is an American attorney, judge, and Democratic politician. He is a Wisconsin circuit court judge in Portage County, Wisconsin, since 2022. He previously served nine years as district attorney, and was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly for ten years before that.[1]
Louis Molepske was born and raised in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. He graduated from Stevens Point Area Senior High School in 1993 and went on to earn his bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He then attended Marquette University Law School, where he earned his J.D. in 2001.[2] While in high school, he wrote for a student section included in the Stevens Point daily newspaper, the Stevens Point Journal.[3]
After completing law school, he went to work in the city government of Stevens Point. He first worked as an assistant to his father, the city attorney, and then as an assistant to the mayor, Gary Wescott, and finally as a special prosecutor in the office of the district attorney, Tom Eagon.[4]
In 2002, incumbent state senator Kevin Shibilski was indicted for fraud, which led to his resignation and the election of state representative Julie Lassa as his replacement. Lassa's elevation created a vacancy in Wisconsin's 71st Assembly district, and Molepske chose to enter the race for the open seat.[4] He narrowly prevailed in the low-turnout special election, receiving 37% of the vote in a four-way race.[5] At the time he was sworn in, Molepske was the second youngest state legislator at 29 years old. He went on to win re-election four times.[6]
In the April 2012 election, Molepske's former boss, district attorney Tom Eagon, was elected a Wisconsin circuit court judge. Molepske soon announced that, rather than running for another term in the Assembly, he would instead run for district attorney. He faced only one opponent in the race, the senior assistant district attorney, Veronica Isherwood, in the Democratic primary.[7] Molepske won 65% of the vote in the primary and was unopposed in the general election.[8] He was re-elected without opposition in 2016 and 2020.
In the Fall of 2021, incumbent Wisconsin circuit court judge Robert J. Shannon filed his paperwork to indicate he would not run for re-election in 2022. Molepske entered the race for the judicial post; he defeated attorney Stephen W. Sawyer in the Spring general election and was sworn in in August 2022.[9]
Louis Molepske is a fifth-generation resident of Portage County, Wisconsin. His father is also an attorney and was in public office as city attorney of Stevens Point;[4] his grandfather was a prominent realtor.[10]
Louis Molepske married Raquel Vechinski, a nurse practitioner from Wisconsin Rapids, in October 2013.[11] They have three children now and reside in Stevens Point.[6]
| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| Special Election, July 22, 2003[5]
| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| Democratic Primary, August 14, 2012[8] | colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| General Election, November 6, 2012[9]
| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| General Election, April 5, 2022[9]