- Source: James Harsdorf
James E. Harsdorf (born November 7, 1950) is an American dairy farmer and Republican politician from the Pierce County, Wisconsin. He was the 8th secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, serving in the administration of Governor Scott McCallum, and previously served eight years in the Wisconsin Senate and three years in the State Assembly, representing parts of northwestern Wisconsin. His sister, Sheila Harsdorf, also served in the state Legislature, representing both districts he had, and was later secretary of the same department.
Biography
Born in Stillwater, Minnesota, Harsdorf graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in animal science. He was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in a 1977 special election, defeating future Wisconsin Secretary of Agriculture Rod Nilsestuen, and served until 1981. He won election to the Wisconsin State Senate in 1980, defeating first-term incumbent Democrat Michelle Radosevich. He served from 1981 to 1989.
In 1996, he ran for the United States House of Representatives in the open seat for Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district. He was defeated by Democrat Ron Kind, receiving 48% of the vote.
Harsdorf's younger sister, Sheila, was elected to his former assembly seat in 1988, and served in that body until 1999. She subsequently ran for and won his old senate seat, serving from 2001 to 2017.