What to know about Doug La Follette, the Democrat seeking another term as Wisconsin secretary of state
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Democratic Secretary of State Doug La Follette emerged victorious on primary night in August and is now preparing to face off against Republican Rep. Amy Loudenbeck of Clinton.
He entered the general election season at a significant cash disadvantage to Loudenbeck and said he has only recently begun launching efforts to raise campaign money.
Should La Follette lose reelection and Republicans flip the governor’s mansion, the GOP has signaled its intent to eliminate the Wisconsin Elections Commission. One idea floated by some Republicans is to transfer duties related to election oversight to the secretary of state’s office, a move that has alarmed Democrats.
Here’s what to know about La Follette as he seeks his 11th consecutive term.
How long has Doug La Follette been Secretary of State?
La Follette was first elected secretary of state in 1974. He ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor in 1978 before returning to the office after running again in 1982. To date, he has spent 43 years as secretary of state. He enjoys substantial name recognition throughout the state as a relative of the progressive politician “Fighting Bob” La Follette, a former governor, congressman and presidential candidate.
Lawmakers have reduced La Follette's office to a small room in the basement of the state Capitol with two positions and a budget of less than $250,000 per year.
La Follette initially planned to retire
At the age of 82, La Follette is among the oldest public officials serving in Wisconsin. La Follette said he originally did not intend to run for an additional term but was persuaded to do so by Democratic Party leadership and voters.
La Follette struggled to obtain the signatures required to appear on the ballot and faced a primary challenge from Alexia Sabor, the chair of the Dane County Democratic Party, which he easily beat back on election night.
What are La Follette’s notable political positions?
La Follette is a staunch opponent of the possibility of transferring election administration into the hands of the secretary of state. He has repeatedly suggested his opponent may toss out legitimate Democratic victories in the state and refuse to certify their election.
He said he believes the WEC should maintain control of electoral oversight, though he preferred when election management duties were in the hands of the now-defunct Government Accountability Board.
La Follette framed the race for secretary of state as a referendum on democracy and frequently referenced efforts by state-level Republicans in the battleground states of Arizona and Pennsylvania to place 2020 election conspiracy theorists in control of election oversight, suggesting the Wisconsin GOP is engaging in similar efforts.
La Follette said Loudenbeck was trying to be "cleverly vague" in her comments to the Associated Press that she wasn't engaged in a "power grab" but was calling on the Legislature to determine how much election authority she should have as secretary of state.
“I’d call it very politically motivated as to what she’d really do,” La Follette told the AP. “She’s trying to avoid facing her true positions on issues. I’m worried what they really are.”
Loudenbeck dismissed suggestions she wouldn't abide by election results.
“If clerks and all the poll workers are following the law, there shouldn’t be any question at the end,” she said. “If people think that individuals were illegally casting ballots, then they should go to their sheriff or their (district attorney) or their clerk and figure that out. You can’t just find more ballots,” she told the AP.
How popular is La Follette?
La Follette coasted to a 128,000 vote victory in his primary race and repeatedly won reelection in years that proved difficult for Democrats.
How do I contact La Follette?
La Follette can be reached at sosdoug@hotmail.com.
Editor's note: This story has been corrected to describe La Follette as a distant relative of progressive politician "Fighting Bob" La Follette," not a great-grandson.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What to know about Doug La Follette, Wisconsin's secretary of state
