Sue Conley (politician)
Sue Conley | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the 44th district | |
| Assumed office January 4, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Debra Kolste |
| President of the Janesville City Council | |
| Assumed office April 21, 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Douglas Marklein |
| Member of the Janesville City Council | |
| Assumed office April 2017 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 19, 1960 Galesburg, Illinois, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Jim Conley (m. 1987) |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence(s) | Janesville, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Profession | politician |
| Website | Campaign website |
Sue S. Conley (born February 19, 1960) is an American nonprofit administrator and Democratic politician. She is a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly and president of the city council of Janesville, Wisconsin.
Early life and career
Conley was born in Galesburg, Illinois, and moved to Janesville, Wisconsin, with her parents in 1971.[1][2]
Conley became involved in nonprofit management in the Janesville community and was executive director of the Rock County YWCA, and later, from 2002 through 2014, with the Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin.[2] She retired in 2014, but continued to volunteer and offer her advice within the community, and served as interim executive director for several organizations over the next six years, including HealthNet of Rock County, KANDU Industries, and the UW–Rock County Foundation.[2]
Political career
Conley was elected to the Janesville city council in April 2017, and was reelected in 2019.[3][4] At the start of the 2020–2021 session, Conley was elected President of the City Council.[2][5]
In February 2020, Janesville's state representative, Debra Kolste, announced she would not seek a fifth term in the Wisconsin State Assembly in the 2020 election.[6][7] Conley and Kolste were friends, and Conley had already been contemplating a run for higher office. With Kolste's endorsement, Conley entered the 2020 campaign.[8] Conley was able to avoid a primary contest and secured the Democratic nomination unopposed. In the general election, she faced Republican former city councilmember DuWayne Severson;[9] Libertarian hopeful Reese Wood had intended to run, but failed to secure enough valid signatures to appear on the ballot.[10] During the campaign, Conley emphasized the need for redistricting reform, endorsing the so-called Iowa model of redistricting, utilizing a nonpartisan commission.[9] In the general election, Conley defeated Severson with 60% of the vote.[11][12]
Personal life
Conley and her husband, Jim, reside in Janesville, Wisconsin. They have three children, Scott, Bernie, and Liz.[2]
Electoral history
Janesville City Council (2017, 2019)
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, April 4, 2017 (choose four) | |||||
| Nonpartisan | Sue Conley | 3,954 | 16.65% | ||
| Nonpartisan | Douglas Marklein (incumbent) | 3,502 | 14.74% | ||
| Nonpartisan | Jim Farrell | 3,201 | 13.48% | ||
| Nonpartisan | Tom Wolfe | 3,033 | 12.77% | ||
| Nonpartisan | Kay Deupree (incumbent) | 2,613 | 11.00% | ||
| Nonpartisan | Jim Dennis | 2,430 | 10.23% | ||
| Nonpartisan | Steve Knox | 2,332 | 9.82% | ||
| Nonpartisan | Jeff Navarro | 1,708 | 7.19% | ||
| Nonpartisan | Spencer Zimmerman | 721 | 3.04% | ||
| Scattering | 259 | 1.09% | |||
| Total votes | 23,753 | 100.0% | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, April 2, 2019 (choose four) | |||||
| Nonpartisan | Sue Conley (incumbent) | 6,598 | 22.50% | +5.86% | |
| Nonpartisan | Tom Wolfe (incumbent) | 6,247 | 21.31% | +8.54% | |
| Nonpartisan | Douglas Marklein (incumbent) | 6,187 | 21.10% | +6.36% | |
| Nonpartisan | Jim Farrell (incumbent) | 5,720 | 19.51% | +6.03% | |
| Nonpartisan | Jan Chesmore | 4,384 | 14.95% | ||
| Scattering | 185 | 0.63% | |||
| Total votes | 29,321 | 100.0% | |||
Wisconsin Assembly (2020)
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, November 3, 2020 | |||||
| Democratic | Sue Conley | 17,205 | 60.11% | −37.36% | |
| Republican | DuWayne Severson | 11,335 | 39.60% | ||
| Independent | Reese Wood (write-in) | 13 | 0.05% | ||
| Scattering | 68 | 0.24% | |||
| Plurality | 5,870 | 20.51% | -74.43% | ||
| Total votes | 28,621 | 100.0% | +54.94% | ||
| Democratic hold | |||||
References
- ^ "2020 - 2021 Janesville City Council". City of Janesville. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e "Meet Sue Conley". Sue Conley for Wisconsin State Assembly. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
- ^ a b April 4, 2017 - Spring Election - Results (Report). Office of the Clerk of Rock County, Wisconsin. April 12, 2017. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
- ^ a b April 2, 2019 - Spring General Election - Official Results (Report). Office of the Clerk of Rock County, Wisconsin. April 8, 2019. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
- ^ McCallum, Ashley (April 22, 2020). "Janesville bars can sell prepackaged liquor under temporary ordinance change". Janesville Gazette. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
- ^ Schultz, Frank (February 21, 2020). "Kolste discusses dropping the 'Representative' from her name". Janesville Gazette. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
- ^ Associated Press (February 20, 2020). "State Rep. Debra Kolste announces retirement after 3 terms". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
- ^ Schultz, Frank (February 21, 2020). "Sue Conley running for Rep. Kolste's seat". Janesville Gazette. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
- ^ a b "Candidate Q&A: 44th Assembly District". Wisconsin State Journal. August 30, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
- ^ Schultz, Frank (October 19, 2020). "Third-party candidate wages write-in campaign in Janesville". Janesville Gazette. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
- ^ McCallum, Ashley (November 3, 2020). "Conley wins 44th state Assembly seat". Janesville Gazette. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
- ^ a b Canvass Results for 2020 General Election - 11/3/2020 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. November 18, 2020. p. 18. Retrieved December 23, 2020.