imported>Jevansen: added :Category:20th-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature

2024-12-06T10:06:37Z

added Category:20th-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature

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{{short description|American politician and judge (born 1949)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific-prefix =
|name = Gary Sherman
|honorific-suffix =
|image =
|imagesize =
|caption =
|office1 = Judge of the [[Wisconsin Court of Appeals]] {{nowrap|for the 4th district}}
| term_start1 = May 12, 2010
| term_end1 = July 4, 2019
| appointer1 = [[Jim Doyle]]
| predecessor1 = [[Burnie Bridge]]
| successor1 = [[Rachel A. Graham]]
|state2 = Wisconsin
|state_assembly2 = Wisconsin
|district2 = [[Wisconsin's 74th Assembly district|74th]]
| term_start2 = January 4, 1999
| term_end2 = May 12, 2010
| predecessor2 = [[Barbara Linton]]
| successor2 = [[Janet Bewley (Wisconsin politician)|Janet Bewley]]
|party = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1949|5|5}}
|birth_place = [[Chicago, Illinois]], U.S.
|death_date =
|death_place =
|residence = [[Port Wing, Wisconsin]]
|alma_mater = [[University of Wisconsin–Madison]]<br>[[University of Wisconsin Law School]]
|profession = [[Attorney at law (United States)|attorney]]
|spouse = {{marriage|Jean A. Kusel|1970}}
|website =
|allegiance = United States
|branch = [[United States Air Force]]<br />[[United States Air Force Reserve|U.S. Air Force Reserve]]
|serviceyears = 1973 (USAF)<br />1973–1977 (USAFR)
}}
'''Gary E. Sherman''' (born May 5, 1949) is a retired American lawyer and [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] politician from [[Bayfield County, Wisconsin]]. He served nine years as a judge of the [[Wisconsin Court of Appeals]] in the [[Madison, Wisconsin|Madison]]-based 4th district (2010–2019). He previously served 11 years as a member of the [[Wisconsin State Assembly]], representing the [[Wisconsin's 74th Assembly district|74th Assembly district]] from 1999 to 2010, and was president of the [[State Bar of Wisconsin]] from 1994 to 1995.

==Early life and education==
Gary Sherman was born and raised in [[Chicago, Illinois]]. He graduated from Chicago's [[Lane Tech College Prep High School|A. G. Lane Technical High School]] in 1966 and went on to attend the [[University of Wisconsin–Madison]].<ref name="wihist">{{Cite web |url=https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS12924 |title= Sherman, Gary E. 1949 |date= 8 August 2017 |access-date= January 28, 2024 }}</ref> While in college, Sherman became active with several protest movements that were popular on campus at the time, joining in a sit-in to demand the university establish an ethnic studies program in 1967.<ref name="retired">{{cite news|url= https://www.wisbar.org/NewsPublications/InsideTrack/Pages/Article.aspx?Volume=15&Issue=5&ArticleID=29628 |title= Senior Lawyer Series: 50-Year Member: Judge Gary Sherman |first= Jeff M. |last= Brown |date= March 1, 2023 |journal= Inside Track |publisher= [[State Bar of Wisconsin]] |volume= 15 |number= 5 |accessdate= January 28, 2024 }}</ref> He graduated with his [[Bachelor of Arts|bachelor's degree]] in history in 1970.<ref name="wihist"/>

During college, he also enrolled in the [[Reserve Officers' Training Corps]] with the [[United States Air Force]], which agreed to defer his active duty status while he continued his education in law school. After earning his [[Juris Doctor|J.D.]] from the [[University of Wisconsin Law School]], in 1973, he went on active duty with the Air Force. He was assigned to the [[Duluth Air National Guard Base]], where he served as a legal advisor to the base commander. He served only 92 days on active duty, followed by four years inactive with the [[United States Air Force Reserve]].<ref name="retired"/>

==Legal and political career==
After leaving the Air Force, Sherman moved to the city of [[Washburn, Wisconsin|Washburn]], in far northern [[Bayfield County, Wisconsin]], near his wife's former residence. They had visited the area frequently during their college years, and became part of a community of young idealists who moved into the area in the 1970s. They purchased 120 acres of land, but took several years to build a house on the land. In the meantime they lived in a small shack on their property.

