Josh Zepnick served in the Wisconsin State Assembly from 2003 to 2019 as a Democrat. Ran for Milwaukee Common Council in 2016 and 2019 and Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors in 2022.
Prior Wisconsin Blue Book biography from 2016:
Born Milwaukee, March 21, 1968; married. Graduate Rufus King H.S. (Milwaukee); B.A. UW-Madison 1990; M.A. Univ. of Minnesota 1998. Full-time legislator. Former project consultant, Milwaukee Jobs Initiative, Milwaukee Community Service Corps, and Urban Economic Development Association of Wisconsin; research associate, Center for Democracy and Citizenship; aide to State Senator Bob Jauch and Congressman David R. Obey. Member: Jackson Park Neighborhood Assn.; Jackson Park Business Assn.; South Side Business Club. Former member: UFCW Local 1444.
Elected to Assembly since 2002. Minority Caucus Sergeant at Arms 2013, 2011. Biennial committee assignments: 2013 — Energy and Utilities (since 2005, vice chp. 2009); Financial Institutions (since 2003); State and Federal Relations;State and Local Finance. 2011 —Tourism, Recreation and State Properties; Leg. Coun. Spec. Com. on Local Service Consolidation (chp.). 2009 — Jt. Com. for Review of Administrative Rules (co-chp.); Ways and Means; Workforce Development (also 2007, 2003). 2007 — Gov.’s Council on Workforce Investment (also 2005). 2005 — Government Operations and Spending Limitations (also 2003); Southeast Wisconsin Freeways; State-Federal Relations; Jt. Select Com. on Road to the Future. 2003 — Transportation.
Campaign Finance Reports
2019 - Post-Election - $100 - 1 contributions
2019 - Special Pre-Election - $100 - 1 contributions
Photos
Content referencing Josh Zepnick
Burgelis Bests Zepnick For Council Seat
County supervisor wins open Common Council seat.
Apr 2nd, 2024 by Jeramey Jannene
Marisabel Cabrera Wins Close Judicial Race
Democratic legislator and immigration rights attorney will now serve in circuit court.
Apr 2nd, 2024 by Jeramey Jannene
2024 Spring Election Results
MPS referendum and county exec, mayor, Common Council and County Board races all on ballot.
Apr 2nd, 2024 by Urban Milwaukee
Meet the Candidates For City Office
And read the analysis of each race and bios for each candidate.
Mar 21st, 2024 by Jeramey Jannene
Burgelis, Zepnick Advance In Southwest Side Aldermanic Race
County supervisor, former state legislator running to replace Mark Borkowski.
Feb 20th, 2024 by Jeramey Jannene
Spring Primary Election Results
Mayor, three council seats and a county board seat on ballot.
Feb 20th, 2024 by Urban Milwaukee
Mayoral Race Headlines Primary Election
Plus: Three aldermanic races and a county supervisor contest.
Feb 19th, 2024 by Urban Milwaukee
Election Commission Boots Griffin From Ballot
Griffin vows appeal, and warns that those involved will 'probably go to prison.'
Jan 9th, 2024 by Jeramey Jannene
Mayor Announces Reelection Bid, Kicks Off Spring 2024 Races
Cavalier Johnson seeks a full-term. All city officials are on the ballot.
Sep 20th, 2023 by Jeramey Jannene
Zepnick Enters Race To Replace Borkowski
Three candidates now seeking to replace outgoing alderman.
Aug 31st, 2023 by Jeramey Jannene
County Online Budgeting Tool Falls Short
Voters who try to use it will find it allows budget cuts in few categories of spending.
Aug 1st, 2022 by Josh Zepnick
County Board Races Finally Settled
Preliminary results show Deanna Alexander won 8-candidate, write-in race in District 18.
Apr 12th, 2022 by Graham Kilmer
Election Shakes Up County Board
Five of 18 supervisors will be new. Longtime Sup. John Weishan, Jr. upset by Peter Burgelis. A sixth new face could be coming.
