Roger Roth | |
|---|---|
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| President of theWisconsin Senate | |
| In office January 3, 2017 – January 4, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Mary Lazich |
| Succeeded by | Chris Kapenga |
| Member of theWisconsin Senate from the19th district | |
| In office January 3, 2015 – January 3, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Michael Ellis |
| Succeeded by | Rachael Cabral-Guevara |
| Member of theWisconsin State Assembly from the56th district | |
| In office January 1, 2007 – January 3, 2011 | |
| Preceded by | Terri McCormick |
| Succeeded by | Michelle Litjens |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1978-02-05)February 5, 1978 (age 48) Appleton, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | Rebecca Roth |
| Children | 5 |
| Relatives | Toby Roth (uncle) |
| Education | University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh(BA) |
Roger James Roth Jr. (born February 5, 1978)[1] is an American politician fromAppleton, Wisconsin. He was a member of theWisconsin Senate for eight years, representingWisconsin's 19th Senate district from 2015 to 2023, and was president of the Senate during the2017–2018 and2019–2020 legislative terms. Before serving in the Senate, he was a member of theWisconsin State Assembly, representingWisconsin's 56th Assembly district for two terms from January 2007 until January 2011.
He was the Republican nominee forLieutenant Governor of Wisconsin in the2022 election, and ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination forU.S. House of Representatives inWisconsin's 8th congressional district in 2024. His uncle,Toby Roth, was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for nine terms.
Roth was born inAppleton, Wisconsin on February 5, 1978.[1] Roth graduated fromSt. Mary Central High School inNeenah, Wisconsin in 1996 and received his bachelor's degree from theUniversity of Wisconsin–Oshkosh in 2001.[1][2] He was a member of "Studentsfor Bush" while in college, and also worked onTommy Thompson's reelection campaign.[2] Prior to entering politics, Roth worked for his family's homebuilding business.[2] In 2003, Roth joined theWisconsin Air National Guard; he served four tours of duty during theIraq War, doingF-16 maintenance.[2]
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Roth was a member of theWisconsin State Assembly as aRepublican from 2007 to 2011.[1] He supported a resolution backing a Republican lawsuit challenging theAffordable Care Act, the federalhealth care reform legislation signed into law by PresidentBarack Obama.[3] Roth called for therepeal of the ACA.[4]
In 2010, Roth sought the Republican nomination for theU.S. House of Representatives seat fromWisconsin's 8th congressional district, seeking to challenge incumbent Democratic RepresentativeSteve Kagen.[4] However, Roth was defeated byReid Ribble in the Republicanprimary election.[2][5]
In the 2014 election, Roth ran for theWisconsin State Senate againstPenny Bernard Schaber in the19th state Senate district to replace longtime incumbentMichael Ellis, who retired after holding the seat since 1982.[2] The seat coveredAppleton and a large portion of theFox Valley.[2] Roth won the November 2014 election.[6][7] Roth was reelected to the state Senate in 2018, defeating Democratic nomineeLee Snodgrass.[8] Roth considered seeking the 2016 Republican nomination to fill the U.S. House seat held by Ribble, who decided not to seek reelection.[9] However, Roth ultimately chose not to run.[10]
In 2017, Roth introduced legislation in the state Senate that would abolish theWisconsin Department of Natural Resources permitting system forwetland filling, allowing developers to fill state wetlands without oversight. Fellow RepublicanJim Steineke introduced a companion bill in the state Assembly. The bill was opposed by environmental and conservation groups.[11][12] The bill was unsuccessful.[13]
As Senate president, Roth opposed proposals to legalizemarijuana in Wisconsin.[14]
In January 2019, Roth falsely claimed that Wisconsin Republicans did not curb the powers of the incoming Democratic administration of GovernorTony Evers and State Attorney GeneralJosh Kaul, during thelame-duck session. In fact, after Evers and Kaul unseated Republicans in the 2018 election, the Republican-majority state legislature passed, and outgoing Republican GovernorScott Walker signed, an array of last-minute bills transferring various powers from the executive to the legislature.[15]
In 2020, Roth proposed a resolution in the Wisconsin Senate, condemninghuman rights abuses and atrocities by thePeople's Republic of China and theChinese Communist Party, including theoccupation of Tibet,persecution of Uyghurs,harvesting of organs from Falun Gong practitioners and other political prisoners, and restrictions on religious freedom and freedom of speech; the resolution criticized Chinese propaganda efforts and accused the Chinese government of sustainedintellectual property theft.[16]
In January 2021, amida campaign by President Donald Trump to subvert his defeat by Joe Biden in the2020 presidential election, Roth opposed a resolution in the Wisconsin Senate to affirm Biden's victory and condemn theU.S. Capitol attack.[17]
As chairman of the Senate Committee on Universities and Technical Colleges, Roth blocked the Evers' nominees to the state technical college system board; years into Evers' governorship, the committee had refused to confirm Evers's nominees while allowing Walker's appointees to continue to serve even though their terms were expired.[18]