He worked briefly for a small law firm in Washburn, before going into private practice on his own. In this practice, much of his practice was in municipal law, litigating sewage and water systems.<ref name="retired"/> During these years, he also wrote a new edition of ''Wisconsin Methods of Practice'', a reference for how to practice law in the state. Sherman had found the book useful as a young lawyer, and was perplexed why he hadn't been receiving updates. After contacting the publisher, he was told they didn't have anyone writing updates, and the content needed a thorough rewrite. Sherman took on the work, writing it over the course of several years.<ref name="retired"/>

Recognized for his work, Sherman was elected to the board of governors of the [[State Bar of Wisconsin]] in the 1980s, and was elected president in 1994. During his presidency, he led efforts to digitize legal reference materials.<ref name="retired"/>

His term as president ended in 1995, and he then served a year as "past president". After that, Sherman chose to run for a soon-to-be open seat on the [[Wisconsin Court of Appeals]] in the [[Wausau, Wisconsin|Wausau]]-based 3rd district. He faced [[Marathon County, Wisconsin|Marathon County]] circuit judge [[Michael W. Hoover]] in the Spring 1997 general election. He spent $120,000 of his own money on the race, but lost by 15 points.<ref name="1997elex">{{cite report|url= https://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/V57G6QVOUSNPG8T |title= State of Wisconsin 1997–1998 Blue Book |year= 1997 |publisher= [[Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau]] |editor-last1= Barish |editor-first1= Lawrence S. |chapter= Elections in Wisconsin |page= [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AV57G6QVOUSNPG8T/full/ATA4UQT2XCKG5L8M 873] |accessdate= January 28, 2024 }}</ref>

Following that election loss, Sherman received a call from George Brown, the State Bar's lobbyist in Madison, who informed him that the state representative in his home district was retiring. Sherman entered the contest for the Democratic Party nomination in the [[Wisconsin's 74th Assembly district|74th Assembly district]]. Name recognition from his recent judicial campaign helped him in the Democratic primary, where he defeated two opponents, receiving 40% of the vote. He went on to receive 57% in the general election, defeating the Republican candidate, attorney Thomas Duffy.<ref name="1999elex">{{cite report|url= https://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/4K4QRBLSRUNJE8R |title= State of Wisconsin 1999–2000 Blue Book |year= 1999 |publisher= [[Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau]] |editor-last1= Barish |editor-first1= Lawrence S. |editor-last2= Meloy |editor-first2= Patricia E. |chapter= Elections in Wisconsin |pages= [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/A4K4QRBLSRUNJE8R/full/ACNCFIPJOQNN5U8P 881], [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/A4K4QRBLSRUNJE8R/full/AH6KDMNFRO3RWI8A 883] |accessdate= January 28, 2024 }}</ref> Sherman would win re-election five times.

In 2009, Judge [[Burnie Bridge]] of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals announced he would step down at the end of the year. Governor [[Jim Doyle]] announced that he would seek applicants for the appointment, and Sherman decided to put his name.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/wisconsin-state-journal-judge-applicants/139787736/ |title= Blanchard applies for judgeship |newspaper= [[Wisconsin State Journal]] |date= October 21, 2009 |first= Ed |last= Treleven |page= 3 |accessdate= January 28, 2024 |via= [[Newspapers.com]] }}</ref> After an extensive interview process, Doyle named Sherman as successor to Bridge.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fox21online.com/news/sherman-appointed-wisconsin-court-appeals |title=Sherman appointed to Wisconsin Court of Appeals |date= December 4, 2009 |work= [[KQDS-TV]] |accessdate=January 28, 2024 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091207003026/http://www.fox21online.com/news/sherman-appointed-wisconsin-court-appeals |archivedate=December 7, 2009 |via= [[Wayback Machine]] }}</ref> Sherman formally took up the seat on May 12, 2010, resigning from the Assembly the same day.<ref name="bar2010">{{cite news|url= https://www.wisbar.org/NewsPublications/InsideTrack/Pages/Article.aspx?Volume=2&Issue=10&ArticleID=5872 |title= Former State Bar President Gary Sherman invested District IV Court of Appeals judge |first= Deb |last= Heneghan |date= May 14, 2010 |journal= Inside Track |publisher= [[State Bar of Wisconsin]] |volume= 2 |number= 10 |accessdate= January 28, 2024 }}</ref> Sherman described his work on the Court of Appeals as the hardest work of his life.<ref name="retired"/>

He was elected to a full term in 2014, without opposition.<ref name="2014gen">{{cite report|url= https://elections.wi.gov/sites/default/files/legacy/Canvass%2520Results.4.1.14%2520spring%2520election%2520-%2520All%2520Offices.pdf |title= Canvass Results for 2014 Spring Election - 4/1/2014 |publisher= [[Wisconsin Government Accountability Board]] |date= April 15, 2014 |page= 1 |accessdate= January 28, 2024 |via= [[Wisconsin Elections Commission]] }}</ref> He served most of that term, but announced his retirement in 2019, leaving office July 4 of that year.<ref>{{Cite news|url= https://wislawjournal.com/2019/04/23/evers-seeking-applicants-for-two-court-of-appeals-vacancies/ |title= Evers seeking applicants for two Court of Appeals vacancies |last=Strebel |first=Erika |date= April 23, 2019 |work= Wisconsin Law Journal |language=en-US |access-date= January 28, 2024 }}</ref>

