Glenn Grothman

Glenn Grothman
Born	Glenn Sholes Grothman 3 7, 1955
Birthplace	Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Attorney, politician
Title	Member of the United States House of Representatives
Known for	U.S. Representative from Wisconsin's 6th congressional district
Education	University of Wisconsin–Madison (BBA, JD)
Website	[[grothman.house.gov grothman.house.gov] Official site]

Glenn Sholes Grothman (born July 3, 1955) is an American attorney and politician who has served as the U.S. Representative from Wisconsin's 6th congressional district since January 2015. A member of the Republican Party, Grothman was first elected to Congress in 2014, succeeding longtime incumbent Tom Petri, who retired after 35 years in office. Before his election to the U.S. House, Grothman had a lengthy career in the Wisconsin Legislature, serving first in the Wisconsin State Assembly from 1993 to 2005 and then in the Wisconsin State Senate from 2005 to 2015. During his time in the state legislature, he served as vice chair of the Assembly's Republican caucus and later as assistant majority leader of the Wisconsin Senate. In Congress, Grothman has focused on issues including government oversight, tax policy, immigration, welfare reform, and family policy. He has introduced legislation addressing IRS oversight, social safety net programs, and marriage penalty reforms in the federal tax code. A native of Milwaukee, Grothman has spent his entire political career representing communities in eastern Wisconsin, including portions of the Fox River Valley, the Lake Winnebago region, and suburban areas north of Milwaukee.

Early Life

Glenn Sholes Grothman was born on July 3, 1955, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He grew up in the Milwaukee metropolitan area, in a region of Wisconsin that would later form much of his political constituency. Details regarding his parents and family background during his childhood years are not extensively documented in available public sources.

Grothman was raised in a period of significant political and social change in Wisconsin, a state with deep traditions in both progressive and conservative politics. The Milwaukee area, where he spent his formative years, was a center of manufacturing and middle-class life in the upper Midwest during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. These surroundings would later inform his political outlook, particularly his focus on working families, government spending, and regulatory policy.

Education

Grothman attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison, one of the state's flagship public universities. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree from the university's business school. He subsequently continued his education at the same institution, earning a Juris Doctor (JD) degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School. His dual training in business and law provided a foundation for his later career as an attorney and legislator. After completing his legal education, Grothman practiced law and became involved in Republican politics in eastern Wisconsin.

Career

Wisconsin State Assembly (1993–2005)

Grothman began his career in elected office in 1993 when he entered the Wisconsin State Assembly. He initially represented the 59th Assembly district, winning a special election on December 16, 1993, to succeed Mary Panzer, who had moved to the Wisconsin State Senate. He served the 59th district through 2003, when redistricting led to changes in district boundaries. Beginning in January 2003, he represented the 58th Assembly district, succeeding Michael A. Lehman.

During his years in the Assembly, Grothman rose through the Republican caucus leadership. He served as vice chair of the Assembly's Republican caucus from 1999 to 2004, a position that gave him a role in shaping the party's legislative strategy and priorities in the lower chamber of the Wisconsin Legislature.

While in the Assembly, Grothman developed a reputation as a fiscal conservative and an outspoken legislator willing to take positions that sometimes placed him at odds with members of both parties. A 2004 article in The Badger Herald described Grothman as a legislator who made "rare" appearances in certain political contexts, suggesting a distinctive and sometimes unconventional approach to his role.

Grothman served in the Assembly until January 2005, when he moved to the Wisconsin State Senate. His successor in the 58th Assembly district was Patricia Strachota, and his earlier successor in the 59th district was Daniel LeMahieu.

Wisconsin State Senate (2005–2015)

In 2004, Grothman won election to the Wisconsin State Senate, representing the 20th Senate district. He succeeded Mary Panzer, whose career trajectory had previously been intertwined with his own—he had originally entered the Assembly to fill the seat she vacated when she moved to the Senate. The 20th Senate district encompassed communities in eastern Wisconsin, including portions of Washington County, Ozaukee County, Fond du Lac County, and Sheboygan County.

During his decade in the Senate, Grothman became one of the most prominent conservative voices in the Wisconsin Legislature. He rose to the position of assistant majority leader from 2011 to 2015, serving during a period in which the Republican Party held control of both chambers of the legislature and the governor's office under Scott Walker.

Legislative Positions and Initiatives

Grothman was involved in a number of legislative efforts during his tenure in the State Senate that drew both support and criticism.

Water safety: In 2011, Grothman introduced Senate Bill 19, which addressed mandatory disinfection of water systems in Wisconsin. The bill received support from the League of Wisconsin Municipalities, which endorsed the measure as a public health improvement.

Concealed carry: Grothman supported legislation that would make Wisconsin one of the last states in the nation to allow concealed carry of firearms. Senate Bill 93, introduced in 2011, addressed the right to carry concealed weapons. The legislation was part of a broader national movement and was covered by NRA News, which noted Wisconsin's trajectory toward becoming the 49th state to allow some form of legal concealed carry.

FoodShare reform: Grothman was a vocal advocate for reform of Wisconsin's FoodShare program, the state's implementation of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). He aligned himself with Governor Scott Walker's efforts to impose additional requirements and restrictions on the program, which Grothman argued was necessary to prevent waste and fraud.

Raw milk: Grothman was a proponent of legalizing the sale of raw (unpasteurized) milk in Wisconsin, a position that placed him in alignment with some agricultural and libertarian groups. He published a column explaining his support for raw milk sales, arguing that consumers should have the freedom to choose and that Wisconsin's dairy heritage supported allowing such transactions.

