Shae Sortwell

Shae Sortwell (born August 3, 1985) is an American Republican politician. He is a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing the 2nd Assembly district since 2019.

Shae Sortwell
Sortwell at the 2022 Hazlitt Summit hosted by Young Americans for Liberty Foundation
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
from the 2nd district
Assumed office
January 7, 2019
Preceded byAndré Jacque
Personal details
Born (1985-08-03) August 3, 1985[1]
Saratoga Springs, New York, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseKrista
Children6
ResidenceGibson, Wisconsin
EducationUniversity of Wisconsin, Green Bay (BA)
United States Army CBRN School (Cert.)
Website
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Army
U.S. Army Reserve
Years of service2009–2018
Rank Sergeant

Political career

Local politics

After serving on the Green Bay, Wisconsin, city council in 2010, Sortwell introduced an online petition in 2016 asking mayor Jim Schmitt to resign over criminal campaign finance violations.[2] He later joined the Gibson, Wisconsin, Town Board of Supervisors.[3]

Wisconsin State Assembly

Sortwell ran for the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2014, contesting the 90th Assembly District as an independent.[4] In 2018, after incumbent Andre Jacque announced he would not run for reelection, Sortwell declared his candidacy for Wisconsin Assembly District 2.[5] He defeated Dean Raasch in an August primary for the Republican nomination[6] and won the November election over Democrat Mark Grams, garnering 55 percent of the vote.[7]

After Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election and Donald Trump refused to concede, Sortwell made false claims of fraud in the election and urged Congress not to certify the election results.[8]

Personal life

Sortwell graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay in 2006.[9] He formerly was a sergeant in the U. S. Army.[3] In 2021, he compared a children's museum in central Wisconsin to Nazi Germany because it continued to require unvaccinated people to wear masks by writing "The Gestapo wants to see your papers, please" on Facebook regarding the museum's decision, drawing ire.[10]

In autumn of 2021, controversy emerged around allegations that Sortwell abused his child after the child was found to have bruises. The investigation conducted by "four police officers, two social workers, a child forensic officer — a trained agent who interviews child victims of physical and sexual abuse — a child advocacy staff member and a nurse practitioner," resulted in law enforcement referring the incident to the district attorney [11] However, Deputy District Attorney Dana J. Johnson decided not to pursue charges, citing "the defense of the parent using reasonable force to discipline the child." Sortwell told officers he and his wife disciplined their child with an object when he was being “defiant” because they are commanded to in the Bible.[12]

Electoral history
Wisconsin Assembly, 90th District Election, 2014
Party Candidate Votes %
General Election[13]
Democratic Eric Genrich (incumbent) 7,953 54.94%
Republican Eric Wimberger 5,342 36.90%
Independent Shae Sortwell 1,164 8.04%
Write-ins 18 0.12%
Total votes 14,477 100.0%
Democratic hold
Wisconsin Assembly, 2nd District Election, 2018
Party Candidate Votes %
Primary Election[14]
Republican Shae Sortwell 2,708 54.88%
Republican Dean Raasch 2,221 45.01%
Republican Write-ins 5 0.1%
Total votes 4,934 100.0%
General Election[15]
Republican Shae Sortwell 15,014 54.82%
Democratic Mark Grams 10,118 36.94%
Independent Jeff Dahlke 1,494 5.45%
Libertarian Kevin A. Bauer 745 2.72%
Write-ins 18 0.07%
Total votes 27,389 100.0%
Republican hold

References
  1. "Representative Shae A. Sortwell". Wisconsin State Legislature. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  2. Krumholz, Ben. "Online petition forms calling for Mayor Schmitt to resign". WLUK-TV. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  3. "2nd Assembly District: Q&A with Republican Shae Sortwell of Two Rivers". Green Bay Press-Gazette. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  4. WisconsinEye (10 September 2014). "Shae Sortwell (I) for 90th Assembly District" – via YouTube.
  5. Schafer, Alisa M. "Wisconsin election: District 2 state assembly race features four candidates". The Herald Times Reporter. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  6. Anderson, Jonathan. "Wisconsin primary: Shae Sortwell prevails in the Republican race in the state's 2nd Assembly District". Green Bay Press-Gazette. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  7. "Election Results". www.wisconsinvote.org. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  8. Epstein, Reid J. (2021-06-29). "Wisconsin G.O.P. Wrestles With Just How Much to Indulge Trump". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
  9. "UW-Green Bay alumnus is candidate in the District 2 state assembly race". University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  10. "Twitter: A letter from a Wisconsinite to State Rep. Shae Sortwell after he compared a children's museum to Nazi Germany because it still is requiring masks be worn by those over age 5 who aren't vaccinated against COVID-19". Twitter. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  11. "Green Bay police referred Rep. Shae Sortwell for child abuse in 2013". Green Bay Press Gazette. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  12. "Before he was a Wisconsin lawmaker, Shae Sortwell was investigated for child abuse. Here's what we know about it". Green Bay Press Gazette. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  13. Canvass Results for 2014 General Election (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin State Elections Board. November 4, 2014. p. 29. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
  14. Canvass Results for 2018 Partisan Primary (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin State Elections Board. August 14, 2018. p. 31. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
  15. Canvass Results for 2018 General Election (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin State Elections Board. November 6, 2018. p. 10. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
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