Howard L. Marklein is a Republican politician representing Wisconsin's 17th Senate District since 2015. Born on October 3, 1954, in Madison, Wisconsin, he was raised on a dairy farm in rural Spring Green as the oldest of five children. A retired accountant and certified fraud examiner , he lives in Spring Green with his wife Peggy, two children , three stepchildren, and five grandchildren. He is a member of St. John’s Catholic Church , Knights of Columbus, Iowa County Farm Bureau, and National Rifle Association.

Notable achievements and positions: Marklein serves as Senate co-chair of the Joint Finance Committee , chairs the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Revenue, and holds roles on the Joint Committee on Employment Relations, Joint Legislative Audit Committee, and Joint Legislative Council. He previously served as president pro tempore of the Senate . Additional appointments include the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority Board, State Fair Park Board, and Wisconsin Mississippi River Parkway Commission. In 2022, he received UW-Whitewater's Distinguished Alumnus award for community/regional service.

Education and Political Experience

• Education: Graduated from River Valley High School in 1972; earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in 1976. Began career at First Wisconsin National Bank , later became partner at Virchow Krause , specializing in forensic accounting and white-collar crime.

• Political Experience: Elected to Wisconsin State Assembly in 2010, serving two terms until 2014; chaired Assembly Committee on Ways & Means and vice-chaired Joint Audit Committee. Elected to State Senate in 2014, re-elected in 2018 and 2022 . Authored bills reducing business regulations and promoting honest budgeting, including a constitutional amendment for generally accepted accounting principles in state budgets.