Jason Fields

Jason M. Fields (born January 29, 1974) is an American former stockbroker, financial advisor and banker from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He served as a Democratic member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing the 11th Assembly District, from 2004 to 2013. In 2012, Fields was defeated in his bid for re-election in the Democratic primary by Mandela Barnes.

Background

Fields was born in Milwaukee on January 29, 1974, and graduated from Milwaukee Lutheran High School in 1992. He worked as a stockbroker, financial advisor, and banker.

Public office

Fields, who had served as Fourth Congressional District Chairman of the Wisconsin Democratic Party and held other party office, was first elected to the Assembly in 2004, and was thrice reelected from 2006-2010). His committee assignments included those on financial institutions (which he chaired during the 2009-2011 session); insurance; jobs, economy and small business, education reform; transportation; ways and means, workforce development, economic development; and urban and local affairs.

Defeat

In 2012, he lost his bid for reelection in the Democratic primary, falling to Mandela Barnes, son of a public school teacher, who had made major issues of Fields' support for the school voucher program, and Fields’ opposition to limiting interest rates charged by payday loan companies whose charges can exceed a 500% annual percentage rate. (Fields' brother Jarett, who was a candidate for the Democratic nomination in the nearby 19th District, was also defeated.) Fields was one of two veteran Milwaukee-area Democratic incumbents (the other being Peggy Krusick) to be unseated in that August primary by challengers who argued that the incumbent was too conservative to represent the district properly.