Stephen Nass

Stephen L. Nass
Member of the Wisconsin Senate
from the 11th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 2015
Preceded byNeal Kedzie
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
In office
January 7, 2013 – January 3, 2015
Preceded byChris Kapenga
Succeeded byCody Horlacher
Constituency33rd district
In office
January 4, 1993 – January 7, 2013
Preceded byDaniel P. Vrakas
Succeeded byAmy Loudenbeck
Constituency31st district
In office
January 7, 1991 – January 4, 1993
Preceded byMargaret S. Lewis
Succeeded bySteven Foti
Constituency38th district
Personal details
Born (1952-10-07) October 7, 1952
Whitewater, Wisconsin, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
ResidenceWhitewater, Wisconsin
Alma materUniversity of Wisconsin–Whitewater (BS, MSEd)
ProfessionPolitician
WebsiteOfficial website
Military service
AllegianceUnited States
Branch/serviceWisconsin Air National Guard
RankChief Master Sergeant, ANG
Battles/warsGulf War

Stephen Leonard Nass (born October 7, 1952) is an American Republican politician from Whitewater, Wisconsin. He is a member of the Wisconsin Senate, representing the 11th Senate district since 2015. He previously served 24 years in the Wisconsin State Assembly, from 1991 to 2015, and served on the Whitewater city council from 1977 to 1981.

Early life and education

Nass was born in Whitewater, Wisconsin, on October 7, 1952.[1] He was raised in Whitewater and has resided there for most of his life; he graduated from Whitewater High School in 1978 and attended the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater, where he earned his bachelor's degree in 1978.[1]

He later continued his education at UW–Whitewater and earned a M.S.Ed. in school business management in 1990.[1]

Military and business career

Nass was a member of the Wisconsin Air National Guard and deployed in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm.[1] According to his legislative biography, he retired as a chief master sergeant, owns a rental property business, and formerly was a payroll benefits analyst.[2]

Political career

Nass was a member of the Whitewater City Council from 1977 to 1981 and a member of the UW-Whitewater Board of Visitors from 1979 to 1989. He was first elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1990, from the 31st Assembly District, and was thereafter reelected.[1][2] He remained a member of the Assembly until 2014, when he was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate from the 11th District.[2] Nass is one of the Senate's most conservative members.[3][4]

Nass has become known for his adversarial relationship with the University of Wisconsin System,[5][6][7] which he accuses of "liberal indoctrination."[8] His opinion of the University took on greater significance in the 2007–2008 and 2011–2012 legislative terms, when Nass was chair of the Assembly's Colleges and Universities Committee.[5] In 2007, Nass worked to cut funds for specific University of Wisconsin programs that he disagreed with philosophically, including the Havens Wright Center for Social Justice in UW–Madison's sociology department and the UW–Extension School For Workers, saying that they are "too far to the left."[9] Paul Soglin, the mayor of Madison, Wisconsin, responded by calling Nass "the outlaw chairman of an Assembly committee that is designed to destroy the University of Wisconsin System."[10] Nass's grudge against the University continued into his time in the state Senate, where he served on the Senate Committee on Universities and Technical Colleges. In 2017, Nass accused UW of waging a "war on men" with an initiative about masculinity, and criticized a course offered by UW on white privilege.[6][8]

In 2010, Nass said he would introduce legislation banning pavement markers designed to minimize conflicts between bicyclists and motorists.[11][12] Nass accused "liberal extremists in Madison who hate cars and think everyone should bike to work" with "basically making it difficult to use an automobile."[12] Nass's position drew a caustic response from Madison mayor Dave Cieslewicz, who noted that Madison is 70 miles from the district that Nass represents. "Not having been able to solve a single significant state problem (which they actually got elected to do) in their combined 37 years in office these guys now want to micromanage the city of Madison. There's a way they can do that, of course. They can give up their seats in the Legislature and run for the Madison City Council."[13]

Nass is a supporter of Donald Trump. In 2017, Wisconsin taxpayers paid $966 to send Nass to Trump's first speech to a joint session of Congress,[14] and in 2019, during the Trump's first impeachment, he accused Trump's enemies of "vile efforts to effectuate a political coup of the president."[15] Nass has sponsored legislation to declare English the official language of Wisconsin.[4]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Nass criticized public health measures put into place by Democratic Governor Tony Evers, and in April 2020, Nass accused the state Health Secretary, Andrea Palm, of promoting "excessive levels of fear."[16] In July 2020, after Evers issued an order requiring the wearing of face coverings in public indoor spaces to prevent the spread of the virus, Nass called the order "illegal and unnecessary" and urged the state legislature to convene an emergency session to repeal the order.[17] During the pandemic, Nass supported the termination of Evers' emergency declarations.[18] He also pushed to require state workers to return to physical offices, revoke funding for schools that did not hold in-person classes, restrict the power of state and local health agencies, and expand school choice programs.[3] He introduced legislation to block the University of Wisconsin from instituting COVID-19 testing, masking and vaccination protocols on its campuses across the state.[19][7]

