Douglas La Follette
1983 - Present
2023
38
Douglas J. La Follette (Democratic Party) is the Wisconsin Secretary of State. He assumed office in 1983. His current term ends on January 2, 2023.
Follette (Democratic Party) ran for re-election for Wisconsin Secretary of State. He won in the general election on November 6, 2018.
Follette completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2018. Click here to read the survey answers.
He earlier served a term in the office from 1975-1979, but ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor in 1978.
La Follette unsuccessfully ran for Wisconsin Governor in the 2012 recall election against incumbent Gov. Scott Walker, losing in the primary.[1] An issue in the recall election was Wisconsin Act 10, which involved collective bargaining rights. Following its passage, La Follette delayed the bill's publication. Subsequently, a bill was passed in 2013 to strip the secretary of state of the power to delay the publication of new laws.[2]
La Follette served in the Wisconsin State Senate representing Kenosha County for one term, from 1972 to 1974. He ran for the United States Senate in 1988 and for Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District in 1970 and 1996, losing in the primary each time.[3]
Contents
Biography
La Follette began a teaching career as an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He was a Wisconsin organizer for the first "Earth Day for Gaylord Nelson" in 1970 and co-founded Wisconsin's Environmental Decade. La Follette helped organize the Earth Day celebration in Wisconsin again in 1990. He was named a Fulbright Distinguished American Scholar in 2003. La Follette authored a book, The Survival Handbook: A Strategy for Saving Planet Earth, which was published in 1991. He has been associated with the Council on Economic Priorities, the Union of Concerned Scientists, the Mid American Solar Energy Complex, the Sierra Club, the Carrying Capacity Network, and NumbersUSA.[4]
Education
- Bachelor's degree, Marietta College (1963) in business
- Master of Science degree, Stanford University (1964) in chemistry
- Doctoral degree, Columbia University (1967) in organic chemistry
Elections
2018
General election for Wisconsin Secretary of State
Incumbent Douglas J. La Follette defeated Jay Schroeder in the general election for Wisconsin Secretary of State on November 6, 2018.
Candidate |
% |
Votes |
||
| ✔ |
|
Douglas J. La Follette (D) |
52.7
|
1,380,752 |
|
|
Jay Schroeder (R) |
47.2
|
1,235,034 | |
| Other/Write-in votes |
0.1
|
2,162 | ||
|
|
Total votes: 2,617,948 |
Democratic primary for Wisconsin Secretary of State
Incumbent Douglas J. La Follette defeated Arvina Martin in the Democratic primary for Wisconsin Secretary of State on August 14, 2018.
Candidate |
% |
Votes |
||
| ✔ |
|
Douglas J. La Follette |
65.9
|
327,020 |
|
|
Arvina Martin |
34.1
|
169,130 | |
|
|
Total votes: 496,150 |
Republican primary for Wisconsin Secretary of State
Jay Schroeder defeated Spencer Zimmerman in the Republican primary for Wisconsin Secretary of State on August 14, 2018.
Candidate |
% |
Votes |
||
| ✔ |
|
Jay Schroeder |
71.4
|
254,424 |
|
|
Spencer Zimmerman |
28.6
|
101,818 | |
|
|
Total votes: 356,242 |
2014
La Follette ran for re-election to the office of Wisconsin Secretary of State. He won re-nomination without opposition in the Democratic primary on June 2. The general election took place on November 4, 2014.[5]
Results
General election
| Secretary of State of Wisconsin, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Doug La Follette Incumbent |
50% | 1,161,113 | |
| Republican | Julian Bradley | 46.3% | 1,074,835 | |
| Libertarian | Andy Craig | 2.5% | 58,996 | |
| Constitution | Jerry Broitzman | 1.1% | 25,744 | |
| Nonpartisan | Scattering | 0.1% | 1,347 | |
| Total Votes | 2,322,035 | |||
| Election results via Wisconsin Government Accountability Board | ||||
Race background
Incumbent Democrat Doug La Follette faced Republican challenger Julian Bradley and two third-party candidates, Constitution Party candidate Jerry Broitzman and Libertarian Party candidate Andy Craig, in the general election for Wisconsin Secretary of State. La Follette had held this seat since 1983. During his time in office, the powers of the Secretary of State's office had been reduced by the Wisconsin Legislature.[6]
Both Republican primary candidates, Bradley and State Representative Garey Bies, argued that the office had become ceremonial and that the current state was unacceptable. While Bies wanted to eliminate the office and give its remaining powers to other agencies, Bradley's platform was to reform the office and regain its former powers.[6][7]
2012
- See also: Scott Walker recall, Wisconsin (2012)
La Follette ran for Wisconsin Governor in the recall election against incumbent Gov. Scott Walker.
Recall petitions were turned in on January 17, 2012 and officially certified on March 30. La Follette filed papers to run on February 23[8] and officially declared his campaign on March 28.[9] He faced Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk, state Sen. Kathleen Vinehout and protest candidate Gladys Huber in the primary on May 8.[10] Hariprasad "Hari" Trivedi ran as an independent.[11]
| Wisconsin Governor Recall - Democratic Primary, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
| Tom Barrett |
58.1% | 390,191 | ||
| Kathleen Falk | 34.1% | 229,236 | ||
| Kathleen Vinehout | 4% | 26,967 | ||
| Doug La Follette | 2.9% | 19,497 | ||
| Gladys Huber | 0.7% | 4,847 | ||
| Scattering | 0.1% | 864 | ||
| Total Votes | 671,602 | |||
| Election results via Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. | ||||
2010
- 2010 Race for Secretary of State - Democratic Primary
- Douglas LaFollette ran unopposed this contest
On November 2, 2010, Douglas La Follette won re-election to the office of Wisconsin Secretary of State. He defeated David D. King in the general election.
| Wisconsin Secretary of State, 2010 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Douglas La Follette Incumbent |
51.6% | 1,074,118 | |
| Republican | David D. King | 48.3% | 1,005,217 | |
| - | Scattering | 0.1% | 1,863 | |
| Total Votes | 2,081,198 | |||
| Election results via Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. | ||||
2006
On September 12, 2006, LaFollette won re-nomination as the Democratic candidate for Secretary of State over primary challenger Scot Ross.[12]
His general election opponent, Republican Sandy Sullivan, drew local media attention for a self-published book in which she claimed she had affairs with several ex-Green Bay Packers football players.[13]
| 2006 Race for Secretary of State - Democratic Primary[14] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote Percentage | |
| Democratic Party |  Douglas La Follette
|
72.0% | |
| Democratic Party | Scott Ross | 28.0% | |
| Total Votes | 332,265 | ||
| Wisconsin Secretary of State, 2006 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Douglas La Follette Incumbent |
57.1% | 1,184,720 | |
| Republican | Sandy Sullivan | 38.4% | 796,686 | |
| Green | Michael LaForest | 4.5% | 92,587 | |
| - | Scattering | 0.1% | 1,412 | |
| Total Votes | 2,075,405 | |||
| Election results via Wisconsin Government Accountability Board | ||||
2002
- 2002 Race for Secretary of State - Democratic Primary
- Douglas La Follette ran unopposed in this contest
On November 5, 2002, Douglas La Follette won re-election to the office of Wisconsin Secretary of State. He defeated Robert Gerald Lorge (R) and Edward J. Frami (C) in the general election.
| Wisconsin Secretary of State, 2010 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Douglas La Follette Incumbent |
56.6% | 950,929 | |
| Republican | Robert Gerald Lorge | 41.3% | 693,476 | |
| Constitution | Edward J. Frami | 2.1% | 34,750 | |
| - | Scattering | 0.1% | 1,009 | |
| Total Votes | 1,680,164 | |||
| Election results via Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. | ||||
Campaign themes
2018
Ballotpedia survey responses
- See also: Ballotpedia's candidate surveys
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
| “ | Restoring the important duties that have been removed from the Office of Secretary of State. This will make Wisconsin like the rest of the nation and be easier for people to do business here.[16][17] | ” |
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? Why?
| “ | Openness in Government and campaign finance reform and making it easier for people to vote. We must get the giant money out of elections.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag;
invalid names, e.g. too many [17] |
” |
Ballotpedia also asked the candidate a series of optional questions. Douglas La Follette answered the following:
Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow and why?
| “ | Sen. Gaylord Nelson and Sen. Russ Feingold[17] | ” |
| —Douglas La Follette | ||
Campaign contributions
The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may not represent all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer, and campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
| Douglas La Follette campaign contribution history | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Office | Result | Contributions | |
| 2014 | Wisconsin Secretary of State | |
$-2,456 | |
| 2012 | Governor of Wisconsin |  |
$114,230 | |
| 2010 | Wisconsin Secretary of State | |
$1,118 | |
| 2006 | Wisconsin Secretary of State | |
$25,890 | |
| 2002 | Wisconsin Secretary of State | |
$1,300 | |
| 1998 | Wisconsin Secretary of State | |
$38,433 | |
| Grand total raised | $178,515 | |||
| Source: Follow the Money | ||||
2002-2014
Ballotpedia collects information on campaign donors for each year in which a candidate or incumbent is running for election. See the table below for more information about the campaign donors who supported Douglas La Follette.[18] Click [show] for more information.
| Douglas La Follette Campaign Contributions | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 Wisconsin Secretary of State | 2010 Wisconsin Secretary of State | 2006 Wisconsin Secretary of State | 2002 Wisconsin Secretary of State | ||||||||||||||||
| Total raised | $-2456 | $1,118 | $25,890 | $1,300 | |||||||||||||||
| Total raised by opponents | $73,533 (Republican) | $60,080 (REP) | $17,148 | $0 (REP) | |||||||||||||||
| Top 5 contributors | Wisconsin Education Association Council | $8,625 | Gisela & John Brogan | $1,000 | Wisconsin State ALF-CLO | $8,500 | Ann Kamansky | $200 | |||||||||||
| Wisconsin Teamsters Joint Council 39 | $500 | Myrna Casebolt | $25 | Wisconsin Laborers District Council | $4,000 | Pamela Lewis | $200 | ||||||||||||
| Coulee Region United Educators | $500 | William Holterman | $25 | Operating Engineers Local 139 | $2,500 | John Finerty and Robert Dean | $100 each | ||||||||||||
| David Conrad | $200 | Joe Alfred | $19 | Electrical Workers Local 890 | $2,000 | Rick Posig and Kurt Macek | $100 each | ||||||||||||
| Dan Stevens | $100 | n/a | n/a | BNSF Railway | $1,000 | Forrest McQuitty and Russell Kohl | $100 each | ||||||||||||
| Individuals | $-12,095 | $1,069 | $5,172 | $1,300 | |||||||||||||||
| Institutions | $9,639 ($0 other) | $0 | $20,100 | $0 | |||||||||||||||
| In-state donations | $-3,138 | $1,050 | $21,820 | $1,300 | |||||||||||||||
| Out-of-state donations | $682 | $19 | $4,045 | $0 | |||||||||||||||
Noteworthy events
Lawsuit against Gov. Scott Walker over budget (2015)
- See also: Wisconsin state budget and finances
On July 14, 2015, LaFollette filed a lawsuit against Gov. Scott Walker over the budget for the secretary of state's office. He requested a judge to stay the budget changes, as LaFollette claimed it impeded his ability to carry out the constitutionally-mandated duties of his office.[19][20][21] Circuit Judge Rhonda L. Lanford declined to issue a temporary injunction to stop the budget cuts on September 4, 2015, after ruling La Follette had not demonstrated his lawsuit against Walker was likely to succeed. Lanford's ruling did not dismiss La Follette's claim that Walker's budget had infringed on La Follette's ability to carry out his constitutionally-mandated responsibilities outright. Instead, her 17-page ruling noted that the evidence before her court at the time of the ruling was not sufficient to substantiate La Follette's claim.[22]
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Awards
- Environmental Excellence Award, Midwest Renewable Energy Assoc., 1992
- Environmental Advocate of the Year, Clean Water Action Council, 1996
- Environmental Quality Award, Environmental Protection Agency
Contact information
Capitol Address:
Post Office Box 7848
Madison, WI 53707-7848
Phone: (608) 266-8888
Fax: (608) 266-3159
E-mail: statesec@Wisconsin.gov
See also
External links
|
Candidate Wisconsin Secretary of State |
Officeholder Wisconsin Secretary of State |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Huffington Post, "Tom Barrett Wins Wisconsin Recall Primary, Faces Scott Walker In June," May 8, 2012
- ↑ Wisconsin Public Radio, "GOP Strips Power From Secretary Of State," accessed March 6, 2013
- ↑ La Follette for Secretary of State, accessed April 11, 2013
- ↑ SUSPS - Doug LaFlotte elected to the Sierra Club Board of Directors in April, 2003
- ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "Nomination Paper Tracking with Supplemental Signature Report," accessed May 30, 2014 (dead link)
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 THOnline, "Bradley wins GOP primary for Wisconsin secretary of state," August 12, 2014
- ↑ Julian Bradley for Secretary of State, "Platform," accessed September 12, 2014
- ↑ Channel 3000, "La Follette Files Papers For Gubernatorial Run," accessed February 23, 2012
- ↑ WTAQ, "La Follette enters recall race," March 29, 2012
- ↑ Wisconsin State Journal, "GOP's fake Democrats for recall primaries named," April 5, 2012
- ↑ WTAQ, "Recall elections officially ordered against Gov. Walker, 5 other GOP lawmakers," March 30, 2012
- ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Assembly Democrats drawn into caucus scandal" 31 Jan. 2006
- ↑ CNN "Candidate has sex with the Green Bay Packers" 11 Oct. 2006
- ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board - 2006 Democratic Primary Election Results
- ↑ Note: The candidate's answers have been reproduced here verbatim without edits or corrections by Ballotpedia.
- ↑ Ballotpedia's candidate survey, "Douglas La Follette's responses," September 6, 2018
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Follow the Money.org, "Home," accessed May 7, 2021
- ↑ Governing, "Wisconsin Secretary of State Sues Scott Walker Over Budget," July 15, 2015
- ↑ WISN 12, "Wisconsin secretary of state sues over funding cuts," July 15, 2015
- ↑ Associated Press, Star Tribune, "Longtime Wisconsin secretary of state sues Walker over budget cuts to his office," July 14, 2015
- ↑ 12 WISN, "Judge won't block budget cuts to secretary of state's office," September 7, 2015
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Vel Phillips (D) |
Wisconsin Secretary of State 1983–present |
Succeeded by NA |
| Preceded by Robert Zimmerman |
Wisconsin Secretary of State 1975–1979 |
Succeeded by Vel Phillips (D) |
| |||||||||||||||||||
