SCHOOL YEAR.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
APPRECIATE THE TIME.
>> TONIGHT WE BRING YOU THE
FIRST OF TWO INTERVIEWS WITH THE
GENERAL ELECTION CANDIDATES FOR
THE WISCONSIN SECRETARY OF
STATE.
FIRST INCUMBENT SECRETARY
DEMOCRAT DOUG LA FOLLETTE.
HE'S HELD THE OFFICE FOR MORE
THAN FOUR DECADES AND ALSO
SERVED BRIEFLY IN THE STATE
SENATE.
LA FOLLETTE WON LAST TUESDAY'S
PRIMARY ELECTION AND NOW FACES
REPUBLICAN CHALLENGER
REPRESENTATIVE AMY LOUDENBECK IN
THE GENERAL.
THE DUTIES OF THE SENT OF STATE
INCLUDE AFFIXING THE STATE SEAL
TO ACTS OF THE GOVERNOR AND
PRESERVATION OF MUNICIPAL
RECORDS, BLUE BOOKS AND STATE
STATUTES.
SECRETARY OF STATE IS ALSO A
MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF
COMMISSIONERS OF PUBLIC LANDS.
DOUG LA FOLLETTE JOINS US NOW.
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> YES, GOOD EVENING, WONDERFUL
TO BE ON TV AND TALK TO
EVERYBODY IN WISCONSIN.
>> YOU'VE HELD THIS OFFICE FOR A
LONG TIME.
WHY SHOULD YOU KEEP IT?
>> WELL, AT THE MOMENT THERE IS
A SPECIAL REASON AND THAT'S
BECAUSE THE TRUMPITE REPUBLICANS
ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE TRYING TO
TAKE CONTROL OF SECRETARY OF
STATE OFFICES SO THEY CAN MAYBE
FIDDLE WITH THE ELECTION IN
2024.
IF THEIR HERO RUNS AGAIN.
AND IN WISCONSIN WE HAVE THE
SAME SITUATION.
MY OPPONENT'S MAIN REASON FOR
RUNNING IS TO BE ABLE TO MOVE
THE ELECTION FUNCTION FROM AN
INDEPENDENT COMMISSION TO HER IN
THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S OFFICE.
>> AND WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT
MOVING THE ADMINISTRATION OF
ELECTIONS AND OVERSIGHT OF
ELECTIONS TO THE SECRETARY OF
STATE'S OFFICE AS OPPOSED TO
WHERE IT CURRENTLY RESIDES?
>> I THINK IT'S A HORRIBLE IDEA.
MORE THAN 50 YEARS AGO WE
DECIDED TO TAKE POLITICS OUT OF
OF THE ELECTION PROCESS AND WE
CREATED AN ELECTION BOARD OF I
BELIEVE FIVE RETIRED JUDGES, AND
THEY DID A GOOD JOB FOR MANY
YEARS.
THEN THE REPUBLICANS GOT UPSET
DURING THE WALKER RECALL AND
THEY ABOLISHED THE BOARD AND SET
UP A COMMISSION, WHICH HAS BEEN
OK.
BUT CERTAINLY BETTER THAN HAVING
AN ELECTED POLITICIAN.
NOW SHE WANTS TO BE ABLE TO TAKE
CONTROL OF THE ELECTION PROCESS
AS AN ELECTED PARTISAN
POLITICIAN.
THAT'S A BAD IDEA.
WE NEED INDEPENDENCE TO PROTECT
THE INTEGRITY OF THE VOTES IN
OUR STATE.
>> IN TERMS OF YOUR TENURE AS
SECRETARY OF STATE OVER THE
YEARS, WHAT WOULD YOU DESCRIBE
AS YOUR BEST RESULTS IN OFFICE?
>> WELL, I HAVE TO SAY THAT THE
WORST THING IS WHAT HAPPENED TO
THE OFFICE BECAUSE OF
REPUBLICANS.
TWO REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS DECIDED
THEY WANTED MORE CONTROL AND
MORE POWER SO THEY TOOK MANY
IMPORTANT DUTIES AWAY FROM THE
OFFICE AND PUT THEM UNDER THE
CONTROL OF THE GOVERNOR.
ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY SECRETARY
OF STATES DO CERTAIN IMPORTANT
BASICALLY BUSINESS-RELATED
FUNCTIONS, CORPORATIONS AND
TRADEMARKS, SO FORTH.
THOSE SHOULD BE PUT BACK IN THE
OFFICE.
I'VE TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO DO
THAT.
GOVERNOR EVERS, HIS CREDIT,
TRIED TO RESTORE SOME OF THEM.
BUT THE REPUBLICANS SLICED IT
FROM THE BUDGET.
SO IT'S TIME FOR THEM TO WISE UP
AND MAKE WISCONSIN LIKE THE REST
OF THE COUNTRY SO WE CAN COMPETE
FAIRLY AND HAVE THE SAME SYSTEM
FOR SECRETARY OF STATE'S OFFICE.
>> YOU'VE STATED THAT YOU WANT
TO HIGHLIGHT YOUR BULLY PULPIT
ROLE.
HOW SO?
>> WELL, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR
PEOPLE TO KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON
IN TERMS OF THE EFFORT TO
MANIPULATE THE ELECTION PROCESS,
NOT ONLY IN WISCONSIN BUT ACROSS
THE COUNTRY, AND I'LL TALK ABOUT
IT WHENEVER I HAVE AN
OPPORTUNITY.
THEY ARE MAKING PROGRESS IN
ARIZONA, IN MICHIGAN, THE
GOVERNOR OF PENNSYLVANIA IS
WORKING ON IT, SO THEY WILL BE
ABLE TO ACTUALLY OVERTURN THE
VOTES IN THEIR STATES IF THEY
CHOOSE TO.
THAT IS A HORRIBLE IDEA AND
WISCONSIN NEEDS TO KEEP THE
INDEPENDENT NATURE OF OUR
ELECTION ADMINISTRATION.
>> WHY DO YOU BELIEVE YOU CAN
BEAT YOUR REPUBLICAN CHALLENGER?
>> WELL, BECAUSE I'VE DONE A
CAMPAIGN AND I'VE BEEN ELECTED
MANY TIMES.
I THINK PEOPLE TRUST ME.
I'VE BEEN AROUND A WHILE, THEY
KNOW ME AND THEY TRUST ME AND
THIS BECOMES PARTICULARLY
IMPORTANT IN THIS ELECTION
BECAUSE AS I'VE SAID, IT'S ALL
ABOUT THE INTEGRITY OF THE
ELECTION PROCESS AND WHEN I SAY
WHAT I'VE SAID THIS EVENING
ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING
PARTISAN POLITICS OUT OF THE
ELECTION PROCESS THEY WILL
LISTEN.
THEY WILL BELIEVE DOUG LA
FOLLETTE.
THERE ARE A LOT OF LIES, A LOT
OF, YOU KNOW, FAKE FACTS GOING
ON NOW THE LAST FEW YEARS IN
POLITICS.
BUT PEOPLE, I THINK, TRUST DOUG
LA FOLLETTE TO BE A STRAIGHT
SHOOTER AND TELL IT LIKE IT IS.
THAT'S WHAT I'M GOING TO DO.
>> ALL RIGHT.
SECRETARY DOUG LA FOLLETTE,
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US.