Equal pay: In 2012, Grothman attracted national attention in connection with the repeal of portions of Wisconsin's equal pay enforcement law. The Daily Beast reported on the legislative action as part of a broader national debate about wage equality for women, and Grothman was quoted in connection with the controversy.

Child welfare and family structure: Grothman introduced Senate Bill 507 in 2011, which addressed the relationship between family structure and child welfare outcomes. The bill drew significant attention and criticism from some quarters for its focus on single-parent households. Yahoo! Shine reported on the bill with the headline "Wisconsin Bill Claims Single Moms Cause Child Abuse," characterizing it as a controversial proposal linking single parenthood to child abuse and neglect.

Foreign policy commentary: In a notable departure from typical state legislative fare, Grothman made public statements about international affairs, including U.S. policy toward Uganda's proposed anti-homosexuality legislation. A report in the Wisconsin State Journal described Grothman as having "blasts U.S. moves against draconian Ugandan homosexuality" legislation, indicating that he criticized American diplomatic pressure on Uganda regarding the country's anti-gay laws.

Recall Effort

During the contentious political period of 2011, when Governor Walker's proposals to limit collective bargaining rights for public employees led to mass protests and a series of recall elections, Grothman was among the Republican legislators targeted for recall. However, an effort to collect sufficient signatures to force a recall election against him fell short. The Ozaukee Press reported that an "aggressive effort to recall Grothman" did not succeed in gathering the required number of signatures within the mandated timeframe.

Grothman's involvement in the 2011 protests also drew media attention for other reasons. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported on his interactions with protesters at the Wisconsin State Capitol during the height of the demonstrations. A separate report from a Madison news outlet covered aspects of the political turbulence during this period.

Grothman's time in the State Senate ended in January 2015 when he took his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was succeeded in the 20th Senate district by Duey Stroebel.

U.S. House of Representatives (2015–present)

Election

In 2014, Grothman ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in Wisconsin's 6th congressional district after longtime Republican incumbent Tom Petri announced his retirement. The 6th district covered a large swath of eastern and central Wisconsin. Grothman won the Republican primary and the general election, beginning his service in Congress on January 3, 2015.

Legislative Work

In Congress, Grothman has continued to focus on fiscal conservatism, government oversight, and social policy issues that characterized his state legislative career, while also taking on federal-level concerns including immigration policy, tax reform, and government workforce management.

IRS Oversight: In September 2025, Grothman introduced the Fair and Accountable IRS Reviews Act, legislation aimed at strengthening oversight of penalties imposed by the Internal Revenue Service. The bill was designed to "protect taxpayers and restore integrity" to the IRS penalty process, according to a press release from his congressional office.

Federal Workforce: In October 2025, Grothman made public statements advocating for significant reductions in the federal workforce, calling for the layoff of 100,000 to 200,000 federal workers. Speaking to Wisconsin Public Radio, he argued that "regardless of the government shutdown, the federal workforce is too large."

Dillon's Law: In July 2025, Grothman co-introduced Dillon's Law alongside Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Dingell of Michigan. The bipartisan legislation was a reintroduction of a bill from previous congressional sessions. The bill's bipartisan sponsorship was notable given the polarized political environment.

Safeguarding Benefits for Americans Act: In 2026, Grothman reintroduced the Safeguarding Benefits for Americans Act, legislation intended to strengthen social safety net programs by preventing benefits from being distributed to individuals not legally eligible to receive them. The bill reflected Grothman's ongoing focus on welfare reform and immigration enforcement.

Marriage Penalty Reform: Grothman has been an outspoken advocate for addressing so-called "marriage penalties" in the federal tax code—provisions that result in married couples paying more in taxes than they would if filing as two single individuals. In 2026, he participated in a panel organized by the Republican Study Committee and the Values Action Team, titled "Marriage and the Government: How Public [Policy Affects Families]," where he called for ending marriage penalties and strengthening families. He also voiced support for a coalition of family and faith-based organizations urging House leadership to prioritize marriage penalty reforms in ongoing legislative negotiations.

Foreign Affairs Statements: In December 2025, Grothman released a statement condemning antisemitic attacks at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, joining a number of American elected officials who spoke out against the violence.

Political Profile

Grothman has maintained a consistently conservative voting record throughout his congressional tenure. His legislative priorities have centered on reducing government spending, reforming social welfare programs, strengthening immigration enforcement, and promoting policies he describes as supporting traditional family structures. He has occasionally drawn attention from Democrats, including instances in which opponents have cited his positions as reference points in broader political debates. In 2026, the Wisconsin Democratic Party issued a statement referencing Grothman in a comparison with other Republican figures, suggesting that his stance on a particular issue was "more reasonable" than that of another Republican, an unusual form of acknowledgment from the opposing party.

Personal Life

Glenn Grothman is a resident of the Glenbeulah area in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin. He has not married and does not have children, a fact that has occasionally been noted in media coverage. Grothman has been described as a notably private individual regarding his personal life, and public information about his activities outside of politics and law is limited. He is a practicing attorney in addition to his service in elected office. His dual career in law and politics has been a consistent feature of his public biography since his entry into the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1993.

Recognition

Grothman's lengthy career in Wisconsin politics—spanning more than three decades in elected office—has made him one of the more durable figures in the state's Republican Party. He has received endorsements and ratings from various conservative and issue-oriented organizations over the course of his career, consistent with his voting record and legislative positions. His willingness to introduce legislation on topics that generate significant public debate, such as welfare reform, family structure, equal pay, and raw milk sales, has given him a distinctive profile among Wisconsin's congressional delegation.

His bipartisan work on Dillon's Law with Congresswoman Debbie Dingell was noted as an example of cross-party cooperation in an era of heightened partisan division in Congress.