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Lothian retiring from state Assembly

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Tom Lothian

MADISON — Rep. Tom Lothian this week announced his retirement from the state Assembly.

"I have always humbly accepted my constituents' trust, and while they may not have always agreed with me, I will leave office with my head held high knowing I always did what I felt in my heart to be right," he said in a press release.

Lothian, R-Williams Bay, has served four consecutive terms in the state Assembly. He represents the 32nd Assembly District, which covers the southern half of Walworth County.

"You've got to have a fire in your belly to get out and raise funds and go door-to-door—and it's getting more and more difficult," he told the Gazette on Friday. "I think I have provided service enough. It's time to sit back and enjoy what time I have left."

Lothian, 81, has spent almost 30 years in local and state government. He served eight years on the Williams Bay Village Board and 12 years on the Walworth County Board before he was elected in 2002 to the state Assembly.

"I thought after having spent all these years in government of one form or another I've screwed things up enough that maybe it's time to let someone else come in and try to fix it," he said with a laugh. "I've had a very satisfying experience."

As a state representative, Lothian has fought for fiscal responsibility, lower taxes and personal freedoms, according to the release.

"Those basic principles have always been important to our community, and I have made them my highest priority since the day I first took office," he said in the release. "I am proud of the work I have accomplished and have always tried to lead by example."

Lothian calls his time in the state Assembly "a highlight of his life" and "an experience (he) will cherish forever."

Dan Necci, 30, an attorney who lives in Delavan and recently opened his own practice in Lake Geneva, and Doug Harrod, 64, a health teacher at Badger High School in Lake Geneva, have filed declarations to run for the 32nd District seat.

Necci is running as a Republican. Harrod, who previously ran for the seat in 2008, is running as a Democrat.