Sheldon Wasserman
{{short description|American politician (born 1961)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific-prefix =
|name = Sheldon Wasserman
|honorific-suffix = M.D.
|image =
|imagesize =
|caption =
|office = Member of the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors {{nowrap|from the 3rd district}}
| term_start = April 2016
| term_end =
| predecessor = Gerry P. Broderick
| successor =
|state1 = Wisconsin
|state_assembly1 = Wisconsin
|district1 = 22nd
| term_start1 = January 2, 1995
| term_end1 = January 5, 2009
| predecessor1 = Polly W. Beal
| successor1 = Sandy Pasch
|party = Democratic
|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1961|8|5}}
|birth_place = Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
|death_date =
|death_place =
|residence = Milwaukee, Wisconsin
|spouse = {{marriage|Wendy Jill Wolfman|1987}}
|children = 3
|alma_mater = University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (B.S.)
Medical College of Wisconsin (M.D.)
|profession = Physician, obstetrician
|website = [https://www.sheldonwasserman.com/ Campaign website]
[https://county.milwaukee.gov/EN/Board-of-Supervisors/Members/Sheldon-A.-Wasserman-3rd-District Official website]
}}
Sheldon Allen Wasserman (born August 5, 1961) is an American physician and Democratic politician from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He served 14 years as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing Wisconsin's 22nd Assembly district from 1995 to 2009. He is now a member of the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors, representing Milwaukee's east side and lakefront since 2016.
Biography
Sheldon Wasserman was born in August 1961, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was raised and educated in Milwaukee, graduating from John Marshall High School in 1979. He attended the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, earning his bachelor's degree in 1983.{{Cite web|url= https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS14110 |title= Wasserman, Sheldon A. 1961 |website= Wisconsin Historical Society |accessdate= December 19, 2024 }} He immediately continued his education at the Medical College of Wisconsin, completing his doctorate in 1987. He moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he performed his medical residency in obstetrics and gynaecology at Bethesda Oak Hospital.
After completing his residency, Wasserman returned to Milwaukee and was employed as an obstetrician at Northpoint Medical Clinic.
Political career
In 1994, Wasserman made his first run for elected office, running for Wisconsin State Assembly. He ran as a Democrat, challenging first term incumbent Republican Polly W. Beal in the 22nd Assembly district. The 22nd district at the time comprised a small part of the northeast part of the city of Milwaukee and all of Milwaukee's northern lakeshore suburbs in northeast Milwaukee County. Nationally, the 1994 election was a Republican wave; Wasserman prevailed in his race by just 488 votes and was the only Democrat to unseat an incumbent Republican in Wisconsin that year.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-news-legislature/161213498/ |title= State Legislature in hands of GOP |newspaper= The West Bend Daily News |date= November 9, 1994 |page= 2 |accessdate= December 19, 2024 |via= Newspapers.com }}
Wasserman was re-elected six times, serving in the Assembly through 2008.
In 2008, rather than running for re-election, Wasserman ran for Wisconsin Senate, challenging incumbent Republican state senator Alberta Darling in the 8th Senate district. The 8th Senate district then comprised the northern quarter of Milwaukee County along with parts of southern Ozaukee County, northeast Waukesha County, and southeast Washington County.{{cite report|url= https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/misc/lrb/blue_book/2007_2008/ |title= State of Wisconsin 2007–2008 Blue Book |year= 2007 |publisher= Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau |isbn= 978-0-9752820-2-1 |editor-last1=Barish |editor-first1= Lawrence S. |editor-last2= Lemanski |editor-first2= Lynn |chapter= Biographies |page= [https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/misc/lrb/blue_book/2007_2008/218_sd_8.pdf 34] |accessdate= December 19, 2024 }} 2008 was a Democratic wave election, but Wasserman fell short in his race, finishing 1,007 votes behind Darling.{{cite news |url=http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/30988069.html |newspaper=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |date=October 14, 2008 |title=Candidates vie over best fit for 8th District |archive-date=November 25, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091125122717/http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/30988069.html |language=en |access-date=23 June 2023 |first=Greg J. |last=Borowski}}
After leaving office in 2009, Wasserman was appointed to the state Medical Examining Board by governor Jim Doyle.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/wisconsin-state-journal-boards/161214714/ |title= Senate confirms three to boards despite protest |newspaper= Wisconsin State Journal |date= April 24, 2009 |first= Scott |last= Bauer |page= 5 |accessdate= December 19, 2024 |via= Newspapers.com }} Three years later, he was elected chairman of the board.
