Robert Cowles

Robert Cowles was born and raised and lived most of his life in Green Bay, Wisconsin. He attended the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay, earning his bachelor's degree in math and science in 1975. After graduating, he briefly pursued his master's in public administration at University of Wisconsin–Green Bay, but did not complete that degree.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette-cowles-for-assem/136910819/ |title= Cowles: Curb Bureaucracy |newspaper= Green Bay Press-Gazette |date= October 30, 1978 |first= Mary |last= Olszewski |page= 45 |accessdate= December 16, 2023 |via= Newspapers.com }}{{cite report|url= https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/misc/lrb/blue_book/2011_2012 |title= State of Wisconsin 2011–2012 Blue Book |year= 2011 |publisher= Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau |editor-last1= Barish |editor-first1= Lawrence S. |editor-last2= Lemanski |editor-first2= Lynn |isbn= 978-0-9752820-1-4 |chapter-url= https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/misc/lrb/blue_book/2011_2012/200_biographies.pdf |chapter= Biographies |page= 22 |accessdate= December 16, 2023 }}{{cite web|url= https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2023/legislators/senate/2414 |title= Senator Robert L. Cowles (2023) |website= Wisconsin Legislature |accessdate= December 16, 2023 }}{{cite web|url= https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS6733 |title= Cowles, Robert L. 1950 |website= Wisconsin Historical Society |accessdate= December 16, 2023 }}

He was formerly a director of an alternative energy division for a communications construction company.Julie Pohlman (ed.) [http://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/misc/lrb/blue_book/2015_2016/200_biographies.pdf State of Wisconsin 2015-2016 Blue Book]. Madison: Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau, 2015, p. 22.

Despite his parents being prominent local Republicans, Cowles became active in politics with the Democratic Party during his college years. In 1974, he was a campaign co-chairman for unsuccessful Democratic Wisconsin State Assembly candidate Jon A. LeDuc.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette-leduc-assembly-c/136913601/ |title= LeDuc Group Formed Here |newspaper= Green Bay Press-Gazette |date= September 27, 1974 |page= 21 |accessdate= December 16, 2023 |via= Newspapers.com }} During the 1976 Democratic Party presidential primaries he was an organizer in Wisconsin for Arizona U.S. representative Mo Udall's presidential campaign. He was also active in the United States Junior Chamber, and was president of the group in 1977.{{Cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette-cowles-assembly/136914150/ |title= Cowles |page= A8 |newspaper= Green Bay Press-Gazette |date= September 6, 1978 |accessdate= December 16, 2023 |via= Newspapers.com }}

In 1978, Cowles made his first bid for state elected office. He ran for Wisconsin State Assembly in what was then the 4th Assembly district; in the Democratic primary, he faced the candidate he had previously worked for, Jon A. LeDuc, who was then making his third bid for election to the Assembly. Cowles and LeDuc ran on nearly identical policy platforms, both arguing for cuts to state bureaucracy and both proposing a plan for indexing the state income tax to inflation. For Wisconsin's then-surplus, they also both advocated sending the money to municipalities in shared revenue as part of a program for municipalities to cut property taxes.{{Cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette-cowles-asm-4th/136914583/ |title= Robert Cowles |first= Mary |last= Olszewski |newspaper= Green Bay Press-Gazette |page= A7 |accessdate= December 16, 2023 |via= Newspapers.com }}{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette-leduc-asm-4th/136914652/ |title= Jon Le Duc |first= Mary |last= Olszewski |newspaper= Green Bay Press-Gazette |page= A7 |accessdate= December 16, 2023 |via= Newspapers.com }} Cowles prevailed in the primary, receiving 57% of the vote, but was defeated in the general election by Republican Gary T. Dilweg.{{cite report|url= https://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/KCFKES24WHTNW8F |title= The State of Wisconsin Blue Book 1979–1980 |year= 1979 |publisher= Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau |editor-last1= Theobald |editor-first1= Rupert H. |editor-last2= Robbins |editor-first2= Patricia V. |chapter= Elections in Wisconsin |pages= [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AKCFKES24WHTNW8F/full/AAXNJJPI5U6Q4O8Q 905], [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AKCFKES24WHTNW8F/full/ACQZTV6RGXWFPU8F 924] |accessdate= December 16, 2023 }}

After losing the 1978 election, Cowles reduced his political activity and re-emerged in 1982 as a Republican. On his party-change, he explained that he found the Republican Party better fit his conservative political philosophy.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette-republican-assem/136930589/ |title= Dernbach, Cowles seek GOP nod in new Assembly district |newspaper= Green Bay Press-Gazette |date= July 12, 1982 |first= Joanne |last= Zipperer |page= 2 |accessdate= December 16, 2023 |via= Newspapers.com }}