Apr 5th, 2022 by Graham Kilmer
2022 Milwaukee Spring Election Results
Election results for mayor and county board.
Apr 5th, 2022 by Urban Milwaukee
County Board Candidates
Seven districts out of 18 have competitive races. See who is on your ballot.
Apr 1st, 2022 by Graham Kilmer
2022 Spring Primary Election Results
Election results for race for mayor and three county supervisor races.
Feb 15th, 2022 by Urban Milwaukee
County Board District 12 Election Preview
Four candidates, with no incumbent, running for south-side county supervisor seat. Here are their views.
Feb 14th, 2022 by Graham Kilmer
Three Candidates for Board’s New Hispanic Districts
Incumbents unopposed in most districts but a majority Hispanic district will be contested.
Dec 21st, 2021 by Graham Kilmer
How to Spend Less On Police
Milwaukee has a huge opportunity to consolidate law enforcement costs.
Sep 29th, 2020 by Josh Zepnick
Five Takeaways from Yesterday’s Election
The race for Terry Witkowski's seat had surprises -- and key lessons.
Jul 17th, 2019 by Jeramey Jannene
13th District Common Council Race
Seven candidates vying for seat long held by recently retired Terry Witkowski.
Jul 16th, 2019 by Jeramey Jannene
Six Candidates Seek Aldermanic Job
With Ald. Witkowski resigning, special election has been called, with primary on July 16th.
May 30th, 2019 by Jeramey Jannene
All the Election Data You Want
It was one for the history books, with many surprising results and newcomers.
Aug 15th, 2018 by Jeramey Jannene
23 Election Winners and Losers
Beyond the vote totals, who were the other winners and losers in yesterday’s election?
Aug 15th, 2018 by Bruce Murphy
Candidates for Common Council
Six candidates for 5th District in only primary contest.
Aug 13th, 2018 by Jeramey Jannene
Democratic Candidate Guide
Packed Democratic gubernatorial race and county sheriff contest are top items on Tuesday's ballot.
Aug 13th, 2018 by Jeramey Jannene
No Choice in 36% of Legislative Races
Gerrymandering and decline in number of candidates leaves 2.5 million residents with no choice.
Jun 14th, 2018 by Wisconsin Democracy Campaign
New Federal Program Could Help City
Opportunity Zones law allows tax incentives for distressed areas.
Mar 23rd, 2018 by Elliot Hughes
GOP Legislative Districts Heavily White
Republican assembly districts are up to 96% white, senate districts as high as 95% white.
Jan 15th, 2018 by Wisconsin Democracy Campaign
Top 10 State News Stories of 2017
Another historic year in Wisconsin politics created some big headlines.
Jan 2nd, 2018 by Steven Walters
Sex Can Be Issue in the Capitol
When it becomes harassment how should it be handled?
Dec 4th, 2017 by Steven Walters
A Tale of Two Millennials
Two young Assembly reps in each party, two very different tales.
Sep 5th, 2017 by Steven Walters
Drunk Driving Bill Costs $15 Million Per Year
Department of Corrections estimates minimum cost of get-tough bill.
Apr 5th, 2017 by Gretchen Schuldt
Rebuild The Domes
Joint city-county-state effort should rebuild domes and maximize its tourism potential.
Dec 29th, 2016 by Josh Zepnick
Final Notes From The Campaign-Trail
After 210 interviews with candidates, some observations on a crazy election.
Nov 7th, 2016 by Steven Walters
19 Election Winners and Losers
Beyond the candidates, behind the scenes. who won, who lost?
Aug 10th, 2016 by Bruce Murphy
Democratic Family Feuds
Eight Democratic legislators face primary challengers, but not one GOP legislator does.
Jun 6th, 2016 by Steven Walters
Bipartisan Way to Reduce Inequality
Increased Earned Income Tax Credit is simple measure that most state residents would favor.
Apr 22nd, 2016 by Jon Peacock
8 Problems With Privatizing Water Utilities
Media has now jumped on the issue, adding more info on why proposed bill is a mistake.
Feb 2nd, 2016 by Bruce Murphy
Will Bill Privatize Water Utilities?
Proposed law opens door to companies like Aqua America running local water utilities.
Jan 28th, 2016 by Bruce Murphy
Welcome to the New Layton Boulevard
A just-completed streetscaping and lighting project has enhanced Layton Boulevard.
Nov 23rd, 2015 by Michael Holloway
Donovan Wants Fewer Police “Chiefs”
And "more Indians." Alderman and mayoral candidate proposes to redo police staffing to cut higher-ups.
Oct 29th, 2015 by Michael Horne
Family Leave is Necessary for Wisconsin
It helps families and doesn't cost more for companies. Legislation requiring would be a win win.
Oct 14th, 2015 by Josh Zepnick
The Strange Politics of Anti-Streetcar-ites
So when is that referendum coming, and where are those aldermanic opponents?
Jun 18th, 2015 by Bruce Murphy
Race for Dudzik’s Seat Could Get Heated
Will anti-streetcar group get involved? And did Journal Sentinel exaggerate the number of candidates?
Jun 4th, 2015 by Michael Horne
Who Will Lead the Democratic Party?
Five candidates seek the difficult job of trying to revive the minority party in Wisconsin.
Mar 23rd, 2015 by Steven Walters
Streetcar Backers Say They Have the Votes
Aldermen Witkowski and Perez now favor it, and touted plan to extend the line into their south-side districts.
Jan 20th, 2015 by Jeramey Jannene
Fendt Fired by Southside Organizing Committee
Had led group 22 years, board members vague on reasons for dumping him.
Dec 19th, 2014 by Edgar Mendez
South 27th Street Construction Delayed Until Spring
State DOT blames bad weather and a regional shortage of concrete for the delay.
Nov 23rd, 2014 by Edgar Mendez
Why Wisconsin Has Weak Laws on Drunken Driving
Legislators reject tougher penalties, even for repeat offenders. First of a series.
Nov 10th, 2014 by Bill Lueders
Build NBA Arena Next to Potawatomi Casino
City could create TIF district in valley on little-used land, state assemblyman proposes.
Jul 11th, 2014 by Josh Zepnick
In Defense of Milwaukee
City is making progress on foreclosures and the report claiming 40% of mortgages are underwater is hogwash.
Jun 10th, 2014 by Josh Zepnick
Mary Nohl vs. NIMBY
Proposal to open artist Mary Nohl's home to the public leaves Fox Point residents crying "not in my back yard!"
Oct 23rd, 2013 by Michael Horne
Jon Richards Will Run for Attorney General
Like Abe Lincoln, Richards has been practicing law all across the state in preparation for his run.
Oct 16th, 2013 by Michael Horne
Grand Opening of KK River Bike Trail
Despite rainy weather, Mayor Barrett and a host of politicians celebrated the new bike trail.
Oct 14th, 2013 by Urban Milwaukee
Why We Lost the Marsupial Bridge Swings
The city hasn't allocated money to maintain them. Should the nearby Business Improvement District adopt them?
Oct 10th, 2013 by Michael Horne
Brewing as a Conceptual Art
Brenner Brewing has a ways to go before it functions as a working brewery. Plus: a fundraiser for the anti-Clarke candidate.
Sep 27th, 2013 by Michael Horne
Bradley Prizes Go to Millionaires
Roger Ailes and Mitch Daniels were among four men awarded $250,000 each by the Milwaukee foundation for "unflinching" conservatism.
Jun 26th, 2013 by Michael Horne
South Siders Concerned about I-94 Changes
DOT proposals for exits and entrances at 26th and 35th streets worry area residents.
Mar 19th, 2013 by Amalia Oulahan
Will State Screw Milwaukee?
Expert condemns state for switching Milwaukee’s foster care funding to help other counties.
