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Brent Jacobson

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Brent Jacobson
Member-elect of the Wisconsin State Assembly
from the 87th district
Assuming office
Janaury 6, 2025
SucceedingJames W. Edming
Mayor of Mosinee, Wisconsin
Assumed office
April 21, 2015
Preceded byAlan Erickson
Member of the Board of Supervisors of Marathon County, Wisconsin, from the 26th district
In office
April 2020 – April 2022
Preceded byJohn Durham
Succeeded byJean R. Maszk
Personal details
Born (1984-04-26) April 26, 1984 (age 40)
Wausau, Wisconsin
Political partyRepublican
SpouseTessa Marie
Children1
Parent
  • James B. Jacobson (father)
ResidenceMosinee, Wisconsin
Education
ProfessionLawyer
WebsiteCampaign website

Brent William Jacobson (born April 26, 1984) is an American lawyer and Republican politician from Mosinee, Wisconsin. He is a member-elect of the Wisconsin State Assembly, and will represent Wisconsin's 87th Assembly district in the 2025–2026 term. He also currently serves as mayor of Mosinee, since 2015, and was formerly a member of the board of supervisors of Marathon County, Wisconsin.

His father, James B. Jacobson, also served as mayor of Mosinee and a member of the city council.

Early life and education

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Brent Jacobson was born in Wausau, Wisconsin, in April 1984.[1] He was raised and educated in neighboring Mosinee, Wisconsin, graduating from Mosinee High School in 2002.[2] He went on to attend Saint Cloud State University, earning his bachelor's degree in business management in 2006. He immediately went on to law school, obtaining his J.D. from West Virginia University College of Law in 2009. After working for a short time as a commercial litigator in Pennsylvania, Jacobson returned to Wisconsin in 2011, joining the law firm Anderson, O'Brien, Bertz, Skrenes, & Golla (now Anderson O'Brien LLP).[3][4]

Political career

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Jacobson made his first bid for public office in 2015, challenging 10-year incumbent Mosinee mayor Alan Erickson. Jacobson stunned Erickson in the general election, taking 71% of the vote.[5] He was re-elected without opposition in 2017, 2019, 2021, and 2023.[6]

After winning his second term as mayor, Jacobson announced that he would run for Wisconsin State Assembly, launching a primary challenge against three-term incumbent John Spiros in the 86th Assembly district. The 86th district then comprised much of central Marathon County, excluding the city of Wausau.[7] Jacobson said he was running to protest the wasteful spending policies of his own party, and highlighted what he saw as deficiencies in the state's Foxconn in Wisconsin project.[8] Spiros won the primary with nearly 65% of the vote.[9]

The following year, after Wisconsin U.S. representative Sean Duffy announced his early resignation from office, Jacobson openly considered a run to succeed him in Congress, but ultimately did not enter the race.[10] Instead, he ran for an open seat on the board of supervisors of Marathon County, Wisconsin, and won the seat without opposition in the spring 2020 election.[11]

In 2022, state senator Jerry Petrowski announced he would not run for re-election to the Wisconsin Senate. Jacobson announced in March 2022 that he would run to succeed Petrowski in the 29th Senate district.[12] Two other Republicans entered the race, and Jacobson ultimately lost the primary to businessman Cory Tomczyk.[13]

In 2024, the Wisconsin Legislature adopted a dramatic redistricting act, after the Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down the decade-old Republican gerrymander. Legislative districts in Marathon County were significantly affected by the redistricting; Mosinee was drawn into the new 87th Assembly district, along with the southeast quadrant of Marathon County and parts of neighboring Shawano, Waupaca, and Portage counties. The 85th district incumbent, Patrick Snyder, was drawn into the new 87th district, but announced quickly that he would relocate in order to maintain residency in the redrawn 85th district, leaving an open seat in the 87th. Jacobson announced in February 2024 that he would run for state Assembly in the open 87th district seat.[14] Once again he faced a contested primary in the overwhelmingly Republican district, but this time he prevailed by a wide margin against Wausau School Board member Cory Sillars.[15] He won the general election with 66% of the vote.[16] He is set to take office in January 2025.

