Good for him. He’ll be missed in the caucus, but I’m sure his kids will enjoy having their dad to themselves for a while.
Veteran lawmaker Joel Kleefisch said Monday he won’t seek an eighth term in the state Assembly.
Kleefisch, 46, is the latest of a string of Republican lawmakers who have opted not to seek re-election amid mounting enthusiasm among Democrats seeking to recover losses they have incurred in the Legislature over the last eight years.
But Kleefisch said he’s not stepping away from the Legislature — a seat he’s held for 14 years — because of any threat of losing his seat or a tough re-election bid.
“My children have never known a parent outside of elected office,” Kleefisch, R-Concord, told reporters. “It’s time that they get at least one parent without a target on their back.”
Kleefisch, who is married to Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, said he probably won’t seek another elected office and is looking forward to working in the private sector and spending time with his daughters who are 15 and 12.
“My first priority is to give my children a father outside of elected office,” he said. “As far as my future career, I see myself working in the industries that make Wisconsin great.”