Rob Hutton
Robert Brian Hutton (born April 7, 1967) is an American businessman and Republican politician from Waukesha County, Wisconsin. He is a member of the Wisconsin Senate, representing Wisconsin's 5th Senate district since January 2023. He previously served in the Wisconsin State Assembly from 2013 through 2020, and was a member of the Waukesha County board of supervisors from 2005 to 2012.
Rob Hutton | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Wisconsin Senate from the 5th district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Dale Kooyenga |
| Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the 13th district | |
| In office January 7, 2013 – January 4, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | David Cullen |
| Succeeded by | Sara Rodriguez |
| Member of the Board of Supervisors of Waukesha County, Wisconsin | |
| In office February 8, 2005 – April 2012 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Robert Brian Hutton April 7, 1967 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Patricia Evans (m. 1995) |
| Children | 4 |
| Alma mater | University of Wisconsin–Whitewater (B.A.) |
| Profession | politician, businessman |
| Website | |
Robert Brian Hutton (born April 7, 1967) is an American businessman and Republican politician from Waukesha County, Wisconsin. He is a member of the Wisconsin Senate, representing Wisconsin's 5th Senate district since January 2023. He previously served in the Wisconsin State Assembly from 2013 through 2020, and was a member of the Waukesha County board of supervisors from 2005 to 2012.
Education and business career
[edit]Rob Hutton was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in April 1967. He was raised and educated in nearby Brookfield, Wisconsin, graduating from Brookfield East High School in 1985. He went on to attend college at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater, and earned a bachelor's degree in history in 1990.[1][2]
Hutton went to work after graduation and moved to the neighboring village of Sussex, Wisconsin. During this era, he was hired as an executive at Rock Transfer & Storage—a storage and transportation company. Hutton and other executives of the business formed a partnership to purchase ownership of the company from former owner Richard Sheridan in 2005.[3]
Since joining the Legislature, Hutton has become owner of two industrial coating businesses, Cornerstone Industries Inc. of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, and Kettle Moraine Coatings of Jackson, Washington County, Wisconsin.[4]
Political career
[edit]Hutton made his first run for public office in April 2004. He ran for a seat on the Waukesha County board of supervisors, challenging incumbent supervisor Hank Carlson. Carlson won the election, but died less than a year later. Following his death, the board voted in February 2005 to appoint Hutton to finish out the remainder of his four-year term.[5] Hutton was elected to a full four-year term in 2008, but did not run for re-election in 2012.
In 2012, Hutton announced that he would run as a Republican for the open 13th district seat in the Wisconsin State Assembly. The district had been dramatically reconfigured in the 2011 Republican legislative gerrymander, moving from a suburban Milwaukee district to stretch from western Milwaukee County into central Waukesha County. The Democratic incumbent, David Cullen, had opted to run for Milwaukee County board rather than face a difficult re-election with an almost completely new electorate.[6]
Hutton faced two opponents in the Republican primary: Thomas J. Schellinger, a county supervisor and member of the Brookfield city council, and Nathaniel Ristow, who had worked as a lawyer in the office of Governor Scott Walker. All three candidates ran on roughly identical policy platforms of tax cuts and regulatory reforms, so attempted to distinguish themselves through their resumes.[7] Hutton won the primary with 57% of the vote.[8] He won the general election with 60% of the vote over Democrat John Pokrandt.[9]
He was re-elected without opposition in 2014 and 2016, and his district was considered a safe Republican seat until the political coalition shifts prompted by the suburban backlash against the presidency of Donald Trump. In 2018, Hutton was challenged by Democrat Dennis McBride, who resigned earlier that year after serving ten years as a member of the Wauwatosa city council.[10] The 13th district was one of the most hotly contested races in the state in 2018; Hutton prevailed with just 51% of the vote.[11]
Hutton faced another contested race in 2020, from Democrat Sara Rodriguez, a hospital executive and former nurse. The 13th district was again one of the most competitive in the state, but this time Hutton was defeated. Rodriguez won the election with 51% of the vote.[12]
He remained active in politics after his defeat, and in 2022 announced that he would run for Wisconsin Senate after incumbent Dale Kooyenga announced that he would not run for re-election. Hutton faced no opposition in the Republican primary. Although Wisconsin Republicans received a favorable ruling from the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2022, allowing them to enact an even stronger gerrymander in the legislature, the 5th Senate district was still considered a competitive seat. His opponent in the general election was Democrat Jessica Katzenmeyer, a former postal worker and union organizer; Katzenmeyer was also the first trans woman to serve as a major party nominee for Wisconsin Senate.[13][14] Hutton won the election, receiving 53% of the vote.[15]
Since his election to the Senate, Hutton has served as chairman of the Senate Committee on Universities and Revenue, co-chair of the Joint Review Committee on Criminal Penalties, and member of the Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety.[1] His district was significantly reconfigured in the court-ordered redistricting enacted in 2024, and is again projected to be one of the most competitive races in the state in 2026.
