Gordon Hintz

Gordon N. Hintz (born November 29, 1973) is an American public servant and Democratic politician from Oshkosh, Wisconsin. He was the minority leader in the Wisconsin State Assembly from 2017 through 2021. He was a member of the Assembly for eight terms, representing the 54th Assembly district from 2007 through 2022.

Gordon Hintz
Minority Leader of the Wisconsin Assembly
In office
October 1, 2017 – January 10, 2022
Preceded byPeter Barca
Succeeded byGreta Neubauer
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
from the 54th district
In office
January 1, 2007 – January 2, 2023
Preceded byGregg Underheim
Succeeded byLori Palmeri
Personal details
Born (1973-11-29) November 29, 1973
Oshkosh, Wisconsin, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Elizabeth Lang
​
(m. 2014)​
Children2
EducationHamline University (BA)
University of Wisconsin, Madison (MPA)
Website

Early life and career

Hintz was born in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and graduated from Oshkosh North High School in 1992. He obtained a B.A. from Hamline University, in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and went on to earn his Masters of Public Administration from the Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Prior to serving in the Legislature, Hintz worked in government at the federal, state, and local levels. Hintz worked on the 1996 U.S. Senate campaign of Paul Wellstone before going to work for U.S. Senator Herb Kohl and former U.S. Representative Jay W. Johnson as a Legislative Staff Assistant in Washington, D.C. Hintz also served as a research assistant for Governor Tommy Thompson's Commission on State and Local Partnerships for the 21st Century (Kettl Commission) and worked as a management assistant and budget analyst for the City of Long Beach, California.

Legislative career

Hintz first ran for the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2004, and lost. In 2006 Hintz made another attempt, this time winning the open seat.[1][2][3]

In September 2017, after 10 years in the Assembly, Hintz was elected by the Democratic caucus to serve as their next floor leader, following Representative Peter Barca's announcement that he would stand down from the role.[4]

On March 3, 2022, he announced that he would not seek re-election.[5]

Controversies

In the midst of the 2011 protests, on February 10, 2011, Hintz was found guilty of solicitation of prostitution. He was also ticketed by police for sexual misconduct at Heavenly Touch Massage Parlor in Appleton, Wisconsin. Police had been investigating the business because it was suspected of prostitution. Hintz pleaded no contest to sexual misconduct and paid a fine of $2,032, according to a news report in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He said he made "a bad decision" that "was out of character" and apologized for disappointing his family, friends, and community. He also sought to refocus attention on the important issues then facing the state, saying "My concern right now is that my personal situation is distracting from the much more important issue facing our state. We have tens of thousands of working people at the Capitol every day, and that must remain our focus."[6]

Hintz publicly berated a female colleague in 2011 and was forced to make an apology. He apologized on February 28, 2011, for comments directed at fellow legislator, Republican State Representative Michelle Litjens during a heated backroom debate, after Republicans allegedly broke procedural rules to end a 58-hour debate on the contentious Budget Repair Bill. Litjens said she did not take the comments personally and thought they were directed at all Republicans but thought he should be disciplined by the Assembly.[1][7]

Hintz was involved in an expletive-laced Facebook exchange on May 28, 2019, with a former friend in both public and private messages that were later provided to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel by the friend and made public. Hintz apologized, stating, "But I need to move on and let it go, and say I'm sorry today happened".[8]

Other

Hintz placed second in the 2003 National Air Guitar championships under the pseudonym, "Krye Tuff".[9] He appears in the documentary Air Guitar Nation about the 2003 championships.

Electoral history
Wisconsin Assembly, District 54 Election, 2004[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 2, 2004
Republican Gregg Underheim (incumbent) 14,045 46.94%
Democratic Gordon Hintz 12,028 40.20%
Green Tony Palmeri 2,653 8.87%
Independent Dan Carpenter 1,157 3.87%
Scattering 39 0.13%
Plurality 2,017 6.74%
Total votes 29,922 100.0%
Republican hold
Wisconsin Assembly, District 54 Election, 2006[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 7, 2006
Democratic Gordon Hintz 13,351 62.12% +21.92%
Republican Julie Pung Leschke 8,109 37.73% -9.21%
Scattering 34 0.16%
Plurality 5,242 24.39%
Total votes 21,494 100.0% -28.17%
Democratic gain from Republican Swing 31.13%

References
  1. "State Rep. Gordon Hintz apologizes for comments made on Assembly floor following budget repair bill vote". Oshkosh Northwestern. February 28, 2011. Archived from the original on March 8, 2012. Retrieved May 9, 2020 – via Wayback Machine.
  2. MSNBC, February 21, 2011, The Last Word With Lawrence O'Donnell
  3. CNN, February 19, 2011, CNN Newsroom, 10:00 AM
  4. Beck, Molly (September 19, 2017). "Gordon Hintz elected to lead Assembly Democrats". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  5. "Former Assembly Democratis leader Gordon Hintz won't seek reelection". www.wpr.org. Wisconsin Public Radio. 3 March 2022. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  6. Vielmetti, Bruce (February 21, 2011). "Assembly member accepts responsibility for ticket in massage parlor case". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  7. Craver, Jack (March 2, 2011). "Republicans, Democrats exchange accusations of incivility". Isthmus. Retrieved March 7, 2011.
  8. Bice, Daniel (June 5, 2019). "Bice: Assembly Minority Leader Gordon Hintz lobs f-bomb at critic after Facebook spat". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  9. "Live in LA". LA Weekly. July 25, 2005. Archived from the original on March 6, 2011. Retrieved May 9, 2020 – via Wayback Machine.
  10. Results of Fall General Election - 11/02/2004 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. December 1, 2004. p. 30. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  11. Results of Fall General Election - 11/07/2006 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. December 5, 2006. p. 29. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 11, 2022. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
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