Joseph Czarnezki


Joseph J. Czarnezki is an American politician and public administrator from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He served briefly as a member of the Wisconsin Elections Commission, appointed by Governor Tony Evers in May 2023, his appointment was rejected by the Wisconsin Senate in October 2023, due to a controversy over the reappointment of state elections administrator Meagan Wolfe. Czarnezki previously served ten years in the Wisconsin Senate and two years in the State Assembly, representing western Milwaukee County. He also led several city departments under Milwaukee mayor John O. Norquist, served eight years as county clerk, and was a member of the Milwaukee County board of supervisors.

Life and career

Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Czarnezki graduated from University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. In 1980 he was elected to the 7th district of the Wisconsin State Assembly as a Democrat, serving until 1983. From 1983 to 1993, he was a member of the Wisconsin State Senate. Czarnezki was an unsuccessful candidate for Milwaukee County Executive in 1992, losing to F. Thomas Ament. Czarnezki subsequently served in various positions in the administration of Milwaukee Mayor John O. Norquist, including deputy director of administration, health commissioner, director of intergovernmental affairs, executive director of the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission, and city budget director.
In 2008, Czarnezki was elected County Clerk of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. In 2012, Czarnezki was reelected county clerk without opposition. Czarnezki did not seek reelection in 2016.
In 2020, Czarnezki was elected to the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors, representing the 11th supervisory district in the southwestern portion of the county.

Wisconsin Elections Commission (2023)

In May 2023, Czarnezky was appointed to the Wisconsin Elections Commission by Governor Tony Evers, replacing Julie Glancey, who stepped down before the end of her term. His appointment coincided with a period of intense turmoil at the elections commission, due to lingering Republican complaints about the 2020 election. Shortly after his appointment, the commission was set to vote on the reappointment of elections administrator Meagan Wolfe. Democrats on the commission abstained from the vote, to allow Wolfe to remain in office by default, adhering to the rule set in the recent Wisconsin Supreme Court case of State ex rel. Kaul v. Prehn. After legal wrangling, Republicans in the state senate acknowledged that they did not have the power to remove Wolfe through the confirmation process, but they took out their frustration on Czarnezky, rejecting his appointment to the commission on October 17, 2023.