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| Wisconsin governors | |
|---|---|
| Post | Governor of Wisconsin |
| Body | State of Wisconsin |
| Incumbent | Tony Evers |
| Incumbentsince | 2019-01-07 |
| Style | The Honorable |
| Residence | Wisconsin Governor's Mansion |
| Appointer | Popular election |
| Termlength | Four years |
| Formation | 1848 |
Wisconsin governors
Wisconsin governors are the chief executives of the State of Wisconsin charged with administering state affairs, executing statutes, and commanding the Wisconsin National Guard when not federalized. The office, created at statehood in 1848 under the Wisconsin Constitution of 1848, has been occupied by leaders from parties including the Democratic Party (United States), Republican Party (United States), Progressive Party (United States, 1924–1946), and independents. Governors interact with institutions such as the Wisconsin Legislature, Wisconsin Supreme Court, United States Congress, and federal agencies like the United States Department of Justice.
Territorial and state executive functions trace to the Wisconsin Territory period under federally appointed officials such as Henry Dodge and administrators linked to the Congress of the United States. With admission as a state in 1848, the governorship assumed constitutional form, influenced by contemporary framers familiar with texts like the United States Constitution and debates in the Wisconsin Constitutional Convention of 1846 and Wisconsin Constitutional Convention of 1847–48. Early governors such as Nelson Dewey and Henry Dodge navigated conflicts over Milwaukee and territorial development and infrastructure projects tied to the Erie Canal era and railroad expansion. During the Civil War, governors including Edward Salomon and Lucius Fairchild mobilized militia units connected to campaigns like the Battle of Gettysburg and coordinated with President Abraham Lincoln and the United States War Department. Progressive-era leaders such as Robert M. La Follette Sr. and figures in the Wisconsin Progressive Movement advanced reforms interacting with national movements including the Progressive Era and regulatory responses to trusts like those addressed by the Interstate Commerce Commission. Twentieth-century administrations engaged with New Deal programs from the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration and later federal initiatives like the Great Society; Cold War-era governors addressed matters related to Aerospace industry development and higher education systems linked to the University of Wisconsin System.
The governor issues executive orders, vetoes bills passed by the Wisconsin State Assembly and Wisconsin State Senate, and calls special sessions of the legislature. The office appoints heads of executive agencies such as the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Wisconsin Department of Health Services, and members of state boards including appointments to the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents subject to confirmation by the Wisconsin Senate. As commander-in-chief of the Wisconsin National Guard, the governor works with the Adjutant General of Wisconsin and federal entities like the United States Department of Defense when units are federalized. The governor grants pardons and commutations under standards informed by historical practice in other states and interacts with judicial actors including the Wisconsin Supreme Court and county courts. Governors also submit biennial budgets to the Wisconsin Legislature coordinating with the Wisconsin Department of Administration and respond to emergencies in cooperation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and local county executives.
Governors are elected in statewide popular elections concurrent with races for Wisconsin Attorney General and other statewide offices. The state uses a four-year term established by constitutional amendment; prior to 1970s reforms some governors served two-year terms. Candidates typically emerge from party primaries held by organizations such as the Republican Party (United States), Democratic Party (United States), and historically the Progressive Party (United States, 1924–1946). Qualifications include residency and age requirements set by the Wisconsin Constitution of 1848 and subsequent amendments; elections are administered by the Wisconsin Elections Commission with procedures governed by statutes like the Help America Vote Act of 2002 as applied at state level. The governor takes the oath of office at inauguration ceremonies often attended by federal figures such as members of the United States Senate and state leaders like the Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin.
The list of officeholders begins with Nelson Dewey and includes notable names such as Robert M. La Follette Sr., Tony Evers, Scott Walker (politician), Tommy Thompson, James O. Davidson, Patrick Lucey, Martin Schreiber, Gaylord Nelson, William H. Upham, Walter J. Kohler Jr., and Lucius Fairchild. The roster reflects party realignments involving the Republican Party (United States), Democratic Party (United States), and the Progressive Party (United States, 1924–1946). Acting executives and successions have involved figures such as the Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin and cabinet officers like the Secretary of State of Wisconsin in historical contingencies including resignations, deaths, and appointments.
The governor's official residence is the Wisconsin Governor's Mansion in Maple Bluff, Wisconsin, next to the University of Wisconsin-Madison area and near landmarks like the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison, Wisconsin. Official symbols associated with the office include the Seal of Wisconsin and the Flag of Wisconsin. Ceremonial contexts involve the Wisconsin Air National Guard honor guards and protocol offices coordinating with entities such as the Office of Governor staff, the Wisconsin Legislature sergeant-at-arms, and state historical institutions like the Wisconsin Historical Society.
Administrations such as Robert M. La Follette Sr.’s Progressive reforms influenced national debates involving the Interstate Commerce Commission and the Sixteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution; Tommy Thompson’s tenure engaged with the Welfare reform debates tied to federal policy shifts under the Clinton administration; Scott Walker (politician) confronted public-sector union disputes linked to rulings from the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and provoked national attention alongside organizations like the National Rifle Association of America and American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. Gaylord Nelson later advanced environmental policy culminating in initiatives related to the Earth Day movement and interaction with the Environmental Protection Agency. Modern administrations have faced issues involving the Affordable Care Act, pandemic response coordinated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and fiscal policy debated with the United States Department of the Treasury.
Succession follows constitutional provisions where the Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin becomes governor upon vacancy; further succession involves officials such as the Secretary of State of Wisconsin subject to constitutional text and statutes. Impeachment proceedings are initiated in the Wisconsin State Assembly and tried in the Wisconsin State Senate, with historical precedents in other states drawing from procedures under the United States Constitution; impeachment inquiries have implicated interactions with legal authorities including the Wisconsin Supreme Court and state prosecutors. Removal also can occur through recall elections governed by provisions overseen by the Wisconsin Elections Commission and influenced by case law from federal courts such as the United States Supreme Court.
Category:Government of Wisconsin Category:Lists of state governors of the United States