About Lisa
I am Lisa White, Wisconsin’s 17th District Senate Candidate.
My concern for others came naturally as the firstborn of seven children on our working family farm just outside of Potosi, Wisconsin. My dad retired after 30 years at John Deere Tractor Works where he was a member of the United Auto Workers. Our family depended on the union benefits of my dad’s job. My mom chose to be a “professional mom” (gardener, seamstress, cook, tutor, artist) and also achieved Directorship with Mary Kay Cosmetics, earning two free cars! Lively political discussions around our supper table cultivated an early interest in current events and community. We were always working, building, and achieving results on our acreage atop the Mississippi bluffs. I am grateful for my deep work ethic, and immutable sense of responsibility, I will bring serving as your senator.
After graduating from Potosi High School in 1979, I attended Southwest Wisconsin Technical College and earned a cosmetology manager’s license, eventually operating my own salon. I married and we had our first little girl. Our second daughter was born with a critical congenital condition and she passed away at 4 1/2 months. My subsequent pregnancy found me still grieving my loss, and panic-stricken about my next pregnancy. The Roe v. Wade health care choices would have enabled me to make desperately hard decisions with my doctors, if needed. It was then that I developed my unshakable belief in reproductive rights. Eventually, I returned to college at UW-Platteville and SW Technical College and became a registered nurse. My professional experience with grief, brain health, and addiction was transformative and gave me a much broader and empathic understanding of all people and their basic right to healthcare.
My second marriage brought three stepchildren and a new business opportunity in the building trades as a “Ma and Pa” enterprise. Wearing all the hats, along with employing people, created long and arduous days as we embraced all aspects of business ownership while raising a blended family. I served as the President of the Potosi Chamber of Commerce for three years during the final phases of the Potosi Brewery and Museum project.
Many years later, in 2015, I had to start life over, reinventing my life at age 54. Fear and grit forced me to create an entirely new plan. I feverishly launched THE PAINTER LADY LLC with my SUV, a ladder, basic tools, and my trades experience in Southwest Wisconsin, and the Dubuque, Iowa area. Within several years, I had a half-dozen employees and subcontractors. After continued growth, my son became my business partner in 2022 with our second location in the greater Madison area. Shortly after, his wife left teaching to become our office manager. My sister and her significant other came onboard in 2025 as project managers.
The very first year, my business The Painter Lady LLC, exceeded $1 million in gross sales, I learned that only 1.9% of all woman-owned businesses achieve that mark (Forbes.com, October 2024). I am dedicated to increasing that percentage for both women and minorities!
My two adult children married incredible spouses, and each have four children. Three of my eight grandchildren have been diagnosed with Autism, a broad and complicated condition that has awakened another new mission in our hearts. On April 2, 2025, my granddaughter, Corrinne, was a featured speaker at the Wisconsin State Capital for Autism Awareness.
My daughter is a middle school educator in a Wisconsin district. She, like many educators struggles with underfunding, mistreatment of marginalized students, book banning, and confrontations with groups such as Moms of Liberty. The 2018 dismantling of the Teachers’ Union leaves our teachers with little recourse for improving their situations. It is my intention to reconstruct this important group, redirect funds away from the school voucher program, and strengthen education.
I feel a sense of mission to my family, including my elderly parents, in defending our democracy. I will use my experiences, knowledge, and core values to give a voice to the 17th District. Each community deserves a chance to speak and I am going to listen. The information I gather from you becomes the power. I am dedicated to becoming your Senator.
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Support Wisconsin District 17 Senate candidate Lisa White in her journey to bring positive change to our community! Your generous donation will help fund her campaign, ensuring she can connect with voters, spread her message, and fight for the issues that matter most to our families. Every contribution, no matter the size, makes a difference in building a brighter future for Wisconsin.