David Travis

Travis was born September 21, 1948. He earned his bachelor's degree from University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and went on to earn his master's from the Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He also attended Madison Area Technical College and Bindl Flight School, in Waunakee, Wisconsin, where he earned a private pilot's license.{{cite web|url= https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS13761 |title= Travis, David M. 1948 |website= Wisconsin Historical Society |accessdate= October 25, 2021 }}

After receiving his bachelor's degree, Travis went to work as an administrative assistant for the Wisconsin Senate Democratic Caucus. By 1974, he had risen to become staff director for the caucus.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/87743955/caucus-staff/ |title= Caucus Staffs Admit Abuse Potential |newspaper= The Capital Times |date= June 5, 1974 |page= 27 |accessdate= October 25, 2021 |via= Newspapers.com }}

In 1978, incumbent assemblymember Peter D. Bear announced he would run for Wisconsin State Senate, creating a vacancy in Wisconsin's 37th Assembly district.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/87744376/bear-for-state-senate/ |title= Peter Bear to run for State Senate |newspaper= Wisconsin State Journal |date= December 22, 1977 |page= 4 |accessdate= October 25, 2021 |via= Newspapers.com }} Travis decided to run in the Democratic primary, and prevailed in a field of five candidates that included future Wisconsin Senate Democratic leader Charles Chvala.{{cite report|url= http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBk1979 |title= The state of Wisconsin 1979-1980 Blue Book |year= 1979 |publisher= Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau |editor-last1= Theobald |editor-first1= H. Rupert |editor-last2= Robbins |editor-first2= Patricia V. |chapter-url= https://images.library.wisc.edu/WI/EFacs/WIBlueBks/BlueBks/WIBlueBk1979/reference/wi.wibluebk1979.i0016.pdf |chapter= Elections |pages= 906, 925 |accessdate= October 25, 2021 }}

Over the next five years, Wisconsin would go through two significant redistrictings. In 1982, after the Legislature and Governor failed to agree on a map reflecting the 1980 United States census, a federal court ordered the implementation of their own map, which was designed to punish incumbent legislators. Travis' district shifted from a mostly urban district on Madison's north side to the new 93rd Assembly district, which was composed of most of northwestern Dane County. He survived a competitive general election and returned to office in 1983, where the new Legislature set about creating a new redistricting plan to override the court-ordered plan. Under the new map, Travis resided in the new 81st Assembly district, which would be his constituency for the remainder of his career. He was re-elected twelve more times in the 81st district.

Travis announced in May 2007 that he would not run for a 16th term in the Assembly.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/87745984/travis-retiring/ |title= Travis won't seek Assembly re-election |newspaper= Wisconsin State Journal |date= May 17, 2007 |page= 3 |accessdate= October 25, 2021 |via= Newspapers.com }}

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• [https://web.archive.org/web/20061110043134/http://www.legis.state.wi.us/assembly/asm81/a81bio.html Official website] at Wisconsin Legislature (Archived November 10, 2006)
• Follow the Money - David Travis
• [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=87624 2006] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=68337 2004] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=8477 2002] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=58619 2000] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=56895 1998] campaign contributions

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{{s-ttl|title = {{nowrap|Majority Leader of the Wisconsin State Assembly}}|years= January 7, 1991{{spaced ndash}}January 2, 1995 }}

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Category:1948 births

Category:Living people

Category:Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs alumni

Category:University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee alumni

Category:People from Waunakee, Wisconsin

Category:Politicians from Dane County, Wisconsin

Category:Democratic Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly

Category:21st-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature

Category:20th-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature