Fred Risser

Fred Alan Risser (born May 5, 1927) is a retired American politician and attorney from Madison, Wisconsin. A member of the Democratic Party, Risser represented Madison in the Wisconsin Senate from 1957 to 2021. He holds the record as the longest-serving state legislator in American history, having served a total of 64 years (six years in the Wisconsin State Assembly and 58 years in the state Senate). Over his many years in the Senate, he also served more than 24 years as president of the Wisconsin Senate.

Risser is the fourth generation of his family to serve in the Wisconsin Legislature. His father, Fred E. Risser, served 12 years in the Wisconsin Senate as a member of the short-lived Wisconsin Progressive Party.

Early life, education and career Risser was born in Madison, Wisconsin on May 5, 1927 into a prolific Wisconsin political family. Risser's father (Fred E. Risser), grandfather (Ernest Warner), and great-grandfather (Clement Warner) were all Wisconsin legislators representing part or all of Dane County, although none were Democrats. Risser's father was a member of the State Senate for 12 years.

Risser served in the United States Navy during World War II from 1945 to 1946. He was sworn into the Navy shortly before his high school graduation and Victory in Europe Day. He was a medic and served in Newport, Rhode Island, and the Panama Canal Zone.

Risser used the G.I. Bill to attend college, attending the University of Wisconsin–Madison and Carleton College before transferring to the University of Oregon. He received a Bachelor of Arts from Oregon in 1950 and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Oregon School of Law in 1952. Risser became a member of the State Bar of Wisconsin and the Oregon State Bar and practiced law in Wisconsin.

Wisconsin Legislature A Democrat, Risser served for six years in the Wisconsin Assembly (1957–1963) and 58 years in the Wisconsin Senate (1963–2021).

By 2019, Risser was the only World War II veteran serving as a state legislator in the United States. At the time of his 2021 retirement, Risser was the longest-tenured state legislator in the history of the United States. and has passed legislation allowing contraceptives to be sold to unmarried persons and banning smoking in indoor establishments. He rose through the ranks quickly, becoming the minority leader in 1967

2011 Wisconsin protests

During the 2011 protests in Wisconsin, Risser, along with the 13 other Democratic State Senators, left the state to deny the State Senate a quorum on Governor Scott Walker's "Budget Repair" legislation.

Retirement On March 26, 2020, Risser announced that he would not run for re-election in November 2020. He left office in 2021 at the age of 93. Risser is married to Nancy Risser, a retired Spanish teacher. He has three children and several grandchildren.