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// Workers AI · dad joke modeIs Kimberly Plache a plumber? Because she's a pipe dream.

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Kimberly Plache
Member of the Wisconsin Senate
from the 21st district
In office
June 14, 1996 – January 6, 2003
Preceded byGeorge Petak
Succeeded byCathy Stepp
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
from the 62nd district
In office
January 3, 1989 – June 13, 1996
Preceded byJeffrey A. Neubauer
Succeeded byJohn Lehman
Member of the Racine Unified School Board
In office
2009–2016
Personal details
Born (1961-01-04) January 4, 1961 (age 65)
Racine, Wisconsin, U.S.
PartyDemocratic
SpousePaul Hable
Children1
Alma materUniversity of Wisconsin–Parkside

Kimberly Plache (born January 4, 1961) is a retired American public administrator and Democratic politician from Racine, Wisconsin. She served six years as a member of the Wisconsin Senate, representing Wisconsin's 21st Senate district from 1996 to 2003; she was first elected to the Senate by defeating incumbent George Petak in a June 1996 recall election—this was the first successful recall of a Wisconsin state legislator. She previously served four terms in the Wisconsin State Assembly (1989–1996).

After leaving elected office, she worked for 20 years for the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority, retiring as deputy executive director in 2024. During those years, she also served on the Racine Unified School Board from 2009 to 2016.

Early life and education

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Born in Racine, Wisconsin, Plache graduated from William Horlick High School in 1979. In 1984, she received her bachelor's degree in psychology from University of Wisconsin–Parkside.

Career

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Shortly after her college graduation, Plache was hired as a legislative aide by her representative in the Wisconsin State Assembly, Jeffrey A. Neubauer. When Neubauer chose not to run for re-election in 1988, Plache ran and was elected to succeed him in the Assembly.

She was re-elected in 1990, 1992, and 1994.

In October 1995, Racine County's representative in the Wisconsin Senate, George Petak, ran into controversy when he changed his vote on a funding bill for the Miller Park stadium. Miller Park was being planned to replace the forty-year-old Milwaukee County Stadium and was being pushed by Republican Governor Tommy Thompson and Milwaukee Brewers owner and future-Commissioner of Baseball, Bud Selig. Petak had promised his constituents that he would vote against the bill, but changed his mind based on the belief that the Brewers would leave Wisconsin if a new stadium wasn't built.[1]

Petak's deciding vote supported a 0.1 percent sales tax increase for the five counties in the proposed stadium's vicinity, including Racine.[2] Petak faced immediate outrage in his home district, and local Democrats were energized to collect signatures for a recall petition. The petition was certified on March 26, 1996, and a recall election was ordered for June.[3]

Plache decided to run in the recall and faced no competition in the Democratic primary. In June, she defeated Petak, making him the first Wisconsin state legislator to be removed from office in a recall election.[4][5]

Plache was re-elected to a full term in the senate in 1998, defeating Racine Unified School Board Member David Hazen.[6] Plache sought re-election again in 2002, but was narrowly defeated by Republican Cathy Stepp.[7]

After leaving office, she began working as a community relations officer for the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority. She was employed there for the next 20 years, rising to the role of deputy executive director.

While working for WHEDA, in 2009 Plache resumed interest in electoral politics when she ran in the special mayoral election in Racine, following the resignation and indictment of the previous mayor. She did not advance from the primary, but later that year, she was elected to an at-large seat on the Racine Unified School Board. She ultimately served on the school board until 2016, when the Republican majority in the Wisconsin Legislature passed special legislation to abolish at-large seats specifically for the Racine School District. She ran for re-election in the same district as fellow incumbent Julie McKenna, but lost by 101 votes.[8]

Personal life

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Plache married Paul Hable in October 1999. They live in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, and they have one daughter.

Electoral history

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Wisconsin Assembly (1988–1994)

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Year Election Date Elected Defeated Total Plurality
1988[9] Primary Sep. 13 Kimberly Plache Democratic 2,846 59.56% Thomas A. Kexel Dem. 1,932 40.44% 4,778 914
General Nov. 8 Kimberly Plache Democratic 11,796 62.76% Saundra Herre Rep. 6,703 35.66% 18,796 5,093
Kay C. Rouse Ind. 297 1.58%
1990[10] General Nov. 6 Kimberly Plache (inc) Democratic 7,484 62.75% Kay C. Rouse Rep. 4,443 37.25% 11,927 3,041
1992[11] General Nov. 3 Kimberly Plache (inc) Democratic 14,244 61.28% Mark Ladd Rep. 8,999 38.72% 23,243 5,245
1994[12] General Nov. 8 Kimberly Plache (inc) Democratic 9,504 59.74% James Turek Rep. 6,406 40.26% 15,910 3,098

Wisconsin Senate (1996–2002)

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Year Election Date Elected Defeated Total Plurality
1996
(recall)		 Recall[13] Jun. 4 Kimberly Plache Democratic 21,045 51.22% George Petak (inc) Rep. 19,318 47.02% 41,088 1,727
Todd Mascaretti Lib. 725 1.76%
1998 General[14] Nov. 3 Kimberly Plache (inc) Democratic 27,353 55.46% David Hazen Rep. 21,967 44.54% 49,320 5,386
2002 General[15] Nov. 5 Cathy Stepp Republican 25,367 50.68% Kimberly Plache (inc) Dem. 24,594 49.14% 50,050 773

Racine Mayor (2009)

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Racine Mayoral Special Election, 2009
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Primary Election
Independent John Dickert 2,307 23.09%
Independent Robert L. Turner 1,671 16.73%
Independent Kimberly Plache 1,313 13.14%
Independent James Spangenberg 1,249 12.50%
Independent Greg Helding 1,150 11.51%
Independent Pete Karas 851 8.52%
Independent Jody Harding 658 6.59%
Independent Q.A. Shakoor II 414 4.14%
Independent Lesia Hill-Driver 161 1.61%
Independent Raymond Fay 148 1.48%
Independent Jaimie Charon 69 0.69%
Total votes '9,991' '100.0%'
General Election
Independent John Dickert 6,027 55.46%
Independent Robert L. Turner 4,841 44.54%
Total votes '10,868' '100.0%'

Racine School Board (2009–2016)

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Racine School Board Election, 2009[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election
Independent Don J. Nielsen (incumbent) 9,550 24.46%
Independent Gretchen L. Warner (incumbent) 8,440 21.62%
Independent Kimberly Plache 7,747 19.84%
Independent Stella A. Young 7,041 18.04%
Independent John Leiber 6,176 15.82%
Write-ins 85 0.22%
Total votes '39,039' '100.0%'
Racine School Board Election, 2012
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election
Independent Kimberly Plache (incumbent) 12,223 22.27%
Independent Don J. Nielsen (incumbent) 10,383 18.91%
Independent Gretchen L. Warner (incumbent) 10,012 18.24%
Independent Brian Dey 7,910 14.41%
Independent Roger Pfost 7,416 13.51%
Independent Scott Brownell 6,840 12.46%
Write-ins 112 0.20%
Total votes '54,896' '100.0%'
Racine School Board Election, 2015
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election
Independent Kimberly Plache (incumbent) 11,183 25.33%
Independent Don J. Nielsen (incumbent) 9,571 21.68%
Independent Lisa Parham 9,248 20.95%
Independent Wally Rendón (incumbent) 7,494 16.97%
Independent Bryn Biemeck 6,656 15.08%
Total votes '44,152' '100.0%'
Racine School Board, 4th District Election, 2016[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election
Independent Julie McKenna (incumbent) 2,293 51.13%
Independent Kimberly Plache (incumbent) 2,192 48.87%
Total votes '4,485' '100.0%'

Notes

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  1. ↑ Sandomir, Richard (1998-05-07). "Stadiums Are Proposed, but Public Isn't Always Disposed to Pay Price". The New York Times. Retrieved 2019-02-15.
  2. ↑ "Petak Recall Counter to History". Racine Journal Times. Madison. 1996-04-12. Retrieved 2011-10-04.
  3. ↑ "Recall gets green light". Racine Journal Times. Madison. 1996-03-27. Retrieved 2019-02-15.
  4. ↑ "Plache sworn in as state senator". Racine Journal Times. 1996-06-14. Retrieved 2019-02-15.
  5. ↑ Toner, Robin (1996-06-09). "Political Briefing: The States and the Issues;Wisconsin: Recall Alters Balance of Power". The New York Times. Retrieved 2019-02-11.
  6. ↑ Sides, Phyllis (2003-01-08). "Unified School Board veteran not seeking re-election". Racine Journal Times. Racine. Retrieved 2019-02-24.
  7. ↑ "Wisconsin Historical Society-Kimberly Plache". Archived from the original on 2011-06-11. Retrieved 2009-12-14.
  8. ↑ ProgressMajority.org=Kimberly Plache
  9. ↑ Barish, Lawrence S.; Theobald, H. Rupert, eds. (1989). "Elections in Wisconsin". State of Wisconsin 1989–1990 Blue Book (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. pp. 911, 926. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
  10. ↑ Barish, Lawrence S.; Theobald, H. Rupert, eds. (1991). "Elections in Wisconsin". State of Wisconsin 1991–1992 Blue Book (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. p. 916. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
  11. ↑ Barish, Lawrence S.; Theobald, H. Rupert, eds. (1993). "Elections in Wisconsin". State of Wisconsin 1993–1994 Blue Book (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. p. 922. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
  12. ↑ Barish, Lawrence S., ed. (1995). "Elections in Wisconsin". State of Wisconsin 1995–1996 Blue Book (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. p. 922. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
  13. ↑ Barish, Lawrence S., ed. (1997). "Elections in Wisconsin". State of Wisconsin 1997–1998 Blue Book (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. p. 889. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  14. ↑ Barish, Lawrence S., ed. (1999). "Elections in Wisconsin". State of Wisconsin 1999–2000 Blue Book (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. p. 869. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  15. ↑ Results of Fall General Election - 11/05/2002 (Report). Wisconsin State Elections Board. December 2, 2002. p. 9. Archived from the original on October 9, 2024. Retrieved June 22, 2026 – via Wayback Machine.
  16. ↑ Official Proceedings (PDF) (Report). Racine Unified School District. 2009-04-20. p. 7. Retrieved 2019-04-05.
  17. ↑ Final Official 04-05-2016 Election Results for State and County Races (Report). Racine County Clerk. 2016-04-05. p. 20. Retrieved 2019-04-05.
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