Jim Doyle

James Edward (Jim) Doyle (born November 23, 1945) is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party. He took office in January 2003 as the 44th Governor of Wisconsin. He defeated incumbent Governor Scott McCallum by a margin of 45% to 41%, a plurality reduced by the relative success of a third party candidate, Ed Thompson, the Libertarian candidate and former Governor Tommy Thompson's younger brother.

Personal background

Governor Doyle was born in Washington D.C.[1], the son of Ruth and James E. Doyle Sr. who were founding members of the modern Democratic Party in Wisconsin. James E. Doyle Sr. unsuccessfully ran for governor in 1954 and was appointed as a federal judge in 1965. Ruth Bachhuber Doyle was the first woman from Dane County to be elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1948.

Doyle attended Stanford University for three years, then returned home to Madison to finish his senior year at UW-Madison. After graduating from college and inspired by John F. Kennedy’s call to public service, Doyle worked as a teacher in Tunisia as part of the Peace Corps from 1967 to 1969.

In 1972, Doyle earned his Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from Harvard University. Doyle then moved to the Navajo Indian Reservation in Chinle, Arizona, where he worked as an attorney in a federal legal services office.

Doyle is married to Jessica Laird Doyle, niece of former Congressman Melvin R. Laird, and great-granddaughter of William D. Connor, who was Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin from 1907 - 1909. They have two adult adopted African-American sons, Gus and Gabriel.

Attorney General

In 1975, Doyle returned to Madison and served three terms as Dane County District Attorney, from 1977 to 1982. After leaving that office, he spent eight years in private practice.

Doyle was elected Wisconsin Attorney General in 1990, and reelected in 1994 and 1998. Between 1997-1998, he served as the president of the National Association of Attorneys General. During his twelve years as Attorney General, Doyle was considered tough on crime, but not unsympathetic to its causes. He also gained recognition through several successful lawsuits against tobacco companies in the state.

Campaign for Governor

The 2002 Election

After Tommy Thompson resigned as Wisconsin Governor to become Secretary of Health and Human Services in 2001, Lieutenant Governor Scott McCallum became Governor, serving out the remaining two years of Thompson's term.

Governor McCallum inherited a state with a $3.2 billion budget deficit. In 2003, McCallum signed a budget-repair bill that traded most of a long-term return from the state’s $1.6 billion tobacco settlement for a one-time lump sum that fixed the deficit for a year but didn’t provide the necessary long-term solutions. He then spent all of the money in an attempt to balance the budget in under one year.

While McCallum didn't cause the state's deficit, he was accused of not creating long-term solutions for the state and poor decision making. Doyle seized McCallum's faults and brought them to the surface in his 2002 campaign, accusing him of fiscal mismanagement.

The 2002 governor's race is considered by some to have been the most negative campaign in the state's history, with frequent mudslinging from both candidates and independent groups. In response, Libertarian Ed Thompson (brother of Tommy), publicly critical of the negative campaigning of both major party candidates, became a more viable option for some voters. Thompson garnered a surprising 10% of the vote.

As the dust settled on election day, Doyle defeated McCallum by over four points, becoming the first Democratic governor in the state since Anthony Earl was defeated in 1986. Doyle was sworn in on January 6, 2003 in Madison.

The 2006 Election

Main article: Wisconsin gubernatorial election, 2006

Doyle defeated Republican Congressman Mark Green in 2006, after a primary in which neither candidate faced opposition. Doyle topped Green 53% to 45% in a year in which no incumbent Democratic governor, senator, or congressman lost their reelection bid.

Governor

As Governor, Doyle came into office with a $3.2 billion deficit and although in the 2006 campaign he claimed to solve the state's deficit problems Wisconsin ended the year 2006 with a deficit of $2.15 billion. Proposals for new programs have been constrained by continued budget cutting and his honoring a campaign pledge not to raise taxes. He signed a property tax freeze that has resulted in an anticipated decrease in average statewide property taxes in 2006.[2] His stated priorities are; investing in public schools, property taxes, regional economic development, transportation reform and funding of stem cell research. In an ad on television Michael J Fox gave support for Doyle due to his support of stem cell research, which may help his own condition as well. In February 2007, Doyle proposed to tax oil companies more than $270 million over the next two years to help pay for the state's transportation needs. ^[1]

Electoral history

• 2006 Race for Governor
  • Jim Doyle (D), 53%
  • Mark Green (R), 45%
  • Nelson Eisman (Green) 2%
• 2002 Race for Governor
  • Jim Doyle (D), 45%
  • Scott McCallum (R) (inc.), 41%
  • Ed Thompson (Lib.), 10%
• 2002 Race for Governor - Democratic Primary
  • Jim Doyle (D), 38%
  • Tom Barrett (D), 34%
  • Kathleen Falk (D), 27%
• 1998 Race for state Attorney General
  • Jim Doyle (D) (inc.), 65%
  • Linda Van De Water (R), 33%
• 1994 Race for state Attorney General
  • Jim Doyle (D) (inc.), 53%
  • Jeff Wagner (R), 46%
• 1990 Race for state Attorney General
  • Jim Doyle (D), 51%
  • Don Hanaway (R) (inc.), 47%

References

1. ^ "Wisconsin Gov. Doyle Pitches $270 Million 'Big Oil' Tax". Reuters, February 12, 2007.

• "Notable Former Volunteers / Government". Peace Corps official site. Accessed 5 January 2007.

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