Paul Renfry

**Paul Jebediah Renfry** (born March 8, 1938) is an American politician currently serving as the senior United States Senator from Wisconsin, a seat he was first elected to in 1970. A member of the Democratic Party, Renfry previously served as Attorney General of Wisconsin (1969–1971), a member of the U.S. House of Representatives (1965–1969), Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin (1963–1965), and Mayor of Milwaukee (1960–1963). He was the longtime chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. He is the longest serving senator in Wisconsin's history.

## Early life, education, and career

Renfry was born in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and is the son of American socialites, and the youngest of 8 children. His father Patrick Renfry, was a real estate mogul and political fanatic, and even became the U.S Ambassador to the UK under FDR. His mother was Beth Renfry and a housewife/socialite. He graduated from Marquette University High School in 1956. He then went on to relocate to Massachusetts to attend Boston College, he graduated in 1960 with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science.

While in Massachusetts he met his future wife Jean Kennedy, and was a congressional aide and campaign advisor for her brother John F. Kennedy up until he graduated and moved back to Wisconsin, where he would soon start his campaign for Mayor of Milwaukee.

### Mayor of Milwaukee

While running for Mayor, Renfry capitalized on his hereditary status and his relationship with the Kennedy's. In the primaries he clashed heavily with Henry Maier, who was a staunch segregationist and a new Democrat. He won the primaries by a very close margin. He then ended up having a low-chance in the general as most local pundits had him losing. However the young Renfry pulled off a surprising upset, and went against the odds and as a result he soon became a popular political figure in Wisconsin.

As mayor he ruled as a strong populist, a fighter for integration, fought for healthcare reform, and firm education funding. He oversaw good economics, low unemployment, and fought to have racial tensions lowered. As mayor he had to fight strongly against real estate and healthcare corporations ripping off people in poverty, and gained popularity as he did so. He was expected to run for re-election however he soon resigned to serve as Lieutenant Governor.

### Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin

When he was Mayor of Milwaukee, he started to have talks with John Reynolds Jr. who asked him to join his team as Lieutenant Governor which he promptly accepted. He then started to talk to John on fighting for integration, which he did although mainly due to the passage of the Civil rights act. Him and John although not as talked about oversaw good to near great economic growth, and while John wasn't a talker, Renfry capitalized on it and used it for his political advantage. He also became an opponent of Lyndon B. Johnson during his 1964 primary run, however ended up endorsing him due to his serious distaste for George Wallace, during this time as well he was taking on and off visits in New York to help his brother-in-law Bobby Kennedy campaign. He also was launching a campaign for the house which he later said in an interview "Was just for fun" This ended up affecting him since Reynolds Jr's race ended in defeat which pundits say wouldn't have happened if Renfry wasn't spending his time in New York, which made the two grow apart, although they grew together once again, a few years before his death.

### House of Representatives

Although he didn't take the run seriously, Renfry blew the republican out, and soon got into the national spotlight mostly for being young and a 'extended-Kennedy', as a representative he held the same populist tone, and attempted to filibuster any attempts at ending integration, and he was one of the authors of the voting rights act of 1965 and the civil rights act of 1968, and him and brother-in-law/great friend Bobby Kennedy set up organizations to help low-funded and inner-city neighborhoods, escape poverty, as well as going to parties with Bobby in New York, and supported him for his run for president, where he was rumored to be his running mate. However tragedy struck when Bobby was gunned down by Sirhan Sirhan.

#### Retirement

The death of Bobby hit him hard, and caused him to not see re-election and leave the national spotlight, and promptly go back to a political life in Wisconsin. Where he would soon get an unexpected offer from the new Republican governor of Wisconsin, to become the attorney general.

### Attorney General of Wisconsin

Although they where on different sides of the spectrum, Warren Knowles gave Renfry the spot of Attorney General, where he fought against corporations attacking communities of poverty, upheld civil rights, fought for rehabilitation instead of crude sentences for victimless and petty crimes. While also supporting common sense gun laws, and he prosecuting child and sex trafficking, and became the champion of the people. Once again people thought he would fit into the job, and was expected to become a candidate for attorney general of the US under a democratic president, however his eyes where set on something else. The Senator from Wisconsin election of 1970.

## Senator from Wisconsin

During his time as Attorney General, Renfry had decided he wanted to return to Washington, and he ran for Wisconsin's Senate Seat. To even win election he had to beat the popular William Proxmire in the primaries. Which he ended up doing, by the skin of his teeth. Following the primaries, he no longer accepted outside contributions, and spent only $15,050 of his own money. Expectedly so he easily beat his opponent, and went right to celebrating and working in Washington.

His first years he spent trying to maintain popularity, and took advantage of the newly passed amendment that allowed 18 year olds to vote, as he capitalized off of his young age and experience. His strategy clearly worked since, although Nixon dominated Wisconsin with a 10% margin, Renfry however beat the 2nd place with a 45.22% margin. In 1982 although republicans where on the rise he still won 63% of the vote, which solidified him as the senior seat. In 1988 He worked his hardest while republicanism again took a sharp rise and won 52% of the vote. In 1994 he won 58% of the vote. In 2000 he won the vote by 61% of the vote. In 2006 he won 67.6% of the vote.

While in the senate he became one of the new age Democrats, who marketed their political style on modern Liberalism. Which is proven as the fact that he's never placed higher than the #85 most right winged senator in his time in the Senate. He has a lifetime score of 100% from Planned Parenthood, and the highest grade he's received a lifetime grade of an F from the NRA, and a 96 from the Human rights campaign in their most recent grading (112th congress).

Although he no longer contains any leadership roles, he is still one of the more powerful Democrats simply due to his experience, and has continued to inspire the youth in Wisconsin to vote blue and focus on human and civil rights. Once even in an interview with the *Rolling Stone (circa 1996)* he jokingly said "As long as Im in government Wisconsin, is voting blue."He is also recognized as the informal leader of the Democratic party of Wisconsin.