In 2016, after eight years out of politics, Wasserman announced he would run for office again. He ran for the open 3rd district seat on the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors, and was elected without opposition. He is now in his fifth term.{{cite web|url= https://county.milwaukee.gov/EN/Board-of-Supervisors/Members/Sheldon-A.-Wasserman-3rd-District |title= Sheldon A. Wasserman |website= Milwaukee County |accessdate= December 19, 2024 }}
Personal life and family
Sheldon Wasserman is the eldest of three children of Yale and Merle ({{nee}} Weiss) Wasserman.{{Cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-wisconsin-jewish-chronicle-wolfman-w/161206543/ |title= Wendy Wolfman-Sheldon Wasserman |newspaper= Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle |date= July 24, 1987 |page= 13 |accessdate= December 19, 2024 |via= Newspapers.com }} His father, Yale, worked as a dental surgeon.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-wisconsin-jewish-chronicle-yale-wass/161206819/ |title= Dr. Yale Wasserman |newspaper= Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle |date= December 9, 1988 |page= 10 |accessdate= December 19, 2024 |via= Newspapers.com }}
Sheldon Wasserman married Wendy Jill Wolfman of Milwaukee in 1987. They met in Milwaukee but at the time were both living and working in Cincinnati; she was a speech pathologist at the Cincinnati Public Schools. They have three adult children and reside in Milwaukee.
Electoral history
=Wisconsin Assembly (1994–2006)=
=Wisconsin Senate (2008)=
| class="wikitable"
!Year !Election !Date ! colspan="4" |Elected ! colspan="4" |Defeated !Total !Plurality |
| valign="top" |2008
| valign="top" |General{{cite report|url= https://whs.access.preservica.com/uncategorized/IO_900da12b-ee42-4eec-82a0-7978ab858db3/ |title= Results of Fall General Election - 11/04/2008 |publisher= Wisconsin State Elections Board |date= December 1, 2008 |page= 6 |accessdate= December 19, 2024 |via= Wisconsin Historical Society }} | valign="top" |{{nowrap|Nov. 4}} | valign="top" |{{nowrap|Alberta Darling (inc)}} | valign="top" {{Party shading/Republican}} |Republican | align="right" valign="top" | 50,125 | align="right" valign="top" | 50.46% | valign="top" |{{nowrap|Sheldon A. Wasserman}} | valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} |Dem. | align="right" valign="top" | 49,118 | align="right" valign="top" | 49.45% | align="right" valign="top" | 99,328 | align="right" valign="top" | 1,007 |
|---|
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.sheldonwasserman.com/ Campaign website]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20071213225927/http://www.legis.state.wi.us/assembly/asm22/news/ Official (Assembly) website (Archived December 13, 2007)]
- {{CongLinks | congbio= | votesmart=3554 | fec= | congress= }}
- Follow the Money - Sheldon Wasserman
- [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=110328 2008] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=87633 2006] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=68351 2004] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=58759 2002] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=58758 2000] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=56912 1998] campaign contributions
{{s-start}}
{{s-par|us-wi-hs}}
{{s-bef|before = Polly W. Beal }}
{{s-ttl|title = {{nowrap|Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly}} {{nowrap|from the 22nd district}} |years= January 2, 1995{{spnd}}January 5, 2009 }}
{{s-aft|after = Sandy Pasch }}
{{s-end}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wasserman, Sheldon}}
Category:Politicians from Milwaukee
Category:Physicians from Cincinnati
Category:University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee alumni
Category:Medical College of Wisconsin alumni
Category:Physicians from Wisconsin
Category:American obstetricians
Category:County supervisors in Wisconsin
Category:Democratic Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly
Category:Jewish state legislators in Wisconsin
Category:20th-century American physicians
Category:21st-century American physicians