Tim Carpenter

Timothy W. "Tim" Carpenter is a Democratic member of the Wisconsin Senate, representing the 3rd District since 2003. He earlier served in the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing the 20th District from 1985 through 2003.

Carpenter was born on February 24, 1960in Milwaukee and graduated from Pulaski High School. He received a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and a master's degree from University of Wisconsin–Madison after studying at its La Follette Institute.

Carpenter was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1984 and served nine terms representing the 9th Assembly District until 2002, holding the post of Speaker Pro Tempore in 1993. He was first elected to represent Wisconsin's 3rd Senate District in 2002. During the 2007–08 biennium, he served as President Pro Tempore of the Wisconsin State Senate.

During the 2007-08 biennium, he was the chair of the Senate Committee on Public Health, Senior Issues, Long Term Care, and Job Creation. [1]

Carpenter is currently a member of the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services; the Senate Committee of Transportation, Public Safety, and Veterans and Military Affairs; and he serves on the Transportation Projects Commission. [2]

He was also previously the Chair of the Legislative Council Study Committee on addressing recidivism in High-Risk Juvenile Offenders. [3]

2011 Wisconsin protests

During the protests in Wisconsin, Carpenter, along with the 13 other Democratic State Senators, left the state to deny the State Senate a quorum on Governor Scott Walker's controversial "Budget Repair" legislation. Based on the revelations from a prank phone call on Gov. Walker, detailing plans to pass his bill, Carpenter called upon Gov. Walker to resign.

2004 U.S. Congressional campaign

In 2004, Carpenter unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic nomination for United States House of Representatives in the 4th congressional district, losing the primary election to fellow state senator Gwen Moore.

Milwaukee City Treasurer

In February 2012, Carpenter was one of two State Senators (the other being fellow Democrat Spencer Coggs) to win a place on the ballot for Milwaukee City Treasurer in the Spring 2012 election, defeating former State Treasurer Dawn Marie Sass and Socialist Rick Kissell in the non-partisan primary. Coggs polled 13,559 votes; Carpenter 12,880; Sass 5,089 and Kissell 2,241. In the general election, Coggs won 35,096 votes to Carpenter's 34,293.

Carpenter is gay, and is one of four openly LGBT members of the Wisconsin Legislature. He is a member of the Sierra Club; Jackson Park Neighborhood Association; Story Hill Neighborhood Association; and the Milwaukee VA Soldiers Home Advisory Council. [1]