The father of the two most powerful Republican state lawmakers in Wisconsin has been picked by Governor Scott Walker’s administration to head the Wisconsin State Patrol. The selection of Steve Fitzgerald to head the patrol was announced Tuesday by Department of Transportation Secretary Mark Gottlieb. The State Patrol is a division of DOT.
Fitzgerald, like his sons State Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald and Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald and the governor, is a Republican. Gottlieb, who announced the appointment, is a former Republican state Assembly member who was picked to head DOT by Walker.
Fitzgerald beat out five other finalists including the current patrol Superintendent David Collins, who was appointed by Democratic Governor Jim Doyle. Fitzgerald has a long background in law enforcement, including 14 years as Dodge County Sheriff and eight years as a U.S. marshal.