==Later years==
Since leaving office, he has worked as a part time court commissioner in Bayfield County, though he spends a significant amount of time in [[Tucson, Arizona]].<ref name="retired"/>

==Electoral history==
===Wisconsin Court of Appeals (1997)===
{{Election box begin | title= Wisconsin Court of Appeals, 3rd District Election, 1997<ref name="1997elex"/>}}
| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| '''General Election, April 1, 1997'''
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = [[Michael W. Hoover]]
|votes = 100,936
|percentage = 57.37%
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Gary E. Sherman
|votes = 74,989
|percentage = 42.63%
|change =
}}
{{Election box plurality
|votes = 25,947
|percentage = 14.75%
|change =
}}
{{Election box total
|votes = 175,925
|percentage = 100.0%
|change =
}}
{{Election box end}}

===Wisconsin Assembly (1998–2008)===

{| class=wikitable
|-
! Year
! Election
! Date
!! colspan="4"| Elected
!! colspan="4"| Defeated
! Total
! Plurality
|-
! rowspan="3" valign="top" | 1998
| rowspan="2" valign="top" | Primary<ref name="1999elex"/>
| rowspan="2" valign="top" |{{nowrap|Sep. 8}}
| rowspan="2" valign="top" | {{nowrap|Gary E. Sherman}}
| rowspan="2" valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| rowspan="2" valign="top" align="right" | 2,064
| rowspan="2" valign="top" align="right" | 39.88%
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Mike Kinney}}
| valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Dem.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 1,629
| valign="top" align="right" | 31.48%
| rowspan="2" valign="top" align="right" | 5,175
| rowspan="2" valign="top" align="right" | 435
|-
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Karen Kuester}}
| valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Dem.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 1,482
| valign="top" align="right" | 28.64%
|-
| valign="top" | General<ref name="1999elex"/>
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Nov. 3}}
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Gary E. Sherman}}
| valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 10,734
| valign="top" align="right" | 57.09%
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Tom Duffy}}
| valign="top" {{Party shading/Republican}} | [[Republican Party (United States)|Rep.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 8,068
| valign="top" align="right" | 42.91%
| valign="top" align="right" | 18,802
| valign="top" align="right" | 2,666
|-
! valign="top" | 2000
| valign="top" | General<ref name="2000gen">{{Cite report|url= https://whs.access.preservica.com/uncategorized/IO_09c2e2a3-1386-4ff9-aad8-3248bf6bb3c5/ |title= Results of Fall General Election - 11/07/2000 |date= May 10, 2001 |publisher= Wisconsin State Elections Board |page= 34 |accessdate= January 28, 2024 |via= [[Wisconsin Historical Society]] }}</ref>
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Nov. 3}}
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Gary E. Sherman (inc)}}
| valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 15,130
| valign="top" align="right" | 61.61%
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Connie Loden}}
| valign="top" {{Party shading/Republican}} | [[Republican Party (United States)|Rep.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 9,426
| valign="top" align="right" | 38.38%
| valign="top" align="right" | 24,557
| valign="top" align="right" | 5,704
|-
! valign="top" | 2002
| valign="top" | General<ref name="2002gen">{{cite report|url= https://whs.access.preservica.com/uncategorized/IO_ae534b25-9fc6-4986-b261-7c785e581f09/ |title= Results of Fall General Election - 11/05/2002 |publisher= Wisconsin State Elections Board |date= December 2, 2002 |page= 36 |accessdate= January 28, 2024 |via= [[Wisconsin Historical Society]] }}</ref>
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Nov. 5}}
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Gary E. Sherman (inc)}}
| valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 13,365
| valign="top" align="right" | 99.82%
| valign="top" colspan="4" | ''--unopposed--''
| valign="top" align="right" | 13,389
| valign="top" align="right" | 13,341
|-
! rowspan="2" valign="top" | 2004
| rowspan="2" valign="top" | General<ref name="2004gen">{{cite report|url= https://whs.access.preservica.com/uncategorized/IO_dcaf3106-7971-45d7-9e8b-3b169afa2f9a/ |title= Results of Fall General Election - 11/02/2004 |publisher= Wisconsin State Elections Board |date= December 1, 2004 |page= 36 |accessdate= January 28, 2024 |via= [[Wisconsin Historical Society]] }}</ref>
| rowspan="2" valign="top" |{{nowrap|Nov. 2}}
| rowspan="2" valign="top" | {{nowrap|Gary E. Sherman (inc)}}
| rowspan="2" valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| rowspan="2" valign="top" align="right" | 16,213
| rowspan="2" valign="top" align="right" | 53.14%
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|[[Barbara Linton]]}}
| valign="top" {{Party shading/Republican}} | [[Republican Party (United States)|Rep.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 14,134
| valign="top" align="right" | 46.33%
| rowspan="2" valign="top" align="right" | 30,509
| rowspan="2" valign="top" align="right" | 2,079
|-
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Eugene Bigboy Sr.}}
| valign="top" {{Party shading/Independent}} | [[Independent (United States)|Ind.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 160
| valign="top" align="right" | 0.52%
|-
! valign="top" | 2006
| valign="top" | General<ref name="2006gen">{{cite report|url= https://whs.access.preservica.com/uncategorized/IO_e8d5fe23-b646-48ba-acb0-3b70c311a0fd/ |title= Results of Fall General Election - 11/07/2006 |publisher= Wisconsin State Elections Board |date= December 11, 2006 |page= 36 |accessdate= January 28, 2024 |via= [[Wisconsin Historical Society]] }}</ref>
| valign="top" |{{nowrap|Nov. 7}}
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Gary E. Sherman (inc)}}
| valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 13,590
| valign="top" align="right" | 62.55%
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Shirl LaBarre}}
| valign="top" {{Party shading/Republican}} | [[Republican Party (United States)|Rep.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 8,121
| valign="top" align="right" | 37.38%
| valign="top" align="right" | 21,728
| valign="top" align="right" | 5,469
|-
! valign="top" | 2008
| valign="top" | General<ref name="2008gen">{{cite report|url= https://whs.access.preservica.com/uncategorized/IO_900da12b-ee42-4eec-82a0-7978ab858db3/ |title=Results of Fall General Election - 11/04/2008 |publisher= Wisconsin State Elections Board |date= December 1, 2008 |page= 34 |accessdate= January 28, 2024 |via= [[Wisconsin Historical Society]] }}</ref>
| valign="top" |{{nowrap|Nov. 4}}
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Gary E. Sherman (inc)}}
| valign="top" {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 18,051
| valign="top" align="right" | 62.38%
| valign="top" | {{nowrap|Shirl LaBarre}}
| valign="top" {{Party shading/Republican}} | [[Republican Party (United States)|Rep.]]
| valign="top" align="right" | 10,874
| valign="top" align="right" | 37.58%
| valign="top" align="right" | 28,939
| valign="top" align="right" | 7,177
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100527183436/http://www.wicourts.gov/about/judges/appeals/sherman.htm Judge Gary Sherman-Wisconsin Court of Appeals]
* {{CongLinks | congbio= | votesmart=26334 | fec= | congress= }}
* ''Follow the Money'' - Gary Sherman
**[http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=110288 2008] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=87604 2006] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=68318 2004] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=8555 2002] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=58791 2000] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=56868 1998] campaign contributions
*[http://www.wisdc.org/pro08-103485.php Campaign 2008] campaign contributions at ''Wisconsin Democracy Campaign''

