Representative Thomas E. Petri

Thomas Evert Petri (born May 28, 1940) is an American attorney and politician who represented Wisconsin’s 6th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1979 to 2015. A member of the Republican Party, he served 18 consecutive terms in Congress and contributed to the legislative process during a significant period in modern American history, representing the interests of his constituents in east-central Wisconsin.

Petri was born in 1940 and grew up in Wisconsin, where he developed an early interest in public affairs and the law. His formative years in the state helped shape his later focus on pragmatic, constituent-oriented service. Details of his early family life are less extensively documented than his public career, but his long-standing ties to Wisconsin provided the foundation for his later political base and his understanding of the state’s economic and social concerns.

Petri pursued higher education and legal training before entering public life, becoming an attorney prior to his election to Congress. His legal background informed his approach to legislation and oversight, giving him a grounding in statutory interpretation, regulatory frameworks, and the practical implications of federal policy. This professional experience as an attorney preceded and paralleled his early political efforts and helped establish his credentials as a serious, policy-focused candidate.

Before his long tenure in the House of Representatives, Petri first sought federal office in the United States Senate. In 1974, he ran for the U.S. Senate from Wisconsin and easily won the Republican primary with 85 percent of the vote. As part of a distinctive grassroots strategy during that campaign, he walked across the state of Wisconsin to meet voters and draw attention to his candidacy. In the general election, he faced incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson. Nelson defeated Petri by a margin of 62 percent to 36 percent, with Petri carrying five of the state’s 72 counties. Although unsuccessful, the campaign increased his visibility statewide and laid groundwork for his subsequent congressional career.

Petri entered the U.S. House of Representatives in 1979 as the representative for Wisconsin’s 6th congressional district, beginning a congressional career that would span 36 years. As a member of the House of Representatives, he participated actively in the democratic process, working on legislation and policy issues affecting both his district and the nation. His service in Congress occurred during a period marked by significant political, economic, and international developments, including the final years of the Cold War, the end of the Soviet Union, shifting trade and economic policies, and evolving debates over federal spending, education, and infrastructure. Throughout these changes, he remained a Republican voice from Wisconsin, often emphasizing practical solutions and constituent service.

During his 18 terms in office, Petri became known for his attention to transportation, infrastructure, and education issues, as well as for his methodical, detail-oriented approach to legislative work. He represented a district that included manufacturing centers, agricultural communities, and growing suburban areas, and he sought to balance these interests in his policy positions. His long tenure gave him seniority and influence within the House, allowing him to shape debates and contribute to the development and refinement of federal programs that affected his district and the broader Midwest.

Petri’s congressional service concluded in 2015, when he left office after more than three and a half decades in the House. His departure marked the end of one of the longer continuous tenures in Wisconsin’s congressional history. In the years following his service, he has been regarded as a veteran legislator whose career spanned multiple presidential administrations and major shifts in party control of Congress. As of the most recent accounts, he continues to be recognized as an American attorney and former Republican representative whose long service in the U.S. House of Representatives reflected both his commitment to Wisconsin and his engagement with national legislative affairs.