William D. "Bill" Lorge (born August 31, 1960) is an American Republican politician and former Elvis impersonator from Waupaca County, Wisconsin. He served ten years in the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing Wisconsin's 40th Assembly district from 1989 to 1999. He was also an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican nomination for U.S. senator and governor of Wisconsin in the 2000 and 2002 primaries.

His father, Gerald Lorge, served 30 years in the Wisconsin Senate, from 1955 to 1985.

Early life Born in Bear Creek, Wisconsin,"Senator Shaken as Son is Born in Law Office ", The Milwaukee Sentinel, September 1, 1960, part 1, p. 21. Lorge graduated from Clintonville High School and then received his bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He also attended the Austro-American College in Vienna, Austria.

Career Lorge has been a real estate broker and a farmer.Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. State of Wisconsin 1997-1998 Blue Book. Madison: Wisconsin Department of Administration, 1997, p. 49.Wisconsin Historical Society-William D. Lorge, archived at He served as a Congressional aide and a Wisconsin state senate legislative assistant for his father, Gerald Lorge."Why distrust grows ", The Milwaukee Sentinel, December 6, 1980, part 1, p. 12. In 1984 he ran for the 14th District State Senate seat vacated by his father, losing in the primary to business owner Joseph Leean.Elizabeth Brixey. "Anything-can-happen GOP primary aims at Senate", Wisconsin State Journal, August 6, 1995, p. 1C, col. 2. Two years later he ran for Wisconsin state Treasurer, losing to Democrat Charles P. Smith He later ran served in the Wisconsin State Assembly as a Republican from 1989 until 1999. A 1996 survey of legislators conducted by Madison Magazine rated Lorge poorly in several categories.Wisconsin’s Best (And Worst) Legislators from Madison Magazine In 1998 Lorge lost to business owner Jean Hundertmark in the primary.Andrew Blasko. "Assemblyman 'Elvis' king of expense reports", Wisconsin State Journal, January 25, 1999, p. 1B, col. 5. That same year, Lorge submitted the highest expense report of any member of the Wisconsin State Assembly.Blasko. "A state representative who was nicknamed 'Elvis' and was the only incumbent to lose the fall primaries reported $17,775 in daily expenses for 1998, the most of any Assembly member that year."

In 2002, Lorge entered the Republican gubernatorial primary, challenging incumbent Republican Governor Scott McCallum. He garnered only 8 percent of the vote, as McCallum was renominated. In 2004 Lorge ran for state senate. but failed to garner the required signatures to get on the ballot.

In 2026, Lorge ran in the Republican primary for state Assembly in the 57th Assembly district, but lost in the primary to Kevin Krentz.

Personal life William Lorge was a son of Gerald Lorge. Gerald Lorge served 30 years in the Wisconsin Senate, covering the entire period of William's childhood."Gerald Lorge dies at 78", The Capital Times, Madison, Wisconsin, February 16, 2001, p. 5B. Lorge married Molly McGinty on April 11, 1996, in Bear Creek.Wisconsin State Legislature. State of Wisconsin Assembly Journal Ninety-Second Regular Session, May 8, 1996, p. 1134. They had four children together before divorcing in 2014.

Lorge has worked as an Elvis Presley impersonator."Elvis impersonator running for GOP nomination for governor", The Journal Times, Racine, Wisconsin, June 2, 2002. Retrieved July 19, 2015. He owned Badgerland MLS, a real estate company."Meet the Broker" , BadgerlandMLS.com

Electoral history

Wisconsin Senate (1984) YearElectionDateElectedDefeatedTotalPlurality1984PrimaryRepublican6,94838.35%Rep.6,74137.21%18,118207Rep.4,00022.07%Rep.4292.37%

Wisconsin Treasurer (1986) YearElectionDateElectedDefeatedTotalPlurality1986GeneralDemocratic725,00952.67%Rep.601,43243.69%1,376,418123,577L&F49,9773.63%

Wisconsin Assembly, 40th district (1988–1998) YearElectionDateElectedDefeatedTotalPlurality1988PrimaryRepublican3,08242.58%Rep.1,68123.22%7,2391,401Rep.1,21716.81%Rep.94513.05%Rep.3144.34%GeneralRepublican13,44167.81%Dem.6,38032.19%19,8217,0611990GeneralRepublican9,213100.0% --unopposed--9,213N/A1992PrimaryRepublican3,99150.15%Rep.3,96849.85%7,95923GeneralRepublican13,68458.36%Dem.7,39541.64%23,4463,9221994PrimaryRepublican4,35658.90%Rep.3,03941.10%7,3951,317GeneralRepublican10,146100.0% --unopposed--10,146N/A1996PrimaryRepublican3,47748.73%Rep.1,94427.25%7,1351,533Rep.1,71424.02%GeneralRepublican13,39570.89%Dem.5,50029.11%18,8957,8951998PrimaryRepublican5,61453.56%Rep.4,86846.44%10,482746 Wisconsin Senate (1995) YearElectionDateElectedDefeatedTotalPlurality1995PrimaryRepublican3,99150.15%Rep.3,96849.85%7,95923

U.S. Senate (2000) YearElectionDateElectedDefeatedTotalPlurality2000PrimaryRepublican135,36468.04%Rep.41,02620.62%198,93994,338Rep.21,69810.91%

Wisconsin Assembly, 42nd district (2001) YearElectionDateElectedDefeatedTotalPlurality2001PrimaryRepublican1,10428.66%Rep.89023.11%3,852214Rep.87322.67%Rep.55614.43%Rep.3248.41%Rep.1012.62%

Wisconsin governor (2002) YearElectionDateElectedDefeatedTotalPlurality2002PrimaryRepublican198,52586.23%Rep.18,85227.25%230,232179,673Rep.1,71424.02%

Wisconsin Assembly, 57th district (2026) YearElectionDateElectedDefeatedTotalPlurality2026PrimaryRepublican5,12055.72%Rep.2,39626.08%9,1882,724Rep.8709.47%Rep.7998.70%

References