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Bronson Cutting La Follette (February 2, 1936 – March 15, 2018) was an American Democratic lawyer and politician. He was the 36th and 39th Attorney General of the state of Wisconsin, and was an unsuccessful candidate for Governor of Wisconsin in 1968.
Bronson La Follette | |
|---|---|
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| 36th and 39th Attorney General of Wisconsin | |
| In office January 3, 1975 – January 3, 1987 | |
| Governor | Patrick J. Lucey Martin J. Schreiber Lee S. Dreyfus Anthony S. Earl |
| Preceded by | Victor A. Miller |
| Succeeded by | Don Hanaway |
| In office January 3, 1965 – January 3, 1969 | |
| Governor | Warren P. Knowles |
| Preceded by | George Thompson |
| Succeeded by | Robert W. Warren |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Bronson Cutting La Follette February 2, 1936 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Died | March 15, 2018 (aged 82) Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Barbara La Follette |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent |
|
| Relatives | Robert M. La Follette, Sr. (grandfather) Philip La Follette (uncle) Doug La Follette (third cousin) La Follette family |
| Residence(s) | Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Wisconsin–Madison University of Wisconsin Law School |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Born in Washington, D.C., he was the son of U.S. Senator Robert M. La Follette Jr. and the grandson of U.S. Senator Robert M. "Fighting Bob" La Follette, both of Wisconsin. He was named in memory of former U.S. Senator Bronson Cutting of New Mexico, a close family friend who died in an airplane crash in 1935.[1][2]
La Follette went to Landon School in Bethesda, Maryland. He received a bachelor of arts degree in political science from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1958 and a law degree in 1960.[3] He worked in private practice until 1962, when he was appointed an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin by U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy.[4]
In 1964 he was elected Wisconsin Attorney General and served for two consecutive two-year terms, and later three consecutive four-year terms from 1975 to 1987.[3] He challenged the incumbent Republican Governor Warren P. Knowles in the 1968 Wisconsin gubernatorial election and lost.[4] He ran for and was again elected Attorney General in 1974. Despite a 1981 conviction for drunk driving,[5] he was re-elected in 1982, and in the process became the first candidate for Wisconsin statewide office to receive one million votes.[6] After his 1986 defeat following an ethics investigation,[7] he retired from public service and lived in Madison.[8]
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La Follette died on March 15, 2018, at the age of 82 at the University of Wisconsin Hospital, in Madison, Wisconsin.[9][10][11]
Governor Scott Walker said in a statement: "Tonette and I send our prayers to the family of former Wisconsin Attorney General Bronson La Follette. He was a dedicated public servant for several decades."
Wisconsin Attorney General (1964, 1966)
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Election | |||||
| Republican | George Thompson (incumbent) | 299,771 | 48.60% | ||
| Democratic | Bronson C. La Follette | 225,521 | 36.56% | ||
| Democratic | William H. Evans | 91,487 | 14.83% | ||
| Total votes | '616,779' | '100.0%' | |||
| General Election | |||||
| Democratic | Bronson C. La Follette | 882,318 | 54.32% | ||
| Republican | George Thompson (incumbent) | 741,917 | 45.68% | ||
| Total votes | '1,624,235' | '100.0%' | |||
| Democratic gain from Republican | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Election | |||||
| Democratic | Bronson C. La Follette (incumbent) | 232,176 | 55.45% | ||
| Republican | Louis J. Ceci | 186,499 | 44.55% | ||
| Total votes | '418,675' | '100.0%' | |||
| General Election | |||||
| Democratic | Bronson C. La Follette (incumbent) | 609,216 | 53.56% | ||
| Republican | Louis J. Ceci | 528,202 | 46.44% | ||
| Total votes | '1,137,418' | '100.0%' | |||
| Democratic hold | |||||
Wisconsin Governor (1968)
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Election | |||||
| Republican | Warren P. Knowles (incumbent) | 272,504 | 57.04% | ||
| Democratic | Bronson C. La Follette | 173,458 | 36.31% | ||
| Democratic | Floyd L. Wille | 31,778 | 6.65% | ||
| Total votes | '477,740' | '100.0%' | |||
| General Election | |||||
| Republican | Warren P. Knowles (incumbent) | 893,463 | 52.88% | ||
| Democratic | Bronson C. La Follette | 791100 | 46.82% | ||
| Independent | Adolf Wiggert | 3,225 | 0.19% | ||
| Independent | Robert Wilkinson | 1,813 | 0.11% | ||
| Total votes | '1,689,601' | '100.0%' | |||
| Republican hold | |||||
Wisconsin Attorney General (1974-1986)
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Election | |||||
| Republican | Gerald Lorge | 143,337 | 30.64% | ||
| Democratic | Bronson C. La Follette | 132,538 | 28.33% | ||
| Democratic | Anthony S. Earl | 106,041 | 22.67% | ||
| Democratic | Thomas M. Jacobson | 50,678 | 10.83% | ||
| Republican | Edward Nager | 35,165 | 7.52% | ||
| Total votes | '467,759' | '100.0%' | |||
| General Election | |||||
| Democratic | Bronson C. La Follette | 669,968 | 58.10% | ||
| Republican | Gerald Lorge | 483,232 | 41.90% | ||
| Total votes | '1,153,200' | '100.0%' | |||
| Democratic hold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Election | |||||
| Democratic | Bronson C. La Follette (incumbent) | 232,057 | 51.96% | ||
| Republican | William Mattka | 213,651 | 47.84% | ||
| Constitution | Thomas J. Bergen | 903 | 0.20% | ||
| Total votes | '446,611' | '100.0%' | |||
| General Election | |||||
| Democratic | Bronson C. La Follette (incumbent) | 868,829 | 61.28% | ||
| Republican | William Mattka | 533,943 | 37.66% | ||
| Constitution | Thomas J. Bergen | 15,045 | 1.06% | ||
| Total votes | '1,417,817' | '100.0%' | +22.95% | ||
| Democratic hold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Election | |||||
| Democratic | Bronson C. La Follette (incumbent) | 433,513 | 99.24% | ||
| Libertarian | James S. Hoffert | 1,510 | 0.35% | ||
| Constitution | Gene D. Lineham | 1,435 | 0.33% | ||
| Republican | Marcus Gumz | 327 | 0.07% | ||
| Republican | William Belter | 28 | 0.01% | ||
| Total votes | '436,813' | '100.0%' | |||
| General Election | |||||
| Democratic | Bronson C. La Follette (incumbent) | 1,062,322 | 96.40% | ||
| Libertarian | James S. Hoffert | 27,004 | 2.45% | ||
| Constitution | Gene D. Lineham | 12,643 | 1.15% | ||
| Total votes | '1,101,969' | '100.0%' | -22.28% | ||
| Democratic hold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Election | |||||
| Democratic | Bronson C. La Follette (incumbent) | 217,185 | 48.38% | ||
| Republican | Donald J. Hanaway | 174,519 | 38.88% | ||
| Republican | Bartley G. Mauch | 56,200 | 12.52% | ||
| Labor–Farm | Dennis L. Boyer | 967 | 0.22% | ||
| Total votes | '436,813' | '100.0%' | |||
| General Election | |||||
| Republican | Donald J. Hanaway | 751,208 | 51.96% | ||
| Democratic | Bronson C. La Follette (incumbent) | 664,181 | 45.94% | ||
| Labor–Farm | Dennis L. Boyer | 30,455 | 2.11% | ||
| Total votes | '1,101,969' | '100.0%' | +31.21% | ||
| Republican gain from Democratic | |||||
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