Gerald Lorge
Gerald D. Lorge | |
---|---|
Member of the 14th district | |
In office January 3, 1955 – January 7, 1985 | |
Preceded by | Gordon A. Bubolz |
Succeeded by | Joseph Leean |
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Outagamie 2nd district | |
In office January 1, 1951 – January 3, 1955 | |
Preceded by | William M. Rohan |
Succeeded by | William T. Sullivan |
Personal details | |
Born | Bear Creek, Wisconsin, U.S. | July 9, 1922
Died | February 14, 2001 Bear Creek, Wisconsin, U.S. | (aged 78)
Resting place | Saint Marys Parish Cemetery, Bear Creek, Wisconsin |
Political party | Republican |
Spouse |
Christina Cordelia "Tina" Ziegler
(m. 1958–2001) |
Children |
|
Unit | Marine Aircraft Group 13, 4th Marine Aircraft Wing |
Battles/wars | World War II |
Gerald David Lorge (July 9, 1922 – February 14, 2001) was an American lawyer and
Early life
Born in
Career
Lorge was one of three Republicans challenging incumbent Assemblymember William M. Rohan in the 1950 primary. Rohan had long been a member of the Democratic Party, but had run as a Republican since 1946, after the collapse of the Wisconsin Progressive Party. Lorge prevailed in the four-way primary,[3] and won the general election with 59% of the vote, with Rohan in the race as an independent candidate.[4] Rohan returned for a head-to-head contest in the 1952 Republican primary, but Lorge prevailed again.[5]
In 1946, he had begun attending Marquette University but did not complete a degree before being elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly. Following the end of the spring 1951 legislative session, however, he returned to Marquette and received his J.D. in 1952. He started a law practice in Bear Creek that year, and was re-elected to the Assembly that Fall.
In 1954, State Senator Gordon A. Bubolz resigned, necessitating a 1954 special election to fill the remaining two years of his term. Lorge won a contested Republican primary and was unopposed in the November election. He was subsequently elected to a full term in 1956, and was re-elected six more times.
After the death of U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy in 1957, Lorge ran in the Republican primary to serve out the remainder of his term, but came in a distant 6th place.[6]
In 1974, Lorge made another attempt at statewide election, running for Attorney General of Wisconsin. He was unopposed for the Republican nomination, but lost the general election to Bronson La Follette, who was returning to the office he had previously held in the 1960s.[7]
In the 1980s, Wisconsin underwent a painful redistricting process as the Governor and Legislature were unable to agree on a map. The issue was referred to federal courts, and a court-ordered map was implemented in 1982. Prompted by the court's map, which eviscerated existing legislative districts, the Legislature came back and agreed on a replacement map in 1983. After these edits, Lorge's
Rather than run for another term in the mangled district, Lorge, who was then the most senior member of the State Senate, chose to retire.[8][1] His son, William, attempted a run in the new Senate district, but was defeated in the Republican primary by Waupaca businessman Joseph Leean.[9]
After leaving the Senate, Lorge made one final bid for elected office in 1985, running for Wisconsin circuit court judge in Outagamie County, but was defeated in the primary.[10]
Lorge devoted more time to his law practice after leaving public office, and welcomed his son, Robert, as a partner in the firm, now known as Lorge & Lorge.[11]
Personal life
He married Christina "Tina" Ziegler in 1958. Together, they had two sons and three daughters. William served five terms in the Wisconsin State Assembly. Robert was the Republican nominee in the 2006 United States Senate election in Wisconsin, but lost to incumbent senator Herb Kohl.
