Tony Earl
Tony Earl | |
---|---|
41st Governor of Wisconsin | |
In office January 3, 1983 – January 5, 1987 | |
Lieutenant | James Flynn |
Preceded by | Lee Dreyfus |
Succeeded by | Tommy Thompson |
Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | |
In office December 15, 1975 – November 1, 1980 | |
Governor | Patrick Lucey Martin J. Schreiber Lee S. Dreyfus |
Preceded by | Lester P. Voigt |
Succeeded by | Carroll Besadny |
Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Administration | |
In office January 6, 1975 – December 15, 1975 | |
Governor | Patrick Lucey |
Preceded by | Joe Nusbaum |
Succeeded by | Robert Dunn |
Member of the Wisconsin Assembly | |
In office January 1, 1973 – January 6, 1975 | |
Preceded by | Constituency established |
Succeeded by | Edward F. McClain |
Constituency | 85th district |
In office October 14, 1969 – January 1, 1973 | |
Preceded by | Dave Obey |
Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
Constituency | Marathon 2nd district |
Personal details | |
Born | Anthony Scully Earl April 12, 1936 St. Ignace, Michigan, U.S. |
Died | February 23, 2023 Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. | (aged 86)
Political party | Democratic |
Spouses |
|
Children | 4 |
Education | Michigan State University (BA) University of Chicago (JD) |
Military service | |
Allegiance | United States |
Branch/service | United States Navy |
Anthony Scully Earl (April 12, 1936 – February 23, 2023) was an American lawyer and Democratic politician who served as the 41st governor of Wisconsin from 1983 until 1987.[1] Prior to his election as governor, he served as secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Administration and secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in the administration of Governor Patrick Lucey. He also served three terms in the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing Marathon County.
Early life and career
Earl was born in
In 1974, Earl left the Assembly to run for
Governor of Wisconsin
In 1982, Earl ran for governor when
However, Earl's tenure as governor was a challenge from the start. By the time he took office,
After restoring the state following one of the worst economic predicaments in state history, Governor Earl was ousted after one term. State Assembly Minority Leader Tommy Thompson, a Republican, staunchly opposed Earl's policies and was elected in 1986 to the first of four consecutive terms.[3] Earl Bricker wrote an essay, "goodbye to Wisconsin Governor Tony Earl" bemoaning that Tommy Thompson had defeated Earl in the 1986 election, and that his "pro-family" stance may have given him wider demographic appeal than Earl's defense of gay and lesbian rights.
Post-gubernatorial career
Earl served on the governing board of "Common Cause Wisconsin" from 1995 until 2005.[5] a non-partisan, non-profit citizen's lobby affiliated with national Common Cause. In 1990, Earl was elected to the Common Cause National Governing Board and served until 1996. CC/WI promotes campaign finance reform, ethics and lobby reform, open meetings laws, voting rights, non-partisan redistricting, and other issues concerning the promotion and maintenance of accountable government. Earl also served on the board of the Chicago-based Joyce Foundation for many years until 2013.[6]
In July 2004, Earl was recognized at the 12th Annual Outreach Awards for his acknowledgment of the needs of the gay and lesbian community during his term in office; he received the organization's Political Courage Award. He served on the board of directors of the American Transmission Company which assumed ownership, operation, planning, maintenance, and monitoring of all the electrical transmission assets formerly owned by a number of Wisconsin utility companies, cooperatives, and municipal utilities. He was a past
Personal life and death
Tony Earl married Sheila Rose Coyle of Chicago, in the summer of 1962. They met while he was a student at the University of Chicago Law School.[8] They had four daughters together, and were married for more than 30 years before separating in 1995. Their divorce was finalized in 2003.[9] In 2011, Earl married Jane Nemke.[10]
Earl had a stroke on February 19, 2023, and died four days later, on February 23, at the UW Health University Hospital, 48 days short of his 87th birthday.[4]
Electoral history
Wisconsin Assembly, Marathon 2nd district (1969, 1970)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Special Election, October 7, 1969 | |||||
Democratic | Anthony S. Earl | 4,716 | 54.30% | -3.75% | |
Republican | Dorthea J. Baguhn | 3,969 | 45.70% | ||
Plurality | 747 | 8.60% | -7.49% | ||
Total votes | 8,685 | 100.0% | -52.62% | ||
Democratic hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
General Election, November 3, 1970 | |||||
Democratic | Anthony S. Earl (incumbent) | 11,182 | 70.85% | +16.55% | |
Republican | Thomas L. Miler | 4,601 | 29.15% | ||
Plurality | 6,581 | 41.70% | +33.10% | ||
Total votes | 15,783 | 100.0% | +81.73% | ||
Democratic hold |
Wisconsin Assembly, 85th district (1972)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
General Election, November 7, 1972 | |||||
Democratic | Anthony S. Earl | 14,432 | 100.0% | ||
Total votes | 14,432 | 100.0% | |||
Democratic win (new seat) |
Wisconsin Attorney General (1974)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic Party Primary, September 10, 1974 | |||||
Democratic | Bronson La Follette | 132,538 | 40.85% | ||
Democratic | Anthony S. Earl | 106,041 | 32.69% | ||
Democratic | Thomas M. Jacobson | 50,678 | 15.62% | ||
Democratic | Gerald D. Lorge | 35,165 | 10.84% | ||
Total votes | 324,422 | 100.0% |
Wisconsin Governor (1982, 1986)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic Party Primary, September 14, 1982 | |||||
Democratic | Anthony S. Earl | 268,857 | 45.87% | ||
Democratic | Martin J. Schreiber | 245,952 | 41.96% | ||
Democratic | James B. Wood | 71,282 | 12.16% | ||
Total votes | 586,091 | 100.0% | |||
General Election, November 2, 1982 | |||||
Democratic | Anthony S. Earl & James T. Flynn |
896,872 | 56.75% | +11.86% | |
Republican | Terry J. Kohler & Russell A. Olson |
662,738 | 41.94% | -12.43% | |
Libertarian | Larry Smiley & Gerald Shidell |
9,734 | 0.62% | ||
Constitution | James P. Wickstrom & Diana K. Simonson |
7,721 | 0.49% | +0.07% | |
Independent
|
Peter Seidman & Margo Storsteen |
3,025 | 0.19% | +0.09% | |
Scattering | 254 | 0.02% | |||
Plurality | 234,134 | 14.82% | +5.34% | ||
Total votes | 1,580,344 | 100.0% | +5.29% | ||
Democratic gain from Republican | Swing | 24.29% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic Party Primary, September 9, 1986 | |||||
Democratic | Anthony S. Earl (incumbent) | 215,183 | 80.30% | ||
Democratic | Edmond Hou-Seye | 52,784 | 19.70% | ||
Total votes | 267,967 | 100.0% | |||
General Election, November 4, 1986 | |||||
Republican | Tommy Thompson & Scott McCallum |
805,090 | 52.74% | +10.80% | |
Democratic | Anthony S. Earl (incumbent) & Sharon Metz |
705,578 | 46.22% | -10.53% | |
Labor–Farm | Kathryn A. Christensen & John Ervin Bergum |
10,323 | 0.68% | ||
Independent
|
Darold E. Wall & Irma L. Lotts |
3,913 | 0.26% | ||
Independent
|
Sanford Knapp & Verdell Hallingstad |
1,668 | 0.11% | ||
Scattering | 1 | 0.00% | |||
Plurality | 99,512 | 6.52% | -8.30% | ||
Total votes | 1,526,573 | 100.0% | -3.40% | ||
Republican gain from Democratic | Swing | 21.33% |
U.S. Senate (1988)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic Party Primary, September 13, 1988 | |||||
Democratic | Herb Kohl | 249,226 | 46.78% | ||
Democratic | Anthony S. Earl | 203,479 | 38.19% | ||
Democratic | Edward R. Garvey | 55,225 | 10.37% | ||
Democratic | Douglas La Follette | 19,819 | 3.72% | ||
Democratic | Edmond Hou-Seye | 5,040 | 0.95% | ||
Total votes | 532,789 | 100.0% |
References
- ^ Doug Moe (February 22, 2012). "Doug Moe: Former governor, new wife are 'giddy'". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved February 22, 2012.
- ISBN 9780837907345.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Glauber, Bill (February 23, 2023). "Tony Earl, Wisconsin's 41st governor who championed the environment, equal rights, dies at age 86". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ a b Schmidt, Mitchell (February 23, 2023). "Former Gov. Tony Earl, a champion for equality and conservation, dies at 86". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ JAMES WIGDERSON (July 27, 2006). "Opinions: James Wigderson". Archived from the original on May 27, 2011. Retrieved September 14, 2008.
- ^ ANN RICHARDS (September 2, 2008). "Two Mott grantees honored by American Bar Association". Archived from the original on October 14, 2008. Retrieved September 14, 2008.
- ^ "Madison Public Library Board Meeting Minutes" (PDF). Retrieved September 14, 2008.
- Newspapers.com.
- Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Gov. Tony Earl through the years". WiscNews.com. February 22, 2023. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ Theobald, H. Rupert; Robbins, Patricia V., eds. (1970). "Elections in Wisconsin". The State of Wisconsin Blue Book 1970 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. pp. 820. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ Theobald, H. Rupert; Robbins, Patricia V., eds. (1971). "Elections in Wisconsin". The State of Wisconsin Blue Book 1971 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. pp. 320. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ Theobald, H. Rupert; Robbins, Patricia V., eds. (1973). "Elections in Wisconsin". The State of Wisconsin Blue Book 1973 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. pp. 828. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ Theobald, H. Rupert; Robbins, Patricia V., eds. (1975). "Elections in Wisconsin". The State of Wisconsin Blue Book 1975 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. pp. 798. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ Theobald, H. Rupert; Robbins, Patricia V., eds. (1983). "Elections in Wisconsin". The State of Wisconsin Blue Book 1983–1984 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. pp. 876, 900. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ Theobald, H. Rupert; Barish, Lawrence S., eds. (1983). "Elections in Wisconsin". The State of Wisconsin Blue Book 1987–1988 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. pp. 874, 896. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ Barish, Lawrence S.; Theobald, H. Rupert, eds. (1989). "Elections in Wisconsin". State of Wisconsin Blue Book 1989–1990 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. pp. 904. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
External links
- Biography from the National Governors Association