The Founding Editor of UpNorthNews, Pat was a familiar presence on radio and TV stations in western Wisconsin before serving in the state Legislature. After a brief stint living in the Caribbean, Pat and wife returned to Chippewa Falls to be closer to their growing group of grandchildren. He now serves as Chief Political Correspondent and occasional pontoon captain.
Pat Kreitlow
Latest from Pat Kreitlow
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Trump’s inaugural speech is at odds with the Wisconsin economy. Could he trash the ongoing recovery?
The president says he’ll bring down inflation, which is already coming down, and build manufacturing, which is already on the rise in Wisconsin. His economic promises could short-circuit job growth and raise consumer prices.
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Where’s that focus on inflation we heard all about before the election—and what the heck does it have to do with Greenland?
While Trump’s Congress works on protecting tax cuts for the wealthy, GOP legislators in Madison offer their first order of business: making it harder to vote.
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The field is set for an April election to control the Wisconsin Supreme Court
Republican former Attorney General Brad Schimel will face Dane County Judge Susan Crawford in what might be conservatives’ last chance to control the court until 2028.
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January 6: America’s annual reminder that democracy cannot be taken for granted
Coincidentally, the date is special to UpNorthNews and helps us explain our ongoing mission to defend democracy and build civic engagement.
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The deaths of two former state senators remind us of a less partisan Wisconsin Legislature
Republican George Petak was kicked out of office for supporting a tax that funded a new Brewers stadium. Democrat Tim Cullen crossed the partisan divide when he joined a Republican governor’s cabinet.
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Here’s the $4 billion question for the 2025 Wisconsin Legislature: Is this the year (finally) of the win-win session?
Most people, no matter how much they disagree, would find a way to divide a $4 billion pot in ways to make everyone happy. Political gamesmanship has prevented bipartisan progress in the Assembly and Senate.
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Editorial: It’s no longer ‘too soon’ to connect school shootings to the callous indifference of certain politicians
Wisconsin Republicans consistently choose to excuse the mass killings of our children, even though this ongoing carnage is preventable, not inevitable.
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Multiple deaths in shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison
The suspected shooter, a juvenile, is thought to be among those killed. At least seven others have been wounded, as well.
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Opinion: Progressives need to step up with year-round, aggressive advocacy for facts.
Conservative media is an iron dome of outlets and strategies, sheltering their audiences from news and information that would change how they view the people on their ballots.
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SHIFT-RIGHT, BACKSPACE
Wisconsin is the state that puts Trump in the White House—again. Sen. Tammy Baldwin hangs on for a narrow win. Unrigged maps have given the Legislature a reset to normal representation.