Lorge died at his home in Bear Creek, Wisconsin, in February 2001.[12]
Electoral history
Wisconsin Assembly (1950, 1952)
Year | Election | Date | Elected | Defeated | Total | Plurality | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1950 | Primary[3] | September 19 | Gerald Lorge | Republican | 1,415 | 41.03% | William M. Rohan (inc.) | Rep. | 1,075 | 31.17% | 3,449 | 340 |
Gus Hanges | Rep. | 580 | 16.82% | |||||||||
Carl Konrad | Rep. | 379 | 10.99% | |||||||||
General[4] | November 7 | Gerald Lorge | Republican | 6,106 | 59.05% | Katherine Sullivan | Dem. | 2,306 | 22.30% | 10,340 | 3,800 | |
William M. Rohan (inc.) | Ind.
|
1,928 | 18.65% | |||||||||
1952 | Primary[5] | September 9 | Gerald Lorge (inc.) | Republican | 4,190 | 59.12% | William M. Rohan | Rep. | 2,897 | 40.88% | 7,087 | 1,293 |
General[13] | November 4 | Gerald Lorge (inc.) | Republican | 9,661 | 66.20% | Joseph Promer | Dem. | 4,932 | 33.80% | 14,593 | 4,729 |
U.S. Senate (1957)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican Primary, July 30, 1957 | |||||
Republican | Walter J. Kohler Jr. | 109,256 | 34.43% | ||
Republican | Glenn R. Davis | 100,532 | 31.68% | ||
Republican | Alvin E. O'Konski | 66,784 | 21.05% | ||
Republican | Warren P. Knowles | 23,996 | 7.56% | ||
Republican | Henry P. Hughes | 7,488 | 2.36% | ||
Republican | Gerald Lorge | 7,326 | 2.31% | ||
Republican | John C. Schafer | 1,906 | 0.60% | ||
Plurality | 8,724 | 2.75% | |||
Total votes | 317,288 | 100.0% |
Wisconsin Attorney General (1974)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
General Election, November 5, 1974 | |||||
Democratic | Bronson La Follette | 669,968 | 58.10% | +12.01% | |
Republican | Gerald Lorge | 483,232 | 41.90% | -11.41% | |
Plurality | 186,736 | 16.19% | 8.96% | ||
Total votes | 1,153,200 | 100.0% | -10.50% | ||
Democratic gain from Republican | Swing | 23.42% |
Wisconsin Senate (1954–1980)
Year | Election | Date | Elected | Defeated | Total | Plurality | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1954 | Primary[14] | September 14 | Gerald Lorge | Republican | 10,168 | 56.71% | William S. Pfankuch | Rep. | 7,762 | 43.29% | 17,930 | 2,406 |
General[15] | November 2 | Gerald Lorge | Republican | 26,093 | 100.0% | 26,093 | 26,093 | |||||
1956 | General[6] | November 6 | Gerald Lorge (inc.) | Republican | 35,915 | 75.18% | Gordon O. Rodenz | Dem. | 11,858 | 24.82% | 47,773 | 24,057 |
1960 | Primary[16] | September 13 | Gerald Lorge (inc.) | Republican | 9,766 | 50.63% | Donald L. Jury | Rep. | 5,895 | 30.56% | 19,289 | 3,871 |
Gerald K. Anderson | Rep. | 3,628 | 18.81% | |||||||||
General[16] | November 8 | Gerald Lorge (inc.) | Republican | 38,278 | 68.06% | Robert F. Stange | Dem. | 17,963 | 31.94% | 56,241 | 20,315 | |
1964 | Primary[17] | September 8 | Gerald Lorge (inc.) | Republican | 10,600 | 67.57% | George L. Buckley | Rep. | 5,087 | 32.43% | 15,687 | 5,513 |
General[17] | November 3 | Gerald Lorge (inc.) | Republican | 35,208 | 65.99% | Richard K. Wege | Dem. | 18,144 | 34.01% | 53,352 | 17,064 | |
1968 | General[18] | November 5 | Gerald Lorge (inc.) | Republican | 42,313 | 100.0% | 42,313 | 42,313 | ||||
1972 | Primary[19] | September 12 | Gerald Lorge (inc.) | Republican | 13,890 | 74.32% | Gerald L. McFarren | Rep. | 4,800 | 25.68% | 18,690 | 9,090 |
General[19] | November 7 | Gerald Lorge (inc.) | Republican | 35,919 | 72.88% | Michael P. Mack | Dem. | 13,367 | 27.12% | 49,286 | 22,552 | |
1976 | General[20] | November 2 | Gerald Lorge (inc.) | Republican | 36,937 | 67.47% | Robert E. Luedtke | Dem. | 17,811 | 32.53% | 54,748 | 19,126 |
1980 | General[21] | November 4 | Gerald Lorge (inc.) | Republican | 34,289 | 55.43% | C. Michael Allen | Dem. | 27,570 | 44.57% | 61,859 | 6,719 |
Outagamie County Circuit Judge (1985)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nonpartisan Primary, February 19, 1985 (top-two) | |||||
Nonpartisan
|
Michael W. Gage | 3,004 | 37.28% | ||
Nonpartisan
|
Kathleen Galles Lhost | 2,305 | 28.61% | ||
Nonpartisan
|
Gerald Lorge | 1,848 | 22.94% | ||
