Gary Tauchen
Gary Tauchen (born November 23, 1953) is an American dairy farmer and Republican politician who represented Wisconsin’s 6th Assembly district in the State Assembly from 2007 to 2023. The 6th district covers most of Shawano County plus parts of northwestern Outagamie County and eastern Waupaca County.
Born in Rice Lake, Wisconsin, Tauchen graduated from Bonduel High School in 1971, briefly attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and earned a B.S. in animal science from the University of Wisconsin–River Falls. In 1976, he started Tauchen’s Harmony Valley Farm with his father and brother; the farm now runs about 1,200 milking cows on roughly 2,500 acres.
Tauchen has been active in farm and conservation groups, serving as chairman of the Shawano Farm Bureau and the Wisconsin Dairy Herd Improvement Cooperative, and he chaired Governor Tommy Thompson’s Dairy 20/20 Council.
In 2006, Tauchen announced his candidacy to replace John Ainsworth. He won the Republican primary and then the general election with about 60% of the vote over Democrat Richard Lieffring and was reelected seven times. In the Assembly, he chaired the Agriculture Committee and served on the Energy and Utilities, State Affairs, and Tourism committees.
He announced on January 21, 2021, that he would not seek re-election and left office on January 2, 2023. He was succeeded by Peter Schmidt.
Personal details: Tauchen resides in Hartland, Shawano County, Wisconsin, and has no spouse.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 15:56 (CET).