In 2025 Nass voted against the 2025–2027 state budget, which had been created through negotiations between governor Evers, Senate Republicans, and Senate Democrats, describing it as the "Vos-Evers orgy of spending".[20][21]

Electoral history

Wisconsin Assembly, 38th district (1990)

Year Election Date Elected Defeated Total Plurality
1990 Primary[22] Sep. 11 Stephen L. Nass Republican 2,034 60.20% Jacquelin J. Wood Rep. 1,345 39.80% 3,379 689
General[22] Nov. 6 Stephen L. Nass Republican 7,393 52.56% William P. Edington Dem. 6,448 45.84% 14,066 945
Wayne E. Harter Ind. 225 1.60%

Wisconsin Assembly, 31st district (1992–2010)

Year Election Date Elected Defeated Total Plurality
1992 General[23] Nov. 3 Stephen L. Nass Republican 14,294 61.06% Shirley M. Wheeler Dem. 9,117 38.94% 23,411 5,177
1994 General[24] Nov. 8 Stephen L. Nass (inc) Republican 10,265 69.26% Shirley M. Wheeler Dem. 4,557 30.74% 14,822 5,708
1996 General[25] Nov. 5 Stephen L. Nass (inc) Republican 14,214 61.55% Shirley M. Wheeler Dem. 8,226 35.62% 23,092 5,988
Edward J. Frami Tax. 652 2.82%
1998 General[26] Nov. 3 Stephen L. Nass (inc) Republican 11,620 64.85% Shirley M. Wheeler Dem. 6,299 35.15% 17,919 5,321
2000 General[27] Nov. 7 Stephen L. Nass (inc) Republican 20,589 86.79% Bernard T. Dalsey Dem. 3,103 13.08% 23,723 17,486
2002 General[28] Nov. 5 Stephen L. Nass (inc) Republican 13,883 86.78% Leroy L. Watson Dem. 2,091 13.07% 15,998 11,792
2004 General[29] Nov. 2 Stephen L. Nass (inc) Republican 20,934 66.06% Scott Woods Dem. 10,041 31.68% 31,691 10,893
Bruce Hinkforth Grn. 696 2.20%
2006 General[30] Nov. 7 Stephen L. Nass (inc) Republican 15,494 63.99% Scott A. Woods Dem. 8,129 33.57% 24,212 7,365
Ben Bourdo Ind. 579 2.39%
2008 General[31] Nov. 4 Stephen L. Nass (inc) Republican 21,780 66.66% Frank E. Urban Dem. 10,853 33.22% 32,671 10,927
2010 Primary[32] Sep. 14 Stephen L. Nass (inc) Republican 7,463 74.99% Craig Peterson Rep. 2,480 24.92% 9,952 4,983
General[33] Nov. 2 Stephen L. Nass (inc) Republican 20,193 89.29% Leroy L. Watson Lib. 2,378 10.52% 22,614 17,815

Wisconsin Assembly, 33rd district (2012)

Year Election Date Elected Defeated Total Plurality
2012 General[34] Nov. 6 Stephen L. Nass Republican 18,891 62.79% Scott A. Woods Dem. 10,229 34.00% 30,087 8,662
Terry Virgil Ind. 945 3.14%

Wisconsin Senate (2014–present)

Year Election Date Elected Defeated Total Plurality
2014 General[35] Nov. 4 Stephen L. Nass Republican 43,842 63.29% Dan Kilkenny Dem. 25,377 36.63% 69,271 18,465
2018 General[36] Nov. 6 Stephen L. Nass (inc) Republican 59,512 95.89% Steve M. Johnson (write-in) Ind. 53 0.09% 62,066 57,011
2022 General[37] Nov. 8 Stephen L. Nass (inc) Republican 44,974 58.31% Steven J. Doelder Dem. 32,087 41.60% 77,123 12,887

