Todd Novak

Todd D. Novak (born April 23, 1965) is an American newspaper editor and politician.

Todd Novak
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
from the 51st district
Assumed office
January 3, 2015
Preceded byHoward Marklein
Personal details
Born (1965-04-23) April 23, 1965
Cobb, Wisconsin
Political partyRepublican
ResidenceDodgeville, Wisconsin, U.S.

Born in Cobb, Wisconsin and currently residing in Dodgeville, Wisconsin, Novak was the government and assistant editor of the Dodgeville Chronicle newspaper from 1990 until his retirement in 2014. In 2012, Novak was elected mayor of Dodgeville, Wisconsin.[1]

In November 2014, Novak was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly as a Republican by a 64-vote margin. The Democratic candidate, Dick Cates, did not seek a recount.[2]

On November 8, 2016, Novak was re-elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly by a margin of 723 votes, defeating Democrat Jeff Wright.[3]

In 2018, Novak defeated Jeff Wright for a second time. Novak was also successful in winning an Assembly District also won by Democratic Governor Tony Evers.

On November 3, 2020, Novak was re-elected to his forth term in the Wisconsin State Assembly. Novak defeated his challenger, Democrat Kriss Marion by a margin of 1,258 votes. His largest margin since first being elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly.[4]

Novak is the first openly gay Republican to serve in the Wisconsin state legislature.[5] On taking office, became one of four openly LGBT members of the Wisconsin State Legislature, alongside Sen. Tim Carpenter (D–Milwaukee) and Reps. JoCasta Zamarripa (D–Milwaukee) and Mark Spreitzer (D–Beloit).

Although a Republican, Novak has positioned himself as an "independent voice" and has touted a bipartisan voting record, which is helpful in his liberal-leaning district.[6]

Wisconsin State Assembly

For the 2021-2022 Legislative Cycle, Representative Novak serves on the following committees[7]

  • Assembly Committee on Local Government (Chair)
  • Speakers Task Force on Water Quality (Chair)
  • Assembly Committee on Agriculture (Vice Chair)
  • Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice & Public Safety
  • Assembly Committee on Mental Health
  • Assembly Committee on Rural Development
  • Assembly Committee on Environment

In his inaugural term in the State Assembly, Novak authored a bill creating the Frank Lloyd Wright Trail which links the architects notable creations using existing roadways.[8]

On February 11, 2019, Speaker Vos appointed Novak chairman of a 16 member bipartisan task force on water quality. The task force was created to provide recommendations on assessing and improving the quality of surface water and groundwater throughout the state of Wisconsin. The task force has traveled extensively throughout the state, visiting the cities of Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, Janesville, Racine, Lancaster, LaCrosse, Mauston, Stevens Point, Menomonie, Tomahawk, Marinette, and Superior holding public hearings to gather information on specific concerns in the various regions of the state.[9]

Representative Novak authored two bills as a result of the task force findings. The first bill, 2019 Assembly Bill 790 increases funding for Wisconsin Land and Water Conservation staff. The bill also adds new language calling for conservation staff to work to implement the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP).[10] The CREP leverages federal and state funding to compensate farmers to voluntarily decommission farm land and implement conservation practices.[11] The second bill, 2019 Assembly Bill 801 provides funding to the University of Wisconsin System to implement the Freshwater Collaborative. The Freshwater Collaborative Program is designed to address two unique challenges relevant in Wisconsin, Agriculture Water Management, and Water Quality Safety and emerging contaminants. As part of the Freshwater Collaborative, the UW System will work to establish and develop a variety of undergraduate programs focused on preparing the Wisconsin Workforce to address Water Management and Water Quality safety issues while expanding opportunities for research and collaboration across campuses.[12]

Electoral History

[13]}}

2020 Election for Wisconsin's 51st Assembly District
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Todd Novak (incumbent) 15,937 52.0% +1.4%
Democratic Kriss Marion 14,679 47.9% -1.4%
Republican hold

[14]}}

2018 Election for Wisconsin's 51st Assembly District
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Todd Novak (incumbent) 12,445 50.6% -.7%
Democratic Jeff Wright 12,113 49.3% +.6%
Republican hold
2016 Election for Wisconsin's 51st Assembly District [15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Todd Novak (incumbent) 13,912 51.3% +3.8%
Democratic Jeff Wright 13,189 48.7% +1.5%
Republican hold
2014 Election for Wisconsin's 51st Assembly District [16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Todd Novak 10,619 47.5%
Democratic Dick Cates 10,560 47.2%
Libertarian Adam Laufenberg 1,177 5.3%
Republican hold

References
  1. "Todd Novak-State Assembly".
  2. "Cates won't ask for recount; Novak wins 51st District Assembly race".
  3. "Current Election Results". Wisconsin Vote. Retrieved 2017-02-06.
  4. (PDF) https://elections.wi.gov/sites/elections.wi.gov/files/County%20by%20County%20Report%20-%20Representative%20to%20the%20Assembly.pdf. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. "Meet Todd Novak, openly gay Republican Assembly candidate from Dodgeville". The Capital Times. February 17, 2014.
  6. "Despite left-leaning district, Novak hopes to hold off Wright in southwestern Wisconsin - The Daily Cardinal". The Daily Cardinal. Retrieved 2018-06-20.
  7. "Representative Todd Novak". docs.legis.wisconsin.gov. Retrieved 2017-02-06.
  8. "Governor Scott Walker signs bill establishing Frank Lloyd Wright Trail". FOX6Now.com. 2016-03-21. Retrieved 2017-02-06.
  9. https://legis.wisconsin.gov/2019/committees/assembly/STF-WQ/news/speaker-robin-vos-announces-water-quality-task-force/
  10. https://datcp.wi.gov/Pages/Programs_Services/CREP.aspx
  11. https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2019/related/proposals/ab790
  12. https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2019/proposals/ab801
  13. (PDF) https://elections.wi.gov/sites/elections.wi.gov/files/County%20by%20County%20Report%20-%20Representative%20to%20the%20Assembly.pdf. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  14. (PDF) https://elections.wi.gov/sites/default/files/County%20by%20County%20Report-2018%20Election-Assembly.pdf. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  15. "Current Election Results".
  16. "Wisconsin 2014 fall general election results".
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