Introduction
Marcel Dandeneau (June 28, 1931 – February 9, 2017) was an American educator and Democratic Party politician.He served two terms in the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing northern Racine County, and held local offices in Caledonia, Wisconsin.
Biography
Born in Racine, Wisconsin, he was the eldest of six children born to Albert and Justine (née Breland) Dandeneau, both French Canadian immigrants.
Dandeneau graduated from St. Catherine's High School in Racine, Wisconsin. He served in the United States Army from 1951 to 1955. Dandeneau then received his bachelor's and master's degree from Dominican College of Racine and worked as a full-time teacher from 1960 through 1989, first at Sturtevant Grade School, then at Mitchell Junior High, where he taught English, History, and Science. He continued to work as a substitute teacher after his retirement in 1989.
He served on the board of supervisors for the town of Caledonia, Wisconsin from 1971 through 1977.From 1975 to 1979, Dandeneau served in the Wisconsin State Assembly. He then served as chief clerk of the Wisconsin Assembly from 1979 to 1981.
In 1975, Dandeneau was charged with misconduct in office, a felony, and violating state campaign laws in connection with unreported campaign contributions and vested interest in granting a liquor license. He was convicted of misdemeanor violation of campaign finance laws. Paid $500 fine and $10 court costs.
He was charged in 1976 with felony misconduct in public office. Case dismissed.
Dandeneau was re-elected to the Caledonia board of supervisors in 1990 and was chairman of the town board from 1992 to 1995.For the last 27 years of his life, Dandeneau held a monthly breakfast meeting for Racine politicians and businessmen to discuss the issues of the day.
Dandeneau died from cancer at his home in Caledonia, Wisconsin.
Electoral History
Wisconsin Assembly (1974, 1976, 1978)
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Election, September 10, 1974 | |||||
| Democratic | Marcel Dandeneau | 2,357 | 46.48% | ||
| Democratic | John Siefert | 2,161 | 42.61% | ||
| Republican | Henry Rohner (incumbent) | 553 | 10.91% | ||
| Total votes | '5,071' | '100.0%' | |||
| General Election, November 5, 1974 | |||||
| Democratic | Marcel Dandeneau | 6,613 | 57.58% | ||
| Republican | Henry Rohner (incumbent) | 4,872 | 42.42% | ||
| Total votes | '11,485' | '100.0%' | |||
| Democratic gain from Republican | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Election, September 14, 1976 | |||||
| Democratic | Marcel Dandeneau (incumbent) | 2,294 | 34.79% | ||
| Democratic | Robert N. Miller | 1,993 | 30.23% | ||
| Democratic | Daniel J. Nielsen | 1,702 | 25.82% | ||
| Republican | Herman V. Nelson | 598 | 9.07% | ||
| American | Eleanor Both | 6 | 0.09% | ||
| Total votes | '6,593' | '100.0%' | |||
| General Election, November 2, 1976 | |||||
| Democratic | Marcel Dandeneau (incumbent) | 12,657 | 62.14% | +4.56% | |
| Republican | Herman V. Nelson | 7,711 | 37.86% | ||
| Total votes | '20,368' | '100.0%' | +77.34% | ||
| Democratic hold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Election, September 12, 1978 | |||||
| Democratic | Marcel Dandeneau (incumbent) | 4,189 | 77.10% | ||
| Republican | E. James Ladwig | 1,244 | 22.90% | ||
| Total votes | '5,433' | '100.0%' | |||
| General Election, November 7, 1978 | |||||
| Republican | E. James Ladwig | 8,242 | 53.31% | ||
| Democratic | Marcel Dandeneau (incumbent) | 7,219 | 46.69% | -15.45% | |
| Total votes | '11,485' | '100.0%' | -24.09% | ||
| Republican gain from Democratic | |||||
United States Senate (1982)
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Election, September 14, 1982 | |||||
| Democratic | William Proxmire (incumbent) | 467,214 | 57.39% | ||
| Republican | Scott McCallum | 182,043 | 22.36% | ||
| Republican | Paul Thomas Brewer | 86,728 | 10.65% | ||
| Democratic | Marcel Dandeneau | 75,258 | 9.24% | ||
| Libertarian | George Liljenfeldt | 1,421 | 0.17% | ||
| Constitution | Sanford G. Knapp | 1,397 | 0.17% | ||
| Total votes | '814,061' | '100.0%' | |||
| General Election, November 2, 1982 | |||||
| Democratic | William Proxmire (incumbent) | 983,311 | 63.65% | ||
| Republican | Scott McCallum | 527,355 | 34.14% | ||
| Wis. Labor-Farm | William Osborne Hart | 21,807 | 1.41% | ||
| Libertarian | George Liljenfeldt | 7,947 | 0.51% | ||
| Constitution | Sanford G. Knapp | 4,463 | 0.29% | ||
| Total votes | '1,544,883' | '100.0%' | |||
| Democratic hold | |||||