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Nass, Stephen L. 1952". Wisconsin Historical Society. Retrieved August 8, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c Senator Stephen L. Nass: Senate District 11, Wisconsin State Legislature.
  3. ^ a b Scott Bauer, Wisconsin Assembly passes COVID-19 bill Senate GOP opposes, Associated Press (January 7, 2021).
  4. ^ a b Todd Richmond, GOP resurrects bill to make English official language, Associated Press (January 6, 2020).
  5. ^ a b Finkelmeyer, Todd (November 24, 2010). "Campus Connection: UW critic Nass secures key post". The Capital Times.
  6. ^ a b Cara Lombardo, Student guilty of black church arsons wants pro-white group, Associated Press (January 27, 2017).
  7. ^ a b "Republican-led committee votes to block UW campuses' COVID-19 requirements; UW-Madison immediately issues mask mandate". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 2021-08-04.
  8. ^ a b Todd Richmond, Regent leader selects Tommy Thompson as interim UW president, Associated Press (June 19, 2020).
  9. ^ Foley, Ryan J. (July 25, 2007). "Legislator Takes Aim at UW Programs". Wisconsin State Journal. Associated Press.
  10. ^ Paul Soglin (July 26, 2007). "Steve Nass: An Embarrassment To Wisconsin". Waxing America.
  11. ^ Simms, Patricia (May 18, 2010). "Madison tries a European idea to improve bike safety". Wisconsin State Journal.
  12. ^ a b Simms, Patricia (May 22, 2010). "State rep wants to stop city's use of Euro-style bike markers". Wisconsin State Journal.
  13. ^ Fanlund, Paul (June 9, 2010). "Firing back at Madison's critics a capital idea". Wisconsin State Journal.
  14. ^ Todd Richmond, Wisconsin taxpayers spent nearly $41K on senators’ travel, Associated Press (June 25, 2018).
  15. ^ Editorial Roundup: Excerpts from recent Wisconsin editorials, Associated Press (December 16, 2019).
  16. ^ Scott Bauer, Republicans accuse Evers of stoking COVID-19 fears, Associated Press (April 10, 2020).
  17. ^ Scott Bauer, Wisconsin governor orders masks statewide amid virus surge, Associated Press (July 30, 2020).
  18. ^ Todd Richmond, calls lack of 2nd vaccine doses 'slap in the face', Associated Press (January 15, 2021).
  19. ^ "Republican to block UW virus testing, vaccination rules". AP NEWS. 2021-07-29. Retrieved 2021-07-29.
  20. ^ "Evers signs budget as guv, lawmakers beat reconciliation bill across finish line". WisPolitics. July 2, 2025. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
  21. ^ "Sen. Nass: Vos-Evers budget – an orgy in spending". WisPolitics. July 2, 2025. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
  22. ^ a b Barish, Lawrence S.; Theobald, H. Rupert, eds. (1991). "Elections". State of Wisconsin 1991–1992 Blue Book (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. pp. 901, 917. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
  23. ^ Barish, Lawrence S.; Meloy, Patricia E., eds. (1993). "Elections". State of Wisconsin 1993–1994 Blue Book (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. p. 922. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
  24. ^ Barish, Lawrence S.; Meloy, Patricia E., eds. (1995). "Elections". State of Wisconsin 1995–1996 Blue Book (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. p. 922. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
  25. ^ Barish, Lawrence S.; Meloy, Patricia E., eds. (1997). "Elections". State of Wisconsin 1997–1998 Blue Book (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. p. 903. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
  26. ^ Barish, Lawrence S.; Meloy, Patricia E., eds. (1999). "Elections". State of Wisconsin 1999–2000 Blue Book (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. p. 882. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
  27. ^ Results of Fall General Election - 11/07/2000 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin State Elections Board. May 10, 2001. p. 20. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 10, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
  28. ^ Results of Fall General Election - 11/05/2002 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin State Elections Board. December 2, 2002. p. 21. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 12, 2020. Retrieved August 7, 2025 – via Wayback Machine.
  29. ^ Results of Fall General Election - 11/02/2004 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin State Elections Board. December 1, 2004. p. 21. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 11, 2022. Retrieved August 7, 2025 – via Wayback Machine.
  30. ^ Results of Fall General Election - 11/07/2006 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin State Elections Board. December 5, 2006. p. 22. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 15, 2020. Retrieved August 7, 2025 – via Wayback Machine.
  31. ^ Results of Fall General Election - 11/04/2008 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin State Elections Board. December 1, 2008. p. 19. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 21, 2020. Retrieved August 8, 2025 – via Wayback Machine.
  32. ^ Results of Fall Partisan Primary - 9/14/2010 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. October 4, 2010. pp. 33–34. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 17, 2020. Retrieved August 8, 2025 – via Wayback Machine.
  33. ^ Results of Fall General Election - 11/02/2010 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. December 1, 2010. p. 16. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 21, 2020. Retrieved August 8, 2025 – via Wayback Machine.
  34. ^ Canvass Results for 2012 Presidential and General Election - 11/6/2012 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. December 26, 2012. p. 16. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 5, 2020. Retrieved August 8, 2025 – via Wayback Machine.
  35. ^ Canvass Results for 2014 General Election - 11/4/2014 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. November 26, 2014. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 21, 2020. Retrieved August 8, 2025 – via Wayback Machine.
  36. ^ Canvass Results for 2018 General Election - 11/6/2018 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. February 22, 2019. p. 7. Retrieved August 8, 2025.
  37. ^ Canvass Results for 2022 General Election - 11/8/2022 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. November 30, 2022. p. 6. Retrieved August 8, 2025.
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