Chester A. Gerlach
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
In office
January 3, 1983  January 7, 1985
Preceded byDaniel Fischer
Succeeded byGervase Hephner
Constituency3rd Assembly district
In office
January 6, 1975  January 3, 1983
Preceded byWilliam P. Atkinson
Succeeded byRonald A. Sell
Constituency21st Assembly district
Personal details
Born (1947-06-26) June 26, 1947
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
Political party
SpouseBarbara
Children3
ResidenceElkhart Lake, Wisconsin
Alma materSt. Norbert College
OccupationEducator, politician, lobbyist (retired)

Chester A. "Chet" Gerlach (born June 26, 1947) is a retired American educator, lobbyist, and Democratic politician. He was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly for five terms, representing Oak Creek and South Milwaukee from 1975 through 1984. After leaving the Assembly, he worked for many years as a lobbyist to the state government.

Early life and education

Gerlach was born on June 26, 1947, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He graduated from Don Bosco High School and went on to earn his bachelor's degree from St. Norbert College in 1969. He then received his teaching certification from University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee in 1972 and worked as a teacher.[1]

Career

Gerlach was first elected to the Assembly in 1974, after he defeated incumbent state representative William P. Atkinson in a Democratic Party primary challenge.[2] He was subsequently re-elected in 1976, 1978, and 1980. Following the court-ordered redistricting in 1982, he was elected to a fifth term in what was then the 3rd Assembly district.[3] While serving in the Assembly, he was elected as assistant majority leader for the 19811982 session.[1]

Another redistricting occurred in 1983, and rather than running for another term in another new district in 1984, he chose to run in the Democratic primary for an open seat in the Wisconsin State Senate. He came in a distant 2nd behind John Plewa, who went on to win the general election.[4]

After leaving office, Gerlach spent much of the next 30 years as a political consultant and lobbyist to the state government. He subsequently moved to Elkhart Lake, in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, where he retired in 2019.[5]

In 2022, Gerlach chose to come out of retirement to enter the race for Wisconsin State Assembly in the 27th Assembly district, where he was then residing. The incumbent Republican had chosen not to run for re-election, and there was only one candidate in the raceRepublican Amy Binsfeld. Gerlach chose to run as an independent, on a platform of bipartisan cooperation in Madison.[5] Binsfeld ultimately prevailed in the 2022 general election with 64% of the vote.[6]

Personal life and family

Chester Gerlach lives with his wife Barbara in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. They have three adult children.[5]

Electoral history

Wisconsin Assembly, 21st district (1974, 1976, 1978, 1980)

Wisconsin Assembly, 21st District Election, 1974[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Primary, September 10, 1974
Democratic Chester A. Gerlach 3,201 55.84%
Democratic William P. Atkinson (incumbent) 1,551 27.06%
Democratic John D. St. John 980 17.10%
Total votes 5,732 100.0%
General Election, November 5, 1974
Democratic Chester A. Gerlach 9,215 100.0%
Total votes 9,215 100.0% -45.92%
Democratic hold
Wisconsin Assembly, 21st District Election, 1976[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 2, 1976
Democratic Chester A. Gerlach (incumbent) 14,847 78.71%
Republican Darlene J. Wink 4,016 21.29%
Plurality 10,831 57.42%
Total votes 18,863 100.0% +104.70%
Democratic hold
Wisconsin Assembly, 21st District Election, 1978[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 7, 1978
Democratic Chester A. Gerlach (incumbent) 10,549 75.27% -3.44%
Republican William A. Rinnemake 3,466 24.73%
Plurality 7,083 50.54% -6.88%
Total votes 14,015 100.0% -25.70%
Democratic hold
Wisconsin Assembly, 21st District Election, 1980[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Primary, September 9, 1980
Democratic Chester A. Gerlach (incumbent) 2,931 68.50%
Democratic Frank L. Chovanec 1,348 31.50%
Total votes 4,279 100.0%
General Election, November 4, 1980
Democratic Chester A. Gerlach (incumbent) 15,062 100.0%
Total votes 15,062 100.0% +7.47%
Democratic hold

Wisconsin Assembly, 3rd district (1982)

Wisconsin Assembly, 3rd District Election, 1982[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Primary, September 14, 1982
Democratic Chester A. Gerlach (incumbent) 6,479 77.71%
Democratic Conrad LeBeau 1,858 22.29%
Total votes 8,337 100.0%
General Election, November 2, 1982
Democratic Chester A. Gerlach (incumbent) 12,764 100.0%
Total votes 12,764 100.0% -35.36%
Democratic hold

Wisconsin Senate (1984)

Wisconsin Senate, 7th District Election, 1984[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Primary, September 11, 1984
Democratic John Plewa 11,603 62.42%
Democratic Chester A. Gerlach 6,582 35.41%
Democratic Roman R. Blenski 405 2.18%
Total votes 18,590 100.0%

Wisconsin Assembly, 27th district (2022)

Wisconsin Assembly, 27th District Election, 2022
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 8, 2022[6]
Republican Amy Binsfeld 17,132 64.41%
Independent Chet Gerlach 9,373 35.24%
Scattering 94 0.35%
Plurality 7,759 29.17%
Total votes 26,599 100.0% -1.31%
Republican hold

References

  1. 1 2 "Gerlach, Chester A. 1947". Wisconsin Historical Society. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
  2. 1 2 "Elections in Wisconsin". The State of Wisconsin Blue Book 1975 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. 1975. pp. 807, 829. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
  3. 1 2 "Elections in Wisconsin". State of Wisconsin Blue Book 19831984 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. 1981. pp. 888, 910. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
  4. 1 2 "Elections in Wisconsin". State of Wisconsin Blue Book 19851986 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. 1985. p. 902. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 Hilty, Maya (November 3, 2022). "Sheboygan County candidates for Wisconsin Assembly District 27 discuss inflation, election integrity, climate change and more". Sheboygan Press. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
  6. 1 2 Canvass Results for 2022 General Election - 11/8/2022 (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. November 30, 2022. p. 14. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
  7. "Elections in Wisconsin". The State of Wisconsin Blue Book 1977 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. 1977. p. 914. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
  8. "Elections in Wisconsin". The State of Wisconsin Blue Book 19791980 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. 1979. p. 924. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
  9. "Elections in Wisconsin". The State of Wisconsin Blue Book 19811982 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. 1981. pp. 894, 915. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
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