MADISON, Wis. — Newly appointed Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski has spoken out for the first time since taking over the role from Doug La Follette, who abruptly resigned from the job last week after decades of service.
The appointment has drawn opposition from Republicans who have called on Gov. Evers to hold a special election instead.
Godlewski, the former state treasurer, sat down with Spectrum News 1 Political Reporter Anthony DaBruzzi to address those concerns and share what the transition has been like so far.
Godlewski: It caught me by a complete surprise. I got called into the governor's office on Wednesday. And we started talking about the Secretary of State's office. And then, at the end of the conversation, [Evers] said, ‘Sarah, I would like to appoint you into this office.’ And I was really honored that the governor thought of me, and given an opportunity to serve as a fifth generational Wisconsinite is an honor of a lifetime.
Godlewski: It was ‘holy crap.’ I mean, it really threw me for a loop. I remember going home and telling my husband, and he's like, ‘How was the meeting with the governor? Are you going to be serving on the task force, or are you going to be helping out in some way?’ And I said, ‘No, you're looking at your soon to be Secretary of State.’ And he was like, ‘Oh my God.’ So, I think it's something that you never expect, but given an opportunity to serve Wisconsin as a constitutional officer prior, I'm really looking forward to providing a new vision and making sure this office can do everything it can for our state.
Godlewski: Look, I'm somebody who has served Wisconsin. I served as treasurer. And when I was treasurer, we did things that were unimaginable to people in that office. For example, during COVID when the Legislature didn't work for months, we actually stepped up and provided a special distribution to public schools so they [could] buy hotspots to new learning books to address the virtual learning crisis. Or under my leadership, the Common School Fund had its highest distributions year after year. And so, to me, it's about making sure we can truly deliver results for Wisconsin. And that's one of the reasons when I talk to the governor, he wants me to step up and do the exact same thing that I did for the treasurer's office for the people of Wisconsin as Secretary of State.
Godlewski: For someone who has been a legend in Wisconsin, and an incredible public servant, yes, I mean, he has been our Secretary of State for decades, and the LaFollette family has been serving Wisconsin for as long as I can remember, but one can understand that Doug is at a point in his life where he deserves to retire and enjoy life.
Godlewski: One of the things that we know is that you elect people to uphold the laws and uphold the constitution. And the constitution says that the governor has the ability to appoint when somebody vacates their constitutional office. That's what the people of Wisconsin elected Gov. Evers to do. They trusted him with that constitutional authority. So that's exactly what he did. And this isn't anything new. I mean, Scott Walker, when he was governor, appointed a Supreme Court justice, Gov. Evers appointed his successor for the Department of Public Instruction. It's following the law.
Godlewski: One of the things that I have found true is that it's not about the position, it's always about the person. And when you are elected or when you serve in a constitutional office, you can make it what you want it to be. The Legislature doesn't go to work. And like, what is that? Versus when I was a treasurer, we provided a record-breaking distribution year after year, or we provided money for public schools. And so, if there is something that I think is really clear, it's that you can make this office really effective and really deliver results for the people of Wisconsin, and I plan on doing that, just like I did as state treasurer.