| Office | Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly |
|---|---|
| Constituency | 38th district |
| Term start | January 6, 2025 |
| Predecessor | Barbara Dittrich |
| Constituency 1 | 37th district |
| Term start 1 | July 26, 2021 |
| Term end 1 | January 6, 2025 |
| Predecessor 1 | John Jagler |
| Successor 1 | Mark Born |
| Party | Republican |
| Birth date | May 18, 1996 (age 30) |
| Birth place | Kaukauna, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Ripon College (BA) |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | United States Army U.S. Army Reserve |
| Service years | 2015–2019 (USA) 2019–present (USAR) |
| Unit | Military Police Corps |
| Website | Official website |
William L. Penterman (born May 18, 1996) is an American dairy farmer and Republican politician from Columbus, Wisconsin. He is a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing Wisconsin's 38th Assembly district since 2025; he previously represented the 37th Assembly district from July 2021 through January 2025.[1]
Biography
Penterman was born and raised in Wisconsin, working on his family's dairy farm.[2] He attended Ripon College, and while there founded Ripon College's chapter of Young Americans for Freedom—a Conservative youth organization.[2]
Penterman served in the United States Army from 2015 through 2019, in the Military Police Corps, and continues to serve in the United States Army Reserve.[2]
He worked as a legislative assistant in the Wisconsin State Assembly, and was clerk to the Assembly Committee on Campaigns and Elections during the post-election challenges to the results of the 2020 United States presidential election.[2]
In 2021, the 37th State Assembly district became vacant when incumbent John Jagler won a special election to the Wisconsin State Senate. Penterman declared his candidacy and narrowly won a crowded eight-candidate Republican primary.[3] He went on to win the special election with 54% over Democrat Pete Adams.[4]
Penterman won re-election against Dane County Board of Supervisors member, Maureen McCarville in November 2022. [1] In 2024, he defeated Democrat Izzy Nevarez in the 38th assembly district.
Electoral history
Wisconsin Assembly, 37th district (2021, 2022)
| Year | Election | Date | Elected | Defeated | Total | Plurality | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 (special) | Primary[5] | Jun. 15 | William Penterman | Republican | 758 | 19.81% | Jennifer Meinhardt | Rep. | 742 | 19.39% | 3,827 | 16 |
| Debbie Jacques | Rep. | 621 | 16.23% | |||||||||
| Nick Krueger | Rep. | 536 | 14.01% | |||||||||
| Nathan Pollnow | Rep. | 514 | 13.43% | |||||||||
| Steve Kauffeld | Rep. | 434 | 11.34% | |||||||||
| Jenifer Quimby | Rep. | 182 | 4.76% | |||||||||
| Cathy Houchin | Rep. | 39 | 1.02% | |||||||||
| Special[6] | Jul. 13 | William Penterman | Republican | 3,742 | 54.10% | Pete Adams | Dem. | 3,063 | 44.28% | 6,917 | 679 | |
| Stephen W. Ratzlaff Jr. | Ind. | 112 | 1.62% | |||||||||
| 2022 | General[7] | Nov. 8 | William Penterman (inc) | Republican | 15,343 | 55.77% | Maureen McCarville | Dem. | 12,154 | 44.18% | 27,509 | 3,189 |
Wisconsin Assembly, 38th district (2024)
| Year | Election | Date | Elected | Defeated | Total | Plurality | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | General[8] | Nov. 5 | William Penterman | Republican | 22,163 | 67.27% | Izzy Hassey Nevarez | Dem. | 10,745 | 32.61% | 32,948 | 11,418 |
References
- ^ "Monday, July 26, 2021". State of Wisconsin Assembly Journal. One-Hundred and Fifth Regular Session. Wisconsin Legislature. July 26, 2021. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
- ^ "About". Penterman for Assembly. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
- ^ Schmidt, Mitchell (June 16, 2021). "William Penterman holds narrow lead in 37th Assembly District special primary". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
- ^ Schmidt, Mitchell (July 14, 2021). "William Penterman wins special election for 37th Assembly District". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
- ^ AD 37 Special Partisan Primary County by County Report. Wisconsin Elections Commission. June 23, 2021. p. 2. Retrieved January 5, 2026.
- ^ AD 37 Special Election County by County Report. Wisconsin Elections Commission. July 22, 2021. p. 1. Retrieved January 5, 2026.
- ^ Canvass Results for 2022 General Election - 11/8/2022. Wisconsin Elections Commission. November 30, 2022. p. 17. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
- ^ County by County Report - 2024 General Election. Wisconsin Elections Commission. November 27, 2024. p. 38. Retrieved January 5, 2026.