Capitol Chats: Cowles reflects on 37 years in the state Senate

WisPolitics Capitol Chats

Outgoing Sen. Rob Cowles, R-Green Bay, in an interview for WisPolitics's Capitol Chats podcast says while there’s “definitely a danger” to breaking party lines, lawmakers can’t be afraid to “lose a committee appointment because of your principles.”

Cowles, the longest-serving Wisconsin state lawmaker currently in office, has been elected to the state Senate for the past 37 years since winning an April 1987 special election. Before that, he served in the Assembly from 1982-1987. He will retire next month after deciding not to seek reelection when he was drawn into a district with fellow Green Bay GOP Sen. Eric Wimberger.

Cowles joined WisPolitics’ Capitol Chats podcast to talk about his time in office, how the state of politics has changed over the course of his career, and his history of bucking party norms.