Very few on campus know that come this next election the position of Secretary of State is up for grabs. In fact, I’d bet some do not even know Wisconsin has such a position. The Republican candidate for the position, Sandy Sullivan, could be considered a political novice, as this is her first attempt at a public office. Sullivan was born in Mauston, Wis. She is 65 years old. Sullivan attended the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point and later went on to Madison for her graduate degree.
Her opponent, incumbent Democrat Douglas LaFollette is also a UW graduate, but from Madison. He is 66 years old. He was elected to the office of Secretary of State in 1974 and 1982, and has been re-elected ever since 1986.
LaFollette believes he has had many accomplishments during his tenure. “We have modernized the office and brought it up to standards,” said LaFollette. “We have also been computerizing and microfilming records for preservation.”
LaFollette also said that as the Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands, he had succeeded in protecting a large portion of the land that the government manages. They have also used some of this land for development. From this development the Board of Commissioners has been able to generate $25 million in revenue which has been put towards Wisconsin public schools.
When asked about his chances for victory in the election, LaFollette said, “I’m optimistic. While I was out around the state this summer and fall, I’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback from people.”
For Sullivan, the motivation to become involved in politics came when she was taking care of her ailing father.
“After I had written my book, ‘Green Bay Love Stories and Other Affairs,’ during my father’s illness, I needed to sell my books so I went to any venue that would let me talk about my book.” said Sullivan. “After each of those venues, people would come up to me saying how honest and forthright I seemed and that they thought I should run for public office.” After investigating what positions were up for election, she decided on Secretary of State.
Sullivan has attracted media attention from outlets as diverse as Fox News and Comedy Central for her book, which details her various sexual and other adventures with Green Bay Packers players in the 1960s.
“I want to restore the position [of Secretary of State] to the way it used to be before LaFollette, when it was in charge of the State Election Board. I want to be able to go out to the world to promote Wisconsin business and encourage foreign investment in the state,” she said.