Personal life and family

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Brent Jacobson is youngest of three children born to James B. Jacobson and Sandra A. (née Ostrowski).[17]

Brent Jacobson lives in Mosinee with his wife, Tessa, and their child.[18]

Electoral history

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Wisconsin Assembly, 86th district (2018)

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Year Election Date Elected Defeated Total Plurality
2018 Primary[9] Aug. 14 John Spiros (inc) Republican 3,855 64.67% Brent Jacobson Rep. 2,103 35.28% 5,961 1,752

Wisconsin Senate, 29th district (2022)

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Year Election Date Elected Defeated Total Plurality
2022 Primary[13] Aug. 9 Cory Tomczyk Republican 10,419 43.11% Brent Jacobson Rep. 9,302 38.49% 24,167 1,117
Jon P. Kaiser Rep. 4,428 18.32%

Wisconsin Assembly, 87th district (2024)

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Year Election Date Elected Defeated Total Plurality
2024 Primary[15] Aug. 13 Brent Jacobson Republican 6,065 73.92% Cory Sillars Rep. 2,107 25.68% 8,205 3,958
General[16] Nov. 5 Brent Jacobson Republican 23,885 66.00% William Switalla Dem. 12,273 33.91% 36,192 11,612

References

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  1. ^ "Births". Wausau Daily Herald. April 26, 1984. p. 6. Retrieved December 8, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ Uhlig, Keith (May 25, 2002). "Mosinee grads enter changed world". Wausau Daily Herald. p. 3. Retrieved December 8, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Introducing Attorney Brent W. Jacobson". Stevens Point Journal. October 29, 2011. p. 6. Retrieved December 8, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Brent W. Jacobson". Anderson O'Brien LLP. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
  5. ^ Lawder, Melanie (April 8, 2015). "Mosinee gets new mayor". Wausau Daily Herald. p. A4. Retrieved December 8, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Hertel, Nora G.; Lesk, Sari (April 4, 2017). "Wausau, Mosinee school board seats will be decided". Wausau Daily Herald. p. A1. Retrieved December 8, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Siegler, Melissa (April 6, 2018). "Spiros to seek re-election to state Assembly". Marshfield News-Herald. p. A1. Retrieved December 8, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ BeMiller, Haley; Siegler, Melissa (August 9, 2018). "Mosinee mayor to face Rep. John Spiros in Republican primary for 86th Assembly seat". Wausau Daily Herald. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
  9. ^ a b Canvass Results for 2018 Partisan Primary - 8/14/2018 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. August 31, 2018. p. 100. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
  10. ^ Schulte, Laura (September 13, 2019). "Mayor Jacobson considers running for 7th District". Wausau Daily Herald. p. A1. Retrieved December 8, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ Schulte, Laura (January 9, 2020). "Marathon County: 11 board seats will be contested in 2020 spring election". Marshfield News-Herald. p. A3. Retrieved December 8, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ Siegler, Melissa (March 13, 2022). "Mosinee Mayor Brent Jacobson announces bid for 29th Senate District". Marshfield News-Herald. p. A4. Retrieved December 8, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ a b Canvass Results for 2022 Partisan Primary - 8/9/2022 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. August 26, 2022. p. 18. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
  14. ^ "Mosinee Mayor Announces Assembly Run". WSAW-TV. February 20, 2024. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
  15. ^ a b County by County Report - 2024 Partisan Primary (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. August 26, 2024. p. 186. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
  16. ^ a b County by County Report - 2024 General Election (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. November 27, 2024. p. 87. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
  17. ^ "Marriage Licenses". Wausau Daily Herald. August 24, 1977. p. 23. Retrieved December 8, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "Meet Brent Jacobson". Brent Jacobson for State Assembly. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
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Political offices
Preceded by
Alan Erickson
Mayor of Mosinee, Wisconsin
April 21, 2015 – present
Incumbent