Lynn E. Stalbaum

Lynn Ellsworth Stalbaum (May 15, 1920 – June 17, 1999) was an American farmer, businessman, and Democratic politician from Racine County, Wisconsin. He served one term in the United States House of Representatives, representing Wisconsin's 1st congressional district in the 89th Congress from 1965 to 1967.

He previously served ten years in the Wisconsin Senate. His elder brother, Merrill E. Stalbaum, served in the Wisconsin State Assembly.

Biography
Stalbaum was born on a farm in the town of Norway, Wisconsin, near Waterford, in Racine County. He attended the rural public schools and graduated from the Racine County Agricultural School in 1936. He was employed with the United States Department of Agriculture in Racine County from 1936 to 1944, working on the New Deal Agricultural Adjustment Act program, and serving as administrative officer from 1937.

World War II
In 1944, he enlisted in the United States Navy, in the midst of World War II. He served in the Pacific War aboard a U.S. Navy destroyer and participated in the invasion of Luzon in 1945. He was discharged after the end of the war, in 1946, and returned to Wisconsin, where he worked for several years as a feed salesman.

Early career
He was secretary-treasurer of the Racine Milk Producers Cooperative Association and manager of the Harmony Dairy Co. from 1951 to 1964.

In 1954 he was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate (reelected in 1958 and 1962), where he served as caucus chairman in 1957, 1959, and 1961, and as assistant minority leader in 1963.

Congress
In 1964, Stalbaum announced that he would challenge incumbent Republican congressman Henry C. Schadeberg. He faced a competitive primary and defeated former state senator Gerald T. Flynn with 55% of the vote. He then went on to upset Schadeberg in the 1964 general election, receiving 51.5% of the general election vote in a Democratic wave year.

During his service in the 89th Congress (January 3, 1965 – January 3, 1967) he sponsored bills on consumer protection, clean water, and GI benefits.

Stalbaum ran for re-election in 1966 and faced a rematch with former congressman Henry C. Schadeberg. The political climate in 1966 was far less favorable for Democrats, and Stalbaum was narrowly defeated, receiving 49% of the vote.

Later career
Two years later, Stalbaum made one final attempt to return to office, challenging Schadeberg again. He prevailed in another competitive primary, and the general election rematch produced another close result, but Schadeberg retained his seat, winning just under 51% of the vote. The Vietnam War was a major issue in the 1968 election. Stalbaum had been a reluctant supporter of President Lyndon Johnson's war policies during his term in office, but was advocating a change in strategy in 1968. His primary opponent, Racine teacher Jerald Maiers, a supporter of Eugene McCarthy, asserted that Stalbaum's previous support for the war was disqualifying.

Retirement
After losing in 1968, Stalbaum remained in the Washington, D.C., area and resided in Bethesda, Maryland, for the rest of his life. He worked as a legislative consultant to rural electric and dairy cooperatives from 1968 until his retirement in 1985.

Personal life and family
Lynn Stalbaum was the youngest of three children born to John Martin and Amanda ( Ebert) Stalbaum. Both parents were natives of Wisconsin, and the Stalbaum farm had belonged to the family since 1854. Lynn's older brother, Merrill E. Stalbaum, also served in the Wisconsin Legislature as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly and overlapped with Lynn Stalbaum's service during the 1961 and 1963 legislative sessions, making them the only siblings to serve together in the Wisconsin Legislature until Scott and Jeff Fitzgerald in 2001–2013. Unlike the Fitzgerald brothers, Merrill and Lynn Stalbaum had opposing political beliefs and often clashed.

Lynn Stalbaum married Alice Gunderson on April 29, 1950. They had two sons and two daughters and were married for 34 years before her death from cancer in 1984.

Death
Lynn Stalbaum died at George Washington University Hospital in Washington, D.C., on June 17, 1999, due to complications from leukemia.