Fred Risser

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American politician (born 1927)

title: "Fred Risser" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1927-births", "united-states-navy-personnel-of-world-war-ii", "carleton-college-alumni", "living-people", "democratic-party-members-of-the-wisconsin-state-assembly", "oregon-lawyers", "2012-united-states-presidential-electors", "politicians-from-madison,-wisconsin", "united-states-navy-sailors", "university-of-oregon-alumni", "university-of-wisconsin–madison-alumni", "presidents-of-the-wisconsin-senate", "democratic-party-wisconsin-state-senators", "2008-united-states-presidential-electors", "lawyers-from-madison,-wisconsin", "military-personnel-from-madison,-wisconsin", "21st-century-members-of-the-wisconsin-legislature", "20th-century-members-of-the-wisconsin-legislature"] description: "American politician (born 1927)" topic_path: "history" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Risser" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American politician (born 1927) ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox officeholder"]

Field	Value
name	Fred Risser
image	Sen. Risser (3523299334) (2).jpg
caption	Risser in 2009
state1	Wisconsin
state_senate1	Wisconsin
district1	26th
term_start1	December 1, 1962
term_end1	January 4, 2021
predecessor1	Horace W. Wilkie
successor1	Kelda Roys
office2	President of the Wisconsin Senate
term_start2	July 17, 2012
term_end2	January 7, 2013
predecessor2	Michael G. Ellis
successor2	Michael G. Ellis
term_start3	January 8, 2007
term_end3	January 3, 2011
predecessor3	Alan Lasee
successor3	Michael G. Ellis
term_start4	January 4, 1999
term_end4	January 6, 2003
predecessor4	Brian Rude
successor4	Alan Lasee
term_start5	July 9, 1996
term_end5	April 21, 1998
predecessor5	Brian Rude
successor5	Brian Rude
term_start6	May 1, 1979
term_end6	January 9, 1995
predecessor6	Russell Olson
successor6	Brian Rude
office7	President pro tempore of the
term_start7	January 6, 1975
term_end7	May 1, 1979
preceded7	Robert P. Knowles
succeeded7	Vacant until 1983
William A. Bablitch (1983)
state_assembly8	Wisconsin
district8	Dane 2nd
term_start8	January 7, 1957
term_end8	December 1, 1962
predecessor8	Ivan A. Nestingen
successor8	Edward Nager
party	Democratic
birth_date
birth_place	Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.
profession	Legislator
alma_mater	University of Oregon (BA, LLB)
spouse	Nancy Risser
father	Fred E. Risser
relatives	Ernest Warner (grandfather)
Clement Warner
allegiance	United States
branch	United States Navy
serviceyears	1945–1946
battles	World War II
::

Fred A. Risser (born May 5, 1927) is a retired American politician and attorney from the state of Wisconsin. A Democrat from Madison, Risser was a member of the Wisconsin Legislature from 1957 to 2021. At the time of his retirement, he was the longest-tenured American state legislator in history. He served for six years in the Wisconsin State Assembly and served for 58 years in the Wisconsin Senate.

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). He represented most of the city of Madison, including the campus of the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

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. He is known as a progressive, and has passed legislation allowing contraceptives to be sold to unmarried persons and banning smoking in indoor establishments. Risser has never lost an election.

Wisconsin Assembly

Risser was first elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1956, succeeding fellow Democrat Ivan A. Nestingen (who had resigned in April of that year after he was elected mayor of Madison). He was re-elected in 1958 and 1960. Risser left the Assembly in 1963 after being elected to the state Senate in 1962. He was succeeded in the Wisconsin Assembly by fellow Democrat Edward Nager.

Wisconsin Senate

Risser was elected to the state Senate in a 1962 special election triggered by the appointment of Horace W. Wilkie to the Wisconsin Supreme Court. He was elected to a full term in 1964 and was reelected every four years until his retirement. He rose through the ranks quickly, becoming the minority leader in 1967 due to his intense study of parliamentary procedure. After the Democrats gained the Senate majority in the 1974 election, Risser was elected as president pro tempore beginning in the 1975 session. He continued as president pro tempore until a state constitutional amendment in 1979 separated the offices of Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin and President of the Senate. When the amendment was certified on May 1, 1979, Risser was elected president of the Senate and the office of president pro tempore became defunct for a number of years. Risser held the office of president of the Senate continuously for the next 16 years, until Democrats lost the majority in the 1994 election. He was returned to the office of president every time the Democrats held the majority in the subsequent 20 years.

2011 Wisconsin protests

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/Sen._Fred_Risser.jpg" caption="Risser speaking at the March 12, 2011, protest outside of the Wisconsin State Capitol"] ::

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.

Other political involvement

Risser was a delegate to both the 1960 Democratic National Convention and the 1964 Democratic National Convention. He served as chair of Wisconsin's presidential electors during the 1964 presidential election.

Personal life

Risser's first wife, Betty, died after 21 years of marriage. Risser is married to Nancy Risser, a retired Spanish teacher. He has three children and several grandchildren.

References

(1973). "Wisconsin Blue Book 1973-1974". Wisconsin's Legislative Reference Bureau.
[[Frank Bures]], [https://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0301/p20s01-lihc.htm "Backstory: The iron man of state politics"], ''The Christian Science Monitor'', March 1, 2007.
(September 2, 2025). "Fred Risser, "Forward For The People: The Autobiography of America's Longest Serving Legislator"".
(1958). "The Wisconsin Blue Book 1958". [[Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau.
. (September 1, 2014). ["Bar People: Among Ourselves"](https://www.osbar.org/publications/bulletin/14augsep/barpeople.html). *Oregon State Bar Bulletin*.
Potter, Steven. (October 23, 2024). "How old are Wisconsin's lawmakers and how much do voters care?".
"Fred Risser".
(May 29, 2019). "In Memoriam: New Mexico Senator John Pinto". [[National Conference of State Legislatures]].
(June 11, 2025). "The Autobiography of America's Longest Serving Legislator".
(July 21, 2025). "Fred Risser".
Wolf, March. (July 15, 2013). "Six Who Served". State Legislatures Magazine.
Marley, Patrick. (September 2025}} Risser served as Senate Majority Leader for 25 years.{{Cite web). "Fred Risser, the longest-serving legislator in the country, is retiring after 64 years in office".
(February 21, 2011). "Wisconsin senators living day-to-day south of border". [[Chicago Tribune]].
Ivey, Mike. (April 27, 2017). "The lifer". [[Isthmus (newspaper).
Johnson, Shawn. (March 26, 2020). "Fred Risser, Nation's Longest-Serving State Legislator, To Retire". [[Wisconsin Public Radio]].
Sigfusson, Lauren. (March 26, 2020). "Longest-Serving Legislator Fred Risser Won't Seek Reelection". WUWM.
Risser, Senator Fred. (March 26, 2020). "After 64 years representing Madison in the State Assembly and State Senate, I have decided not the stand for re-election.".
Sommerhauser, Mark. (May 19, 2017). "In 60-year legislative career, Fred Risser has learned to take the long view". [[Wisconsin State Journal]].
Comp, Nathan J.. (July 18, 2015). "Urban oasis".

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