Nonpartisan
|
David G. Geenen | 900 | 11.17% | ||
Total votes | 8,057 | 100.0% |
References
- ^ a b c Relating to: the life and public service of Gerald D. Lorge (Senate Joint Resolution 28). Wisconsin Legislature. 2001. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
- Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Toepel, M. G.; Kuehn, Hazel L., eds. (1952). "Parties and Elections: The Primary Election" (PDF). The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1952 (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 684. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
- ^ a b Toepel, M. G.; Kuehn, Hazel L., eds. (1952). "Parties and Elections: The General Election" (PDF). The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1952 (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 751. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
- ^ a b Toepel, M. G.; Kuehn, Hazel L., eds. (1954). "Parties and Elections: The Primary Election" (PDF). The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1954 (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 666. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
- ^ a b c Toepel, M. G.; Kuehn, Hazel L., eds. (1958). "Parties and Elections" (PDF). The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1958 (Report). State of Wisconsin. pp. 666–667, 671, 776. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
- ^ a b Theobald, H. Rupert; Robbins, Patricia V., eds. (1975). "Elections" (PDF). The state of Wisconsin 1975 Blue Book (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. pp. 798, 818. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
- ^ Newspapers.com.
- Newspapers.com.
- ^ Newspapers.com.
- ^ "About Us". Lorge & Lorge Law Firm. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
- Newspapers.com.
- ^ Toepel, M. G.; Kuehn, Hazel L., eds. (1954). "Parties and Elections: The General Election" (PDF). The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1954 (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 763. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
- ^ Toepel, M. G.; Kuehn, Hazel L., eds. (1956). "Parties and Elections: The Primary Election" (PDF). The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1956 (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 707. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
- ^ Toepel, M. G.; Kuehn, Hazel L., eds. (1956). "Parties and Elections: The General Election" (PDF). The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1956 (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 750. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
- ^ a b Toepel, M. G.; Theobald, H. Rupert, eds. (1962). "Wisconsin Elections" (PDF). The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1962 (Report). State of Wisconsin. pp. 792, 866. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
- ^ a b Theobald, H. Rupert, ed. (1966). "Elections" (PDF). The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1966 (Report). State of Wisconsin. pp. 737, 753. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
- ^ Theobald, H. Rupert; Robbins, Patricia V., eds. (1970). "Elections" (PDF). The State of Wisconsin Blue Book, 1970 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. pp. 800, 816. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
- ^ a b Theobald, H. Rupert; Robbins, Patricia V., eds. (1973). "Elections" (PDF). The state of Wisconsin 1973 Blue Book (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. pp. 802, 822. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
- ^ Theobald, H. Rupert; Robbins, Patricia V., eds. (1977). "Elections" (PDF). The State of Wisconsin 1977 Blue Book (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. pp. 888, 910. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
- ^ Theobald, H. Rupert; Robbins, Patricia V., eds. (1981). "Elections" (PDF). The State of Wisconsin 1981-1982 Blue Book (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. pp. 890, 912. Retrieved October 25, 2021.