Ben Brancel
{{Short description|American politician (born 1950)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Ben Brancel
|image =
|order = 7th & 10th
|title = Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection
|governor = Scott Walker
| term_start = January 3, 2011
| term_end = August 13, 2017
| predecessor = Randall Romanski (acting)
| successor = Sheila Harsdorf
|governor1 = Tommy Thompson
| term_start1 = November 2, 1997
| term_end1 = February 15, 2001
| predecessor1 = Joseph E. Tregoning (acting)
| successor1 = James Harsdorf
|order2 = 73rd
|office2 = Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly
| term_start2 = January 3, 1997
| term_end2 = November 2, 1997
| predecessor2 = David Prosser Jr.
| successor2 = Scott Jensen
|state_assembly3 = Wisconsin
|district3 = 42nd
| term_start3 = January 5, 1987
| term_end3 = November 2, 1997
| predecessor3 = Tommy Thompson
| successor3 = Joan Wade
|party = Republican
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1950|7|31}}
|birth_place = Portage, Wisconsin
|death_date =
|death_place =
|spouse = Gail
|alma_mater = University of Wisconsin–Platteville
}}
Ben Brancel (born July 31, 1950) is a retired American farmer and Republican politician from Marquette County, Wisconsin. He served as the 7th and 10th secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, during the administrations of governors Tommy Thompson and Scott Walker. Earlier, he was the 73rd speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly, having served 10 years in the Assembly, representing the 42nd Assembly district.{{cite web | url=https://datcp.wi.gov/Pages/About_Us/Leadership.aspx | title=DATCP Home Leadership }}
Biography
Born in Portage, Wisconsin, Brancel graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Platteville. Brancel served on the town board and board of education. Brancel managed a dairy operation for 22 years and now runs a 290-acre family farm with his wife, son, and daughter-in-law. From 1987 until 1997, he served in the Wisconsin State Assembly representing District 42, and served as Speaker of the House.{{cite web|url=http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/dictionary/index.asp?action=view&term_id=1890&search_term=brancel |title=Brancel, Ben 1950 |publisher=Wisconsin Historical Society |date=1950-07-31 |accessdate=2013-02-03}} In 1997, Brancel resigned from the Wisconsin Assembly to serve as Wisconsin Secretary of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection in Governor Tommy Thompson's administration. He served in that capacity until 2001.{{cite web |url=http://www.wisconsinacademy.org/idea/index.php?category_id=33568&subcategory_id=4840 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130416065851/http://www.wisconsinacademy.org/idea/index.php?category_id=33568&subcategory_id=4840 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-04-16 |title=Wisconsin Initiatives |publisher=Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters |accessdate=2013-02-03 }} In 2001, Brancel was appointed as director of the Wisconsin Farm Service Agency by the Bush Administration, where he served until early 2009.{{Cite web |title=Aug2008.pub |url=https://www.fsa.usda.gov/Internet/FSA_File/aug08_newsletter.pdf |access-date=February 22, 2023 |website=USDA FSA}} Later that year, he served as the part-time state relations liaison for the University of Wisconsin-Madison's College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.
In January 2011, Brancel was appointed by Governor Scott Walker to serve as Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection Secretary once again.{{Cite web |url=http://walker.wi.gov/cabinet-bio/ben-brancel |title=Ben Brancel | Office of the Governor - Scott Walker |access-date=2016-07-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160714233944/http://walker.wi.gov/cabinet-bio/ben-brancel# |archive-date=2016-07-14 |url-status=dead }}
References
{{reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-par|us-wi-hs}}
{{s-bef|before = Tommy Thompson }}
{{s-ttl|title = {{nowrap|Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly}} {{nowrap|from the 42nd district}} |years= January 5, 1987{{spnd}}November 2, 1997 }}
{{s-aft|after = Joan Wade }}
{{s-bef|before = David Prosser Jr. }}
{{s-ttl|title = Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly |years= January 3, 1997{{spnd}}November 2, 1997 }}
{{s-aft|after = Scott Jensen }}
{{s-gov}}
{{s-bef|before = Joseph E. Tregoning (acting) }}
{{s-ttl|title = Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection |years= November 2, 1997{{spnd}}February 15, 2001 }}
{{s-aft|after = James Harsdorf }}
{{s-bef|before = Randall Romanski (acting) }}
{{s-ttl|title = Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection |years= January 3, 2011{{spnd}}August 13, 2017 }}
{{s-aft|after = Sheila Harsdorf }}
{{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brancel, Ben}}
Category:People from Portage, Wisconsin
Category:Politicians from Columbia County, Wisconsin
Category:University of Wisconsin–Platteville alumni
Category:Speakers of the Wisconsin State Assembly
Category:Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly
Category:State cabinet secretaries of Wisconsin
Category:20th-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature
{{Wisconsin-WIAssembly-Republican-1950s-stub}}