Aug 31st, 2012 by Bruce Murphy
Milwaukee Taxi Cab Medallion Bill Passes Assembly
The City of Milwaukee is working on state legislation to allow the City to profit from the sale of additional taxi cab permits (to be called medallions) and address the perceived shortage of taxi cabs in the city. Currently under Wisconsin law, permit and license fees can not exceed the cost to issue said permits. This gives the Common Council and Mayor little incentive to raise the cap on the number of permits (currently capped at the seemingly random number of 321 since 1992), despite the fact that the permits are changing hands in the private market for between $80,000 to $150,000.
Feb 22nd, 2012 by Jeramey Jannene
State Elections Board Responds to Complaint Against Walker
John Weishan and Gerry Broderick filed an official complaint today with the Wisconsin State Elections Board against Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker.
May 9th, 2005 by Michael Horne
Voting With The Mayor
Mayor Barrett’s office announced Monday that he would vote at City Hall at 1 p.m. Tuesday.
Oct 25th, 2004 by Michael Horne
Let My People Shop!
Ald. Zielinski is upset, because Jewel Osco has taken steps to prevent a new grocery store in his district.
Aug 30th, 2004 by Michael Horne
Plale Recall Drive Begins
Can a group of south side political activists pull themselves together enough to acquire 13,212 signatures to force a recall election against Sen. Jeff Plale? Rep. Jon Richards said he doubts it. “This thing is going nowhere,” says Rep. Josh Zepnick. “These people are so lazy! They’ve taken out a newspaper ad asking people to come by and sign a recall petition. Who is going to do that?” True enough. To win an election, you’ve got to knock on doors, post signs in windows and do all kinds of grass-rooted activities. There is scant evidence of this in the Plale recall attempt, and absolutely no evidence of it in the northern fringes of Plale’s district, including Brady Street and the East Side. That hasn’t stopped Plale from printing up thousands of football schedules that he is handing out at every turn. The South Milwaukeean made the journey to St. Rita’s Church last week to attend the Brady Street Association monthly meeting where he was asked about the recall. “They’ve got until September 7th to get the signatures to recall me,” Plale told the audience. When told there seemed to be no effort on the East Side to circulate petitions, Plale said, “well, these people wouldn’t know how to find Brady Street.” Plale was also in the Brady Street area for what the neighborhood hopes is an annual Artisinal Food Festival. The gig was held Sunday, July 25th, and Plale was there along with his schedules. The recall effort against him stemmed from his crucial vote to uphold Governor Doyle’s veto of a republican-sponsored measure to limit property tax increases. Plale says the upcoming plans to sponsor a constitutional amendment known as the Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights, (TABOR) is similarly flawed, and a potential recipe for disaster. He cites Colorado, a state that has enacted similar provisions into its laws and is now in the midst of its worst fiscal crisis ever. Amendment on the Run The legislature republicans spent the last unedifying session promoting the agenda of Gays, Guns and Gambling. The Madison gang came up with loads of goofy legislation, none of which could sustain a veto by the governor. Leave it to this group to be able to reconvene and pass a constitutional amendment, no less, in just one week. This was the decision of Sen. Mary Panzer, the republican leader who had earlier been criticized for not rushing a Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights law through the Solomonic deliberations of the nation’s most august lawmakers. But, as soon as she faced a primary challenge from Rep.Glenn Grothman, an ambitious fellow republican who covets her senate seat, Panzer decided to schedule a vote for this week. Then, the legislature can go home and come back next year to vote again. Then, finally, the matter will be put to public vote in a referendum, if it is still alive. But, if the legislature does not act by August 5th, the whole procedure would have to be repeated in yet one […]
Jul 26th, 2004 by Michael Horne
Who’s on Fifth?
An $89 billion bank is muscling its way into the Milwaukee market, and you read about it here first.
Dec 15th, 2003 by Michael Horne
Krug Scores Joint Finance Seat
Rep. Shirley Krug was chosen Monday to take a seat on the influential Joint Committee on Finance
Dec 4th, 2003 by Michael Horne
