Chris Taylor (legislator)
Encyclopedia
Chris Taylor is an American
lawyer
and newly elected Democratic
member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
from the 48th District (in and around Madison, Wisconsin
). She was elected without opposition on August 9, 2011 to succeed Joe Parisi
who resigned when he was elected county executive
of Dane County, Wisconsin
.
. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania
in 1990, and from the University of Wisconsin Law School
in 1995. She worked as a private practice
attorney in Milwaukee and Madison from 1996 to 2002 before becoming the public policy
director for Planned Parenthood
of Wisconsin.
in July of 2011 with roughly 31% of the vote. She faced no Republican opponent in the general election
, and won 5,459 votes; there were 591 write-in votes against her. The heavily Democratic 48th District includes parts of the east and far east sides of Madison
, parts of Monona
and McFarland
and the towns of Blooming Grove
and Dunn
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and newly elected Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
Wisconsin State Assembly
The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin....
from the 48th District (in and around Madison, Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
). She was elected without opposition on August 9, 2011 to succeed Joe Parisi
Joe Parisi
Joseph T. 'Joe' Parisi is a Madison, Wisconsin Democratic Party politician who had served as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from 2005 until 2011, but in April 2011 was elected as Dane County county executive; he took office on April 18. 2011....
who resigned when he was elected county executive
County executive
A county executive is the head of the executive branch of government in a county. This position is common in the United States.The executive may be an elected or an appointed position...
of Dane County, Wisconsin
Dane County, Wisconsin
As of the census of 2000, there were 426,526 people, 173,484 households, and 100,794 families residing in the county. The population density was 355 people per square mile . There were 180,398 housing units at an average density of 150 per square mile...
.
Background
Taylor and her older sister were raised by her parents in Southern CaliforniaSouthern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
in 1990, and from the University of Wisconsin Law School
University of Wisconsin Law School
The University of Wisconsin Law School is the professional school for the study of law at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in Madison, Wisconsin. The law school was founded in 1868.-Facilities:...
in 1995. She worked as a private practice
Practice of law
In its most general sense, the practice of law involves giving legal advice to clients, drafting legal documents for clients, and representing clients in legal negotiations and court proceedings such as lawsuits, and is applied to the professional services of a lawyer or attorney at law, barrister,...
attorney in Milwaukee and Madison from 1996 to 2002 before becoming the public policy
Public policy
Public policy as government action is generally the principled guide to action taken by the administrative or executive branches of the state with regard to a class of issues in a manner consistent with law and institutional customs. In general, the foundation is the pertinent national and...
director for Planned Parenthood
Planned Parenthood
Planned Parenthood Federation of America , commonly shortened to Planned Parenthood, is the U.S. affiliate of the International Planned Parenthood Federation and one of its larger members. PPFA is a non-profit organization providing reproductive health and maternal and child health services. The...
of Wisconsin.
Election to office
Taylor had not held any public office before winning a six-way primary electionPrimary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
in July of 2011 with roughly 31% of the vote. She faced no Republican opponent in the general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
, and won 5,459 votes; there were 591 write-in votes against her. The heavily Democratic 48th District includes parts of the east and far east sides of Madison
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
, parts of Monona
Monona, Wisconsin
Monona is a city in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 8,046 as of 2007. It is completely surrounded by Madison and is part of the Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Monona is located at ....
and McFarland
McFarland, Wisconsin
McFarland is a village in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States, on the eastern shore of Lake Waubesa. The population was 7,808 at the 2010 census...
and the towns of Blooming Grove
Blooming Grove, Wisconsin
Blooming Grove is a town in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,768 at the 2000 census. The unincorporated community of Hope is located in Blooming Grove...
and Dunn
Dunn, Dane County, Wisconsin
Dunn is a town in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 5,270 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 34.4 square miles , of which, 28.6 square miles of it is land and 5.8 square miles of it is...
.