That year, he ran for Assembly again in what was then the 75th Assembly district under the 1982 court-ordered redistricting plan. He faced two opponents in the Republican primary, but prevailed with 50% of the vote. He went on to defeat Democrat Joel Edler in the general election, receiving 56% of the vote.{{Cite report|url= https://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/ZJZ7PTZ7WFUWF8X |title= State of Wisconsin Blue Book 1983–1984 |year= 1983 |publisher= Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau |editor-last1= Theobald |editor-first1= Rupert H. |editor-last2= Robbins |editor-first2= Patricia V. |chapter= Elections in Wisconsin |pages= [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AZJZ7PTZ7WFUWF8X/full/AA5C5LFFCVPGDB86891], [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AZJZ7PTZ7WFUWF8X/full/ABOSXY26B5F5SH8P 912] |accessdate= December 16, 2023 }} Another redistricting act was passed in 1983, Cowles ran for his second term in 1984 in what was then the 6th Assembly district. He prevailed in another contested primary, and went on to defeat Democrat Gregory Kirschling in the general election.{{cite report|url= https://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/TH64IFYQF6YFR8L |title= State of Wisconsin Blue Book 1985–1986 |year= 1985 |publisher= Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau |editor-last1= Theobald |editor-first1= Rupert H. |editor-last2= Robbins |editor-first2= Patricia V. |chapter= Elections in Wisconsin |pages= [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/ATH64IFYQF6YFR8L/full/AQ2NACVYGE6FU58Y 906], [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/ATH64IFYQF6YFR8L/full/AQHTY3XUAPW3C69C 925] |accessdate= December 16, 2023 }}{{cite report|url= https://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/KW3XV2DGSUDCO8L |title= State of Wisconsin Blue Book 1987–1988 |year= 1987 |publisher= Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau |editor-last1= Theobald |editor-first1= Rupert H. |editor-last2= Barish |editor-first2= Lawrence S. |chapter= Elections in Wisconsin |pages= [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AKW3XV2DGSUDCO8L/full/A2JXRSDP6UQVKQ8Q 885], [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AKW3XV2DGSUDCO8L/full/A3MZ4TJJ26OFT78P 888], [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AKW3XV2DGSUDCO8L/full/ACMJCG2SD5PXJR8V 904], [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AKW3XV2DGSUDCO8L/full/AP54FLCVJUMRDQ8K 907] |accessdate= December 16, 2023 }}

While Cowles was being re-elected to the assembly in 1986, his district's state senator, Don Hanaway, was being elected Attorney General of Wisconsin. Hanaway still had two years remaining on his term in the Wisconsin Senate, and therefore a special election was called for the spring of 1987 to fill the vacancy in the 2nd Senate district. Cowles was one of four Republicans who entered the special primary to succeed Hanaway, he went on to win the primary with 41% of the vote over state representative Cathy Zeuske and former representative William J. Rogers. In the general election, he defeated Democrat Rosemary Hinkfuss. Since the 1987 special election, Cowles has been re-elected nine times and survived one recall election.

In the 106th Wisconsin Legislature, Cowles chairs the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy; he has been chair of the Senate committee dealing with energy legislation since 2011, and also held the chair multiple times when Republicans held the majority between 1993 and 2006.Previous iterations of committees dealing with energy where Cowles served included the "Senate Committee on Energy, Consumer Protection, and Government Reform" (2013), "Senate Committee on Energy, Biotechnology, and Consumer Protection" (2011), "Senate Committee on Energy, Utilities and Information Technology" (2005), "Senate Committee on Energy and Utilities" (2003), "Senate Committee on Environment and Energy" (1995) He also previously served as co-chair of the Joint Committee on Audit, and he sits on the Senate Committee on Transportation and Local Government; he has sat on the committee responsible for transportation issues since 2013.

{{See also|Wisconsin Senate recall elections, 2011}}

At the start of the 100th Wisconsin Legislature, Cowles supported Governor Scott Walker's controversial "budget repair bill," which passed into law as 2011 Wisconsin Act 10 after months of intense partisan controversy and protest. Much of the controversy was caused by a provision of the law which removed the rights of public employee unions to engage in collective bargaining with state and municipal governments. The law's passage launched a state-wide effort to recall state elected officials who had supported the bill, and Cowles was one of the state senators targeted in that recall effort.

March 2, 2011, the "Committee to Recall Cowles" registered with the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board.{{cite web |title=Committee to Recall Cowles |url=http://gab.wi.gov/node/1652 |publisher=Wisconsin Government Accountability Board |date=March 9, 2011 |accessdate=April 16, 2011}} On April 28, roughly 26,000 signatures to recall Cowles were filed with the Government Accountability Board. In late May 2011, the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board verified petitions against Cowles.{{cite web|url=http://ballotnews.org/2011/05/31/gab-certifies-recalls-for-cowles-darling-and-harsdorf/ |title=GAB certifies recalls for Cowles, Darling and Harsdorf | Ballotnews |publisher=Ballotnews.org |date=2011-05-31 |accessdate=2011-06-27}} The recall election was held on August 9, 2011, with Cowles defeating the Democratic challenger, Nancy Nusbaum, 60 percent to 40 percent.Barbour, Clay and Mary Spicuzza. "[http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/elections/article_0eab6966-c2a9-11e0-a206-001cc4c03286.html Republicans hold off Dems in recalls, win enough seats to keep majority in Senate]", Wisconsin State Journal, August 10, 2011.

