Doug La Follette says he's been Wisconsin secretary of state about 25 years, but it's been nearly 40

The first question posed to Doug La Follette in a July 18, 2018 interview on WisconsinEye, the public affairs television network, was simple enough.

"Now, you have been secretary of state for how long, total?" host Steven Walters asked.

"Well, I think around 25 years. I’d have to look it up," La Follette replied.

Um.

Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter: @PolitiFactWisc.

Perhaps La Follette couldn’t recall.

Or perhaps he wanted to downplay how long he has held the job.

Counting the years

La Follette’s opponent in the Aug. 14, 2018 Democratic primary, Madison Ald. Arvina Martin, told the Capital Times when launching her campaign "it may be time for some new ideas, new blood and someone with a different point of view."

So, just how long has La Follette held the secretary of state’s job?

Nearly 40 years.

From the official Wisconsin Blue Book’s list of secretaries of state:

Doug La Follette

1975-1979

Featured Fact-check

Jay Rothman

stated on December 1, 2024 in TV interview

“The Universities of Wisconsin are 43rd out of 50 states in the nation, in terms of public support for our universities. The $855 million (budget request) gets us up to average.”

Vel Phillips

1979-1983

Doug La Follette

1983-present

So, La Follette served four years before being replaced by Phillips, the only black person ever elected to statewide office in Wisconsin. That was when he ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor.

After reclaiming the office by defeating Phillips in the 1982 election, La Follette has since served in the job for another 35.5 years and counting.

(La Follette is more accurate about his time in office on his campaign website. He notes that he served as a state legislator for two years until 1974, and "was then elected secretary of state and has been re-elected every four years for the past 30 years.")

All our fact checks in the governor’s race.

Over the years, the Legislature has gradually reduced the duties of the secretary of state. La Follette said in the interview his office once had 50 employees and now it’s just him and one other full-time employee.

The winner of the La Follette-Martin race will face the winner of the two-way Republican primary in the Nov. 6, 2018 general election.

Spencer Zimmerman of Janesville is campaigning to make the secretary of state’s position Wisconsin’s "chief protocol officer for international relations," while Jay Schroeder of Neenah is campaigning to eliminate the office altogether.

When we contacted La Follette about his statement, by the way, he said he would have to "do a little calculation." Then later he emailed us, saying: "Wow, I did some math. It looks like it is more like 40 years; let me say, time flies when you’re having fun. Thanks for calling this to my attention."

Our rating

La Follette says he’s been Wisconsin secretary of state "around 25 years."

He’s held the job for a total of nearly 40 years.

We rate his statement False.