Janet Bewley (Wisconsin politician)


Janet Bewley is an American politician and the current Democratic Minority Leader in the Wisconsin State Senate. She has been a member of the Wisconsin Senate since 2015, and previously served four years in the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing Iron, Ashland, Bayfield, and Price counties.

Biography

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Bewley graduated from Cleveland's James Ford Rhodes High School in 1969, and earned her B.A. from Case Western Reserve University. She was the first member of her family to graduate from college, and went on to earn a Master's in Academic Administration from the University of Maine in 1977. She was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2010, replacing Gary Sherman. Before being elected to the Assembly, she served on the city council of Ashland. She is also a former Community Relations Officer for the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority.
On December 16, 2013 Bewley announced her intention to run for the Wisconsin Senate, District 25, to replace retiring Senator Robert Jauch, also a Democrat. She won the primary election with 72% of the vote, and was opposed by Republican Dane Deutsch in the November general election. Her old seat was contested by Democrat Beth Meyers and Republican Jamey Francis in the November 2014 general election. On November 4, 2014, Bewley was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate, and Meyers was elected to Bewley's old Assembly seat.
On April 24, 2020, the Wisconsin Senate Democratic Caucus chose Bewley as their new leader after the resignation of Senator Jennifer Shilling from that role.