# List of secretaries of state of Wisconsin

Number of secretaries of state of Wisconsin by party affiliation :
| Party | Secretaries |
| Republican | 20 |
| Democratic | 11 |
| Progressive | 1 |
The secretary of state of Wisconsin is an officer of the executive branch of the government of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the second in the order of succession of the governor of Wisconsin, behind the lieutenant governor. The secretary of state is responsible for keeping records of the official acts of the legislative and executive branches of Wisconsin's government and affixing the Great Seal of the State of Wisconsin to the official acts of the governor.
As second in the order of succession to Wisconsin's governorship, the secretary of state becomes governor if the governor dies, resigns or is removed from office while the lieutenant governorship is vacant; prior to a 1979 amendment to the Wisconsin Constitution, however, the secretary simply became acting governor if any of these events were to occur. No secretary of state has ever ascended to the governorship or acting-governorship under such circumstances. Both before and after the 1979 amendment, the secretary becomes acting governor while the governor is absent from the state, impeached or incapacitated in the absence of a lieutenant governor. Some secretaries of state have acted as governor for short periods of time under such circumstances.
Under the original terms of the state constitution, the secretary of state was elected for a two-year term on a separate ticket from the governor or any other official. A 1967 amendment increased the term of the secretary of state, as well as those of other state officials, to four years. There is no limit to the number of terms a secretary of state may hold. In the event of the death, resignation or removal from office of the secretary of state, the governor may appoint someone to fill the vacancy.
Twenty-eight individuals have held the office of secretary of state since Wisconsin's admission to the Union in 1848, two of whom—Fred Zimmerman and Douglas La Follette—served for non-consecutive terms. The first secretary of state was Thomas McHugh, who took office on June 7, 1848. The current secretary is Sarah Godlewski, who took office on March 17, 2023; her current term expires in 2027.

## Secretaries of state
### Secretaries of Wisconsin Territory

From 1836 until 1848, what is now Wisconsin was part of Wisconsin Territory. The Organic Act which created the territory provided for the office of a secretary, to be appointed by the president, whose duties consisted of recording the proceedings of the territory's legislature, and the laws it produced, as well as the proceedings of the territorial governor. Additionally, in the event of the inability of the governor to serve—due to death or various other circumstances—the secretary was to assume the governor's powers and carry out his duties.
Wisconsin Territory was formed on July 3, 1836. During the time of its existence, it had six territorial secretaries.
| # | Name | Appointed | Left office | Territorial Governor | Appointed by |
| 1 | John S. Horner | April 30, 1836 | February 16, 1837 | Henry Dodge | Andrew Jackson |
| 2 | William B. Slaughter | February 16, 1837 | January 25, 1841 | Henry Dodge | Andrew Jackson |
| 3 | Francis J. Dunn | January 25, 1841 | April 23, 1841 | Henry Dodge | Martin Van Buren |
| 4 | Alexander Pope Field | April 23, 1841 | October 30, 1843 | Henry Dodge | John Tyler |
| 4 | Alexander Pope Field | April 23, 1841 | October 30, 1843 | James Doty | John Tyler |
| 5 | George R. C. Floyd | October 30, 1843 | February 24, 1846 | James Doty | John Tyler |
| 5 | George R. C. Floyd | October 30, 1843 | February 24, 1846 | Nathaniel Tallmadge | John Tyler |
| 5 | George R. C. Floyd | October 30, 1843 | February 24, 1846 | Henry Dodge | John Tyler |
| 6 | John Catlin | February 24, 1846 | March 3, 1849 | Henry Dodge | James Polk |

### Secretaries of state of Wisconsin

Wisconsin was admitted to the Union on May 29, 1848. Since then, it has had 29 secretaries of state, two of whom served non-consecutive terms.
Democratic  Whig  Republican  Progressive  Changed party
| # | Image | Name | Party | Took office | Left office | Governor | Terms |
| 1 | | Thomas McHugh | Democratic | June 7, 1848 | January 7, 1850 | Nelson Dewey | 1 |
| 2 | | William A. Barstow | Democratic | January 7, 1850 | January 5, 1852 | Nelson Dewey | 1 |
| 3 | | Charles D. Robinson | Democratic | January 5, 1852 | January 2, 1854 | Leonard Farwell | 1 |
| 4 | | Alexander T. Gray | Democratic | January 2, 1854 | January 7, 1856 | William A. Barstow | 1 |
| 5 | | David W. Jones | Democratic | January 7, 1856 | January 2, 1860 | William A. Barstow | 2 |
| 5 | | David W. Jones | Democratic | January 7, 1856 | January 2, 1860 | Arthur MacArthur Sr. | 2 |
| 5 | | David W. Jones | Democratic | January 7, 1856 | January 2, 1860 | Coles Bashford | 2 |
| 5 | | David W. Jones | Democratic | January 7, 1856 | January 2, 1860 | Alexander Randall | 2 |
| 6 | | Louis P. Harvey | Republican | January 2, 1860 | January 6, 1862 | Alexander Randall | 1 |
| 7 | | James T. Lewis | Republican | January 6, 1862 | January 4, 1864 | Louis P. Harvey | 1 |
| 7 | | James T. Lewis | Republican | January 6, 1862 | January 4, 1864 | Edward Salomon | 1 |
| 8 | | Lucius Fairchild | Republican | January 4, 1864 | January 1, 1866 | James T. Lewis | 1 |
| 9 | | Thomas S. Allen | Republican | January 1, 1866 | January 3, 1870 | Lucius Fairchild | 2 |
| 10 | | Llywelyn Breese | Republican | January 3, 1870 | January 5, 1874 | Lucius Fairchild | 2 |
| 10 | | Llywelyn Breese | Republican | January 3, 1870 | January 5, 1874 | Cadwallader C. Washburn | 2 |
| 11 | | Peter Doyle | Democratic | January 5, 1874 | January 7, 1878 | William Robert Taylor | 2 |
| 11 | | Peter Doyle | Democratic | January 5, 1874 | January 7, 1878 | Harrison Ludington | 2 |
| 12 | | Hans Warner | Republican | January 7, 1878 | January 2, 1882 | William E. Smith | 2 |
| 13 | | Ernst Timme | Republican | January 2, 1882 | January 5, 1891 | Jeremiah M. Rusk | 4 |
| 13 | | Ernst Timme | Republican | January 2, 1882 | January 5, 1891 | William D. Hoard | 4 |
| 14 | | Thomas Cunningham | Democratic | January 5, 1891 | January 7, 1895 | George Wilbur Peck | 2 |
| 15 | