Steve Fitzgerald
{{short description|American politician and businessman|bot=PearBOT 5}}
{{Cleanup bare URLs|date=August 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|image =
|imagesize =
|name=Steve Fitzgerald
|image name=
|state_senate=Kansas
|state=Kansas
|district=5th
|term_start= January 14, 2013
|term_end= September 24, 2018
|preceded= Kelly Kultala
|succeeded= Kevin Braun
|party=Republican
|birth_date={{birth date and age|1944|12|26}}
|birth_place=The Bronx, New York City, U.S.
|death_date=
|death_place=
|spouse=Francie Fitzgerald
|children = 5
|profession=Retired infantry officer, businessman
|alma_mater=Command and General Staff College
|residence=Leavenworth, Kansas
|allegiance= {{flag|United States}}
|branch={{flag|United States Army}}{{Cite web|url=http://cjonline.com/news/state-government/2017-07-13/steve-fitzgerald-kicks-bid-second-district-congressional-seat|title=Steve Fitzgerald kicks off bid for second-district Congressional seat}}
|rank=20px Lieutenant colonel}}
Steve Fitzgerald (born December 26, 1944) is an American politician and businessman who is former a Republican member of the Kansas Senate, representing the 5th district from 2013 until his resignation in 2018. He ran for the Republican nomination in Kansas's 2nd congressional district in 2018 but was defeated by Steve Watkins.{{Cite news|url=http://cjonline.com/news/local/state-government/2017-04-01/kansas-sen-steve-fitzgerald-running-congress|title=Kansas Sen. Steve Fitzgerald is running for Congress|access-date=2017-04-12|language=en}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.kansascity.com/news/state/kansas/article142384134.html|title=Kansas Sen. Steve Fitzgerald is running for Congress {{!}} The Kansas City Star|website=www.kansascity.com|language=en|access-date=2017-04-12}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.leavenworthtimes.com/news/20170404/fitzgerald-running-for-congress|title=Fitzgerald Running For Congress|last=Richmeier|first=John|website=Leavenworth Times}}
The areas he represents in the Kansas Legislature are Leavenworth, Lansing, Piper, Bonner Springs, Edwardsville (part) as well as part of Kansas City.{{Cite web|url=http://www.kssos.org/elections/12elec/2012_General_Election_Results.pdf|title=2012 - Official Election Results|website=Kansas Secretary of State}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.kssos.org/elections/16elec/2016_General_Election_Official_Results.pdf|title=2016 - Official Election Results|website=Kansas Secretary of State}} He is the Vice-Chair of the Ethics, Elections and Local Government Committee and also serves on the Education, Judiciary and Transportation committees.{{Cite web|url=https://vote4fitzgerald.publishpath.com|title=Vote4Fitzgerald|website=vote4fitzgerald.publishpath.com|language=en|access-date=2017-03-31}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2017_18/members/sen_fitzgerald_steve_1/|title=Senator Steve Fitzgerald {{!}} Legislators {{!}} Kansas State Legislature|website=www.kslegislature.org|language=en|access-date=2017-04-12}}{{Cite news|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Steve_Fitzgerald|title=Steve Fitzgerald - Ballotpedia|access-date=2017-04-12|language=en}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/elections/results/kansas-state-senate-district-5|title=Kansas 5th District State Senate Results: Steve Fitzgerald Wins|website=The New York Times|access-date=2017-04-12}}
Education
Fitzgerald was born in the Bronx, New York in 1944.https://aclu-action.capwiz.com/bio/id/148727 He graduated from the Command and General Staff College with a Master of Military Science Degree. He also attended Central Michigan University where he attained his Master of Business. He graduated from Saint Martin's University in Washington with a Bachelor's in History.{{Cite web|url=http://votesmart.org/candidate/biography/34765/steve-fitzgerald#.WN2t-LGZMcg|title=The Voter's Self Defense System|website=Vote Smart|language=en-US|access-date=2017-03-31}}
Military career
Fitzgerald served in Viet Nam '68-'70 in the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), as a detachment commander in the I Corps MIKE Force; in Germany '75-'78 in the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne); in Grenada '83 in the 82d Division (Airborne); in the Pentagon; and at Fort Leavenworth in the Combined Arms Center.
= Awards =
Civilian career
Upon retiring from the Army, Fitzgerald started a small business which he ran until the 9/11 terrorist attack of 2001. After this attack he closed down the business and went to work for Northrop Grumman as a military analyst and training consultant for the Army. In 2012, he retired from Northrop Grumman upon election into the Kansas Senate.
Civic Duties
= Leadership =
= Party =
= Education =
= Veterans =
Planned Parenthood Controversy
In March 2017, Planned Parenthood Great Plains received a donation in Fitzgerald's name. After Fitzgerald learned of the donation, he was angered and compared Planned Parenthood to a concentration camp. In a letter, he wrote, "This as bad, or worse, as having one's name associated with Dachau." Following this response, Planned Parenthood received a flood of donations in Fitzgerald's name.{{Cite news|url=http://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article138186628.html|title=Kansas senator compares Planned Parenthood to Nazi concentration camp|work=kansascity|access-date=2017-05-05|language=en}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-kansas-senator-idUSKBN16K2P6|title=Kansas senator stands by comparison of Planned Parenthood to Nazis|date=2017-03-13|work=Reuters|access-date=2017-05-05}}
Civilization v Barbarism Controversy
In his speech during a meeting of the Leavenworth County Republican Party on 2 July 2018, Fitzgerald asserted that "We are being told that Western civilization is the problem in the world. Outside of Western civilization there is only barbarism."{{cite web|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/07/07/politics/steve-fitzgerald-kansas-candidate-barbarism-comments/index.html|title=GOP candidate in Kansas: 'Outside of Western civilization, there is only barbarism'|date=7 July 2018 |publisher=CNN|accessdate=2018-07-08}}
Personal life
Fitzgerald and his wife, Francie, raised five children in Leavenworth, where they have lived since 1985. They now have 19 grandchildren. Their children and grandchildren have graduated from public, private, Catholic, and Lutheran schools and have also been home schooled.
Fitzgerald is a member of the National Rifle Association (NRA) and is a member, 3rd degree, of the Knights of Columbus.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2013_14/members/sen_fitzgerald_steve_1/ Kansas Legislature - Senator Steve Fitzgerald]
{{Authority control}}
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Category:Republican Party Kansas state senators
Category:Central Michigan University alumni
Category:Candidates in the 2018 United States House of Representatives elections