{{s-start}}
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef|before =[[Barbara Linton]]}}
{{s-ttl|title ={{nowrap|Member of the [[Wisconsin State Assembly]]}} {{nowrap|from the [[Wisconsin's 74th Assembly district|74th]] district}}|years=January 4, 1999{{spnd}}May 12, 2010}}
{{s-aft|after =[[Janet Bewley (Wisconsin politician)|Janet Bewley]]}}
{{s-legal}}
{{s-bef|before =[[Burnie Bridge]]}}
{{s-ttl|title ={{nowrap|Judge of the [[Wisconsin Court of Appeals]]}} {{nowrap|for the 4th district}} |years= May 12, 2010{{spnd}}July 4, 2019}}
{{s-aft|after =[[Rachel A. Graham]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sherman, Gary}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1949 births]]
[[Category:Politicians from Chicago]]
[[Category:Lawyers from Chicago]]
[[Category:People from Bayfield County, Wisconsin]]
[[Category:University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni]]
[[Category:University of Wisconsin Law School alumni]]
[[Category:Democratic Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly]]
[[Category:Wisconsin Court of Appeals judges]]
[[Category:United States Air Force reservists]]
[[Category:21st-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature]]
[[Category:20th-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature]]

Gary Sherman (politician) - Revision history

imported>Jevansen: added :Category:20th-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature