Wisconsin Secretary of State Doug La Follette announces he’ll run for re-election this fall.
“I have had the honor to serve the great people of our state for many years. Together we have accomplished a great deal but there is more work to be done, so I am asking the people of Wisconsin to allow me to continue working for them.”
The Madison Democrat has held the office for more than three decades. If he wins another four-year term, it could be his last, because majority Republicans are drafting measures to eliminate the office by the start of 2019. Officials have gradually stripped duties from the secretary of state’s office over the years. Now, the only real duties are to maintain the official acts of the governor and Legislature, affix the state seal to gubernatorial actions, and serve on the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands.
The 73-year-old La Follette says he wants to try and restore some of his former duties. “I care about our state and want Wisconsin to provide good opportunities for new business and the important jobs that come with them. Restoring these duties will assure that Wisconsin is truly open for business and end the confusion and problems for those attempting to obtain business services in our state.”
La Follette recently said that people get confused when they ask him about things like trademarks, notaries public, and other business rules. La Follette says the secretary of state deals with those things in most other states. He says Republican Governor Scott Walker is hurting his pro-business efforts by making prospective companies look elsewhere for those services.
La Follette says, “This is not about Doug La Follette and it is not about Republicans or Democrats. It is about what is good for Wisconsin far into the future.”