Tony Earl

Tony Earl
Earl in c. 1983
41st Governor of Wisconsin
In office
January 3, 1983 – January 5, 1987
LieutenantJames Flynn
Preceded byLee Dreyfus
Succeeded byTommy Thompson
Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
In office
December 15, 1975 – November 1, 1980
GovernorPatrick Lucey
Martin J. Schreiber
Lee S. Dreyfus
Preceded byLester P. Voigt
Succeeded byCarroll Besadny
Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Administration
In office
January 6, 1975 – December 15, 1975
GovernorPatrick Lucey
Preceded byJoe Nusbaum
Succeeded byRobert Dunn
Member of the Wisconsin Assembly
In office
January 1, 1973 – January 6, 1975
Preceded byConstituency established
Succeeded byEdward F. McClain
Constituency85th district
In office
October 14, 1969 – January 1, 1973
Preceded byDave Obey
Succeeded byConstituency abolished
ConstituencyMarathon 2nd district
Personal details
Born
Anthony Scully Earl

(1936-04-12)April 12, 1936
St. Ignace, Michigan, U.S.
DiedFebruary 23, 2023(2023-02-23) (aged 86)
Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouses
  • Sheila Coyle
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1962; div. 2003)​
  • Jane Nemke
    ​
    (m. 2011)​
Children4
EducationMichigan 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

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Earl was born in St. Ignace, Michigan, the son of Ethlynne Julia (Scully) and Russell K. Earl.[2] He graduated from Michigan State University in 1958 and earned a J.D. from the University of Chicago.[3] After four years in the U.S. Navy, including two years as a legal officer, Earl made his way to Wisconsin in 1965.[3] He was the district attorney of Marathon County, Wisconsin from 1965 to 1966, and the city attorney of Wausau, Wisconsin from 1966 to 1969.[3] That year, he was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly, filling the seat vacated by David Obey, who was elected a member of the United States House of Representatives.[3]

In 1974, Earl left the Assembly to run for Wisconsin Attorney General, but was defeated in the primary by Bronson La Follette. Upon his defeat, then-Gov. Patrick Lucey named Earl secretary of the Department of Administration. Later, Earl became Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) where his list of accomplishments include addressing the State's surface water pollution.[4]

Governor of Wisconsin

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In 1982, Earl ran for governor when Lee S. Dreyfus unexpectedly declined to run for re-election, and soon the Wisconsin Democratic Party's hopes of reclaiming the governor's mansion became very real. As head of the state Department of Natural Resources, Earl was well-received as a staunch defender of the environment and a problem-solver. Earl used that reputation to defeat former Acting Governor Martin J. Schreiber (1977–79) in the Democratic primary for governor. Earl went on to defeat the Republican candidate, Terry Jodok Kohler, in a landslide victory.[3]

However, Earl's tenure as governor was a challenge from the start. By the time he took office, Wisconsin was marred by a budget deficit of nearly $1 billion and a 12% unemployment rate.[3] Earl signed legislation making the 5% sales tax permanent and also added a 10% surtax on state income tax which was later reduced. Once the state was fiscally sound, Earl passed initiatives improving the environment, education, and equal opportunity.[3] Earl appointed Doris Hanson, the State's first female to hold the office of secretary of the Department of Administration and Howard Fuller, the first African-American appointed to a cabinet position heading the Department of Employee Relations. Due to disagreements over healthcare reform, prison staffing, wage freezes, and other matters, Earl's relations with state labor Unions soured and made his tenure as governor all the more complicated.

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

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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 partner in one of the largest law firms (more than 400 lawyers) in Wisconsin, Quarles and Brady.[7] The Peshtigo River State Forest in Marinette and Oconto counties has been renamed Governor Earl Peshtigo State Forest according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. September 25, 2019, as reported in the Appleton Post-Crescent on September 26, 2019.

Personal life and death

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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

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Wisconsin Assembly, Marathon 2nd district (1969, 1970)

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1969 Wisconsin Assembly Marathon 2nd District special election[11]
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
1970 Wisconsin Assembly Marathon 2nd District election[12]
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)

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1972 Wisconsin Assembly 85th District election[13]
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)

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1974 Wisconsin Attorney General Election[14]
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)

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Wisconsin Gubernatorial Election, 1982[15]
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%
1986 Wisconsin gubernatorial election[16]
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)

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1988 United States Senate election in Wisconsin[17]
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

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  1. ^ Doug Moe (February 22, 2012). "Doug Moe: Former governor, new wife are 'giddy'". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved February 22, 2012.
  2. ^ Who's Who in the Midwest 2005. June 2004. ISBN 9780837907345.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ JAMES WIGDERSON (July 27, 2006). "Opinions: James Wigderson". Archived from the original on May 27, 2011. Retrieved September 14, 2008.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ "Madison Public Library Board Meeting Minutes" (PDF). Retrieved September 14, 2008.
  8. ^ "Other Engagement News". Chicago Tribune. July 4, 1962. p. 26. Retrieved February 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Sheila Earl files for separation". The Capital Times. July 25, 1995. p. 3. Retrieved February 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Gov. Tony Earl through the years". WiscNews.com. February 22, 2023. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ 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.
  13. ^ 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.
  14. ^ 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.
  15. ^ 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.
  16. ^ 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.
  17. ^ 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.
[edit]
Wisconsin State Assembly
Preceded by Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
from the Marathon 2nd district
1969–1973 		District abolished
District created Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
from the 85th district
1973–1975 		Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Democratic nominee for Governor of Wisconsin
1982, 1986 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Governor of Wisconsin
1983–1987 		Succeeded by
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