The 2024 redistricting act substantially redrew the maps in the Green Bay area. Cowles was drawn out of his 2nd Senate district seat and into the 30th Senate district with two other incumbent Republican state senators. Cowles initially announced he would relocate to the new 2nd Senate district, but later announced that he would retire and end his 42 year legislative career.{{cite news|url= https://fox11online.com/news/political/robert-cowles-wisconsin-state-senate-longest-serving-member-legislature-retirement-non-candidacy-allouez-green-bay-area-redistricting |title= Cowles, Wisconsin Senate's longest-serving member, will not seek reelection |date= April 8, 2024 |work= WLUK-TV |accessdate= April 8, 2024 }}

Just before the 2024 election, Cowles announced that he would vote for the Democratic Party presidential nominee, Kamala Harris, and stated that Donald Trump "has to be defeated". In announcing his decision, Cowles said, "I really think this is one of the most important things I've done... Cowles made this announcement in an episode of the Civic Media show, “Rational Revolution,” hosted by Mark Becker on October 24th 2024, Just before the Presidential Election, hoping to move the Needle. Cowles Said I believe this guy Trump is a Totalitarian and very much a Fascist,” said Cowles. The big picture that really came to me in recent days, in the last week, is thinking about thinking about fascism in World War II, and members of my own family that fought the fascists both in Japan and Germany, and all the guys that are buried all over the place of this country, in Arlington, he said. During the Radio show, Becker played a clip from Liz Cheney’s recent speech in Ripon, Wisconsin, endorsing Harris, and Cowles talked about agreeing with all of what she had to say. Hopefully, people will accept that and listen to me, those that have trusted me and believed in me will think about that, and if they're undecided, that we have to make a change here... Trump has to be defeated, and we have to protect the Constitution. And the country will go on, even with some liberal things that Harris might do, or might not do... You have to have the foundation of the Constitution, to protect democracy. If you don't have that, we will disappear."{{cite news|url= https://civicmedia.us/news/2024/10/24/exclusive-republican-state-senator-rob-cowles-i-plan-on-voting-for-harris |title= EXCLUSIVE: Republican State Sen. Rob Cowles: 'I plan on voting for Harris' |first= Dan |last= Shafer |date= October 24, 2024 |work= Civic Media |accessdate= October 24, 2024 }}

Robert Cowles III is the eldest of three sons born to Robert Cowles Jr. and his wife Margaret ({{nee}} Lindstrom). Robert Cowles Jr. was a mechanical engineer and a co-founder of Marathon Engineering; he was also an original shareholder in the Green Bay Packers.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-post-crescent-robert-cowles-jr-obit/136917499/ |title= Cowles, Robert L., Jr. "Bob" |newspaper= The Post-Crescent |date= October 1, 2011 |page= 17 |accessdate= December 16, 2023 |via= Newspapers.com }} His father, Robert Cowles Sr., was a prominent physician and civic leader in Green Bay.{{Cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette-robert-cowles-sr/136916287/ |title= Dr. Robert L. Cowles Dies After Long Illness |newspaper= Green Bay Press-Gazette |date= February 23, 1962 |page= 1 |accessdate= December 16, 2023 |via= Newspapers.com }}

Through his paternal grandmother, Emily Cone Harris ({{nee}} Murphy) Cowles, Cowles was an heir to a portion of the ownership of Horseshoe Bay Farms, Door County Wisconsin, Penobscot Mines Minnesota,The Pacific Lumber Company California, The Morley-Murphy Company, founded by her father, Frank Emery Murphy. Her uncle, William Herbert Murphy, was also a prominent businessman, and was one of the founders of the Lincoln Motor Company.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette-frank-murphy-obi/136931382/ |title= Frank E. Murphy Dies Sunday After a Lengthy Illness |newspaper= Green Bay Press-Gazette |date= August 19, 1934 |page= 3 |accessdate= December 16, 2023 |via= Newspapers.com }}

{{reflist|group= note}}

{{Reflist}}

• [https://legis.wisconsin.gov/senate/02/cowles/ Official legislative website]
• [https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2017/legislators/senate/1502 Voting record and bills authored website]

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Category:1950 births

Category:Living people

Category:Politicians from Green Bay, Wisconsin

Category:University of Wisconsin–Green Bay alumni

Category:Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly

Category:Republican Party Wisconsin state senators

Category:20th-century American Episcopalians

Category:21st-century American Episcopalians

Category:21st-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature

Category:20th-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature