Christopher Lee Kapenga is an American politician and, since 2015, a member of the Wisconsin State Senate.
17 Facts About Chris Kapenga
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Chris Kapenga became the president of the state Senate in 2021.
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Chris Kapenga owned a business, Integrated Time Systems, that provides timekeeping systems to businesses.
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Chris Kapenga sold the business in 2019 to Ascentis Corp.
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In 2014, Chris Kapenga invested in Eye Care of Wisconsin, an optometrist network; his wife ran the business's operation and Chris Kapenga became its registered agent.
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Chris Kapenga first ran for office in 2010, when he sought election to the Wisconsin State Assembly as a Republican candidate for the 33rd Assembly District in Waukesha County; an open seat in which Republican Scott Newcomer decided not to run for reelection.
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In 2012, Chris Kapenga ran for a seat in the Wisconsin State Senate.
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In 2015, when Chris Kapenga left the Assembly, his seat was filled by Republican Cindi Duchow.
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In 2014, Chris Kapenga again ran for a seat in the State Senate, but again lost in the Republican primary election.
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Chris Kapenga won the seat in a July 2015 special election, defeating Democratic nominee Sherryll Shaddock, after winning the Republican nomination the preceding month against two other candidates.
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Chris Kapenga owns a business, Integrity Motorsports LLC, that sells Tesla parts and Tesla salvage vehicles.
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Chris Kapenga described himself as a hobbyist and said that he would not personally profit from the change in the law.
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In 2016, Chris Kapenga introduced legislation to allow Wisconsin landowners to excavate Native American effigy mounds on their property.
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In 2017, Chris Kapenga was one of two Senate Republicans to join Democrats in voting against a proposed state constitutional amendment to eliminate the position of State Treasurer of Wisconsin.
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In 2019, Chris Kapenga considered running for a seat in 2020 in the US House of Representatives from Wisconsin's 5th congressional district, to replace retiring Republican Jim Sensenbrenner, but he ultimately chose not to run.
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In October 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic in Wisconsin, Chris Kapenga claimed, contrary to public health experts, that face masks were not effective in halting the spread of the coronavirus.
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Chris Kapenga said that he did not trust data showing a dire strain on Wisconsin hospital capacity.