Mary Jean Felzkowski (née Behling; born September 25, 1963) is an American businesswoman and Republican politician from northern Wisconsin. She is a member of the Wisconsin Senate, representing Wisconsin's 12th Senate district since 2021. She previously served eight years in the Wisconsin State Assembly, and was assistant minority leader in the 2019–2020 session.
Mary Felzkowski | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Wisconsin Senate from the 12th district | |
| Assumed office January 4, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Tom Tiffany |
| Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the 35th district | |
| In office January 7, 2013 – January 4, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Tom Tiffany |
| Succeeded by | Calvin Callahan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Mary Jean Behling September 25, 1963 Tomahawk, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouses |
|
| Children | 5 |
| Residence | Irma, Wisconsin |
| Alma mater | University of Wisconsin–River Falls (BS) |
| Website | Official website |
She was known as Mary Czaja until her second marriage in 2016. On many official documents after 2017, including the 2018 and 2020 election ballots, her name appeared as Mary Czaja-Felzkowski.[1][2]
Early life and education
Mary Felzkowski was born Mary Jean Behling on September 25, 1963. She graduated from Tomahawk High School before earning a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Economics from the University of Wisconsin–River Falls.[3]
Career
Felzkowski is the owner of CIS Insurance Group in Tomahawk, Wisconsin. In November 2012, she was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly as a Republican, succeeding Tom Tiffany, who was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate.[4]
Felzkowski is a supporter of medical cannabis, and submitted a measure to legalize it in Wisconsin.[5] Felzkowski has also advocated against the expansion of Medicaid.[6] She was chosen by the Republican caucus as the assistant majority leader in the 2019–2020 session.[citation needed]
After incumbent state senator Tom Tiffany was elected to Congress in a 2020 special election, Felzkowski announced that she would run for the seat he was vacating in the Wisconsin Senate.[7] She was unopposed in the Republican primary, and went on to defeat Democrat Ed Vocke in the 2020 general election.[8]
Personal life
Felzkowski has been married twice and has five children. She took the name Mary Czaja after marrying her first husband Bruce Czaja; they divorced in 2011.[9] She subsequently married Jeffery James Felzkowski on December 31, 2016, and took the name Mary Felzkowski.[2][3]
She is a former president of Tomahawk Main Street, Inc., a community organization of Tomahawk businesses, and a former board member and national director of the National Association of Professional Insurance Agents. She is a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association of America.[3]
Electoral history
Wisconsin Assembly (2012–2018)
| Year | Election | Date | Elected | Defeated | Total | Plurality | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | General[10] | Nov. 6 | Mary Czaja | Republican | 15,481 | 53.30% | Kevin Koth | Dem. | 12,149 | 41.83% | 29,045 | 3,332 |
| Patrick K. Tjugum | Ind. | 1,397 | 4.81% | |||||||||
| 2014 | General[11] | Nov. 4 | Mary Czaja (inc) | Republican | 18,713 | 98.58% | 18,982 | 18,444 | ||||
| 2016 | General[12] | Nov. 8 | Mary Czaja (inc) | Republican | 18,622 | 66.02% | Renea Frederick | Dem. | 9,564 | 33.91% | 28,208 | 9,058 |
| 2018 | General[13] | Nov. 6 | Mary Czaja-Felzkowski (inc) | Republican | 16,380 | 62.74% | Mark A. Martello | Dem. | 9,714 | 37.21% | 26,107 | 6,666 |
Wisconsin Senate (2020)
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, November 3, 2020[8] | |||||
| Republican | Mary Czaja-Felzkowski | 67,800 | 65.66% | +2.74% | |
| Democratic | Ed Vocke | 35,386 | 34.27% | ||
| Scattering | 70 | 0.07% | |||
| Plurality | 32,414 | 31.39% | +5.51% | ||
| Total votes | 103,256 | 100.0% | +13.43% | ||
| Republican hold | |||||