In 2025, Hutton voted against the 2025–2027 state budget, which had been negotiated on a bipartisan basis between Tony Evers, and the leadership of both parties in the state senate.[16]
On January 22, 2026, Hutton announced he would not run for another term in the 2026 election—his district was projected to be one of the most competitive races in the state Senate.[17]
Personal life and family
[edit]Rob Hutton married Patricia "Patti" Evans of Lac La Belle, Wisconsin, in 1995.[18] They met while attending high school together at Brookfield East. Rob and Patti have four adult children and still reside in Brookfield.[2]
Electoral history
[edit]Waukesha County board (2004, 2008)
[edit]| Year | Election | Date | Elected | Defeated | Total | Plurality | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | General[19] | Apr. 6 | Hank Carlson | Nonpartisan | 502 | 54.21% | Rob Hutton | Non. | 420 | 45.36% | 926 | 82 |
| 2008 | General | Apr. 1 | Rob Hutton (inc) | Nonpartisan | 1,460 | 65.44% | Joe Marchese | Non. | 771 | 34.56% | 2,231 | 689 |
Wisconsin Assembly (2012–2020)
[edit]| Year | Election | Date | Elected | Defeated | Total | Plurality | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Primary[8] | Aug. 14 | Rob Hutton | Republican | 5,351 | 57.59% | Thomas J. Schellinger | Rep. | 2,968 | 31.94% | 9,292 | 2,383 |
| Nate Ristow | Rep. | 955 | 10.28% | |||||||||
| General[9] | Nov. 6 | Rob Hutton | Republican | 20,367 | 60.49% | John Pokrandt | Dem. | 13,258 | 39.38% | 33,669 | 7,109 | |
| 2014 | General[20] | Nov. 4 | Rob Hutton (inc) | Republican | 20,710 | 96.85% | --unopposed-- | 21,384 | 20,036 | |||
| 2016 | General[21] | Nov. 8 | Rob Hutton (inc) | Republican | 23,904 | 96.99% | 24,645 | 23,163 | ||||
| 2018 | General[11] | Nov. 6 | Rob Hutton (inc) | Republican | 16,617 | 51.41% | Dennis Raymond McBride | Dem. | 15,662 | 48.45% | 32,323 | 955 |
| 2020 | General[12] | Nov. 3 | Sara Rodriguez | Democratic | 19,318 | 50.93% | Rob Hutton (inc) | Rep. | 18,583 | 49.00% | 37,928 | 735 |
Wisconsin Senate (2022)
[edit]| Year | Election | Date | Elected | Defeated | Total | Plurality | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | General[15] | Nov. 8 | Rob Hutton | Republican | 49,025 | 53.24% | Jessica Katzenmeyer | Dem. | 42,962 | 46.66% | 92,084 | 6,063 |
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Senator Rob Hutton". Wisconsin Legislature. 2025. Retrieved June 25, 2025.
- ^ a b "About Rob Hutton". Rob Hutton Wisconsin State Senator. Retrieved June 25, 2025.
- ^ "Company History". Rock Transfer & Storage, Inc. Retrieved June 25, 2025.
- ^ "Statement of Economic Interests - Filed in 2020 for calendar year 2019 - Hutton, Rob" (PDF). 2020. Retrieved June 25, 2025 – via Wisconsin Democracy Campaign.
- ^ Shook, Dennis A. (February 1, 2005). "Carlson Successor Named". The Waukesha Freeman. p. 3. Retrieved June 25, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Sandler, Larry (December 6, 2011). "Rep. Cullen seeks Milwaukee County Board seat". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
- ^ Gorney, Charles (August 7, 2012). "Primary Election Preview: Wisconsin State Assembly, 13th District". Wauwatosa Patch. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
- ^ a b Canvass Results for 2012 Partisan Primary - 8/14/2012 (Report). Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. August 28, 2012. p. 20. Retrieved June 26, 2025 – via Wisconsin Historical Society.
- ^ a b Canvass Results for 2012 Presidential and General Election - 11/6/2012 (Report). Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. December 26, 2012. p. 11. Retrieved June 26, 2025 – via Wisconsin Historical Society.
- ^ Pilarski, Karen (January 5, 2018). "Longtime Wauwatosa Alderman Dennis McBride resigns". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
- ^ a b Canvass Results for 2018 General Election - 11/6/2018 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. February 22, 2019. p. 13. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
- ^ a b Canvass Results for 2020 General Election - 11/3/2020 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. November 18, 2020. p. 10. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
- ^ "Milwaukee Candidates for Wisconsin State Senate". Urban Milwaukee. November 5, 2022. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
- ^ Salgado, Beck Andrew (November 22, 2022). "Despite losing, Jessica Katzenmeyer made history as the first transgender woman candidate in Wisconsin". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
- ^ a b Canvass Results for 2022 General Election - 11/8/2022 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. November 30, 2022. p. 5. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
- ^ "Evers signs budget as guv, lawmakers beat reconciliation bill across finish line". WisPolitics. July 2, 2025. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
- ^ "Hutton won't seek reelection". Wispolitics.com. January 22, 2026. Retrieved January 22, 2026.
- ^ "Marriage Licenses". The Waukesha Freeman. May 20, 1995. p. 21. Retrieved June 25, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Summary Report - Spring General Election - April 6, 2004 (Report). Clerk of Waukesha County. April 7, 2004. Archived from the original on November 13, 2004. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
- ^ Canvass Results for 2014 General Election - 11/4/2014 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. November 26, 2014. p. 12. Retrieved June 26, 2025 – via Wisconsin Elections Commission.
- ^ Canvass Results for 2016 General Election - 11/8/2016 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. December 22, 2016. pp. 11–12. Retrieved June 26, 2025.