Todd Novak

Todd D. Novak (born April 23, 1965) is an American newspaper editor and politician. From Dodgeville, Wisconsin, Novak was the government and assistant editor of the Dodgeville Chronicle newspaper from 1990 until his retirement in 2014. In 2012, Novak was elected mayor of Dodgeville, Wisconsin. On November 4, 2014, Novak was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly, as a Republican, by a margin of 59 votes that later increased to 64 votes. The Democratic opponent Dick Cates conceded the election, on November 13, 2014, instead of asking for a recount. He is openly gay. On taking office, became one of four openly LGBT members of the Wisconsin State Legislature, alongside Sen. Tim Carpenter (D–Milwaukee) and Reps. JoCasta Zamarripa (D–Milwaukee) and Mark Spreitzer (D–Beloit). Novak is the first openly gay Republican to serve in the Wisconsin state legislature. He is currently the only openly gay Republican state legislator in the United States.