In 2021, Roth and fellow RepublicanShae Sortwell proposed an amendment to the Wisconsin state Constitution to eliminate elections for the state superintendent, state treasurer, and secretary of state (all positions currently held by Democrats). Roth and Sortwell's proposed amendment would convert these positions into appointed posts filled by the governor with confirmation by the state Senate.[19]
On February 27, 2022, Roth announced his campaign for Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin, with a sizeable funding lead compared to his opponents.[20] On August 9, 2022, he won the primary alongside Trump-endorsed gubernatorial candidate and businessman Tim Michels. On November 8, 2022, the pair lost to the Democratic ticket of incumbent GovernorTony Evers and State RepresentativeSara Rodriguez in thegeneral election.[21]
In February 2024,Wisconsin's 8th congressional district incumbent,Mike Gallagher, announced he would not run for re-election. Within hours, Roth announced his campaign to succeed Gallagher in theU.S. House of Representatives.[22] The open seat in the Republican-trending district attracted several prominent Republicans to consider bids, but ultimately only two others entered the race—state senatorAndré Jacque and gas station chain ownerTony Wied. After trying to distance himself from Donald Trump in his 2022 campaign, in 2024 Roth endorsed Trump and sought his endorsement. Trump, however, endorsed the political newcomer, Wied. Trump then went on to attack Roth, saying, "Tony is running against RINO Roger Roth, who is a 'clone' ofPaul Ryan, and no friend to MAGA — He should drop out of the Race NOW." Despite Trump's attacks, Roth maintained his support for Trump. Wied prevailed in the primary, receiving 41% of the vote to Roth's 34%.[23]
Roger Roth Jr. is the second of four sons born to Roger Roth Sr. and his wife Karen (née Schaefer).[24] Roger Roth Sr. is a retired realtor and a younger brother ofToby Roth, who served 18 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Wisconsin's 8th congressional district.[2]
| Year | Election | Date | Elected | Defeated | Total | Plurality | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Primary[25] | Sep. 12 | Roger J. Roth Jr. | Republican | 3,411 | 60.41% | Jeanne A. Krueger | Rep. | 1,134 | 20.09% | 5,646 | 2,277 |
| Bob Wallis | Rep. | 1,098 | 19.45% | |||||||||
| General[26] | Nov. 7 | Roger J. Roth Jr. | Republican | 15,472 | 59.04% | Susan Garcia Franz | Dem. | 10,722 | 40.91% | 26,208 | 4,750 | |
| 2008 | General[27] | Nov. 4 | Roger J. Roth Jr. (inc) | Republican | 20,971 | 59.66% | Susan Garcia Franz | Dem. | 14,144 | 40.24% | 35,149 | 6,827 |
| Year | Election | Date | Elected | Defeated | Total | Plurality | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Primary[28] | Sep. 14 | Reid Ribble | Republican | 38,521 | 47.95% | Roger Roth | Rep. | 25,704 | 32.00% | 80,336 | 12,817 |
| Terri McCormick | Rep. | 14,107 | 17.56% | |||||||||
| Marc Savard | Rep. | 1,968 | 2.45% | |||||||||
| Year | Election | Date | Elected | Defeated | Total | Plurality | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | General[29] | Nov. 4 | Roger J. Roth Jr. | Republican | 41,628 | 57.17% | Penny Bernard Schaber | Dem. | 31,135 | 42.76% | 72,815 | 10,493 |
| 2018 | General[30] | Nov. 6 | Roger J. Roth Jr. (inc) | Republican | 43,493 | 53.23% | Lee Snodgrass | Dem. | 38,179 | 46.73% | 81,701 | 5,314 |
| Year | Election | Date | Elected | Defeated | Total | Plurality | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Primary[31] | Aug. 14 | Roger Roth | Republican | 178,972 | 30.08% | Patrick Testin | Rep. | 109,374 | 18.38% | 595,001 | 69,598 |
| Cindy Werner | Rep. | 80,953 | 13.61% | |||||||||
| Jonathan Wichmann | Rep. | 79,166 | 13.31% | |||||||||
| Will Martin | Rep. | 54,790 | 9.21% | |||||||||
| Kyle Yudes | Rep. | 32,051 | 5.39% | |||||||||
| David C. Varnam | Rep. | 30,640 | 5.15% | |||||||||
| David D. King | Rep. | 27,443 | 4.61% | |||||||||
| General[32] | Nov. 8 | Tony Evers (inc) Sara Rodriguez | Democratic | 1,358,774 | 51.15% | Tim Michels Roger Roth | Rep. | 1,268,535 | 47.75% | 2,656,490 | 90,239 | |
| Joan Ellis Beglinger(withdrawn) N/A | Ind. | 27,198 | 1.02% | |||||||||
| Seth Haskin (write-in) N/A | Ind. | 104 | 0.00% | |||||||||
| Year | Election | Date | Elected | Defeated | Total | Plurality | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 (special) | Primary[33] | Aug. 13 | Tony Wied | Republican | 42,610 | 42.48% | Roger Roth | Rep. | 31,874 | 32.53% | 97,993 | 10,736 |
| André Jacque | Rep. | 23,509 | 23.99% | |||||||||
| 2024 | Primary[34] | Aug. 13 | Tony Wied (inc) | Republican | 41,937 | 42.13% | Roger Roth | Rep. | 34,344 | 34.51% | 99,532 | 7,593 |
| André Jacque | Rep. | 23,186 | 23.30% | |||||||||
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Republican nominee forLieutenant Governor of Wisconsin 2022 | Most recent |
| Wisconsin State Assembly | ||
| Preceded by | Member of theWisconsin State Assemblyfrom the56th district January 1, 2007 – January 3, 2011 | Succeeded by |
| Wisconsin Senate | ||
| Preceded by | Member of theWisconsin Senatefrom the19th district January 3, 2015 – January 3, 2023 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | President of theWisconsin Senate 2017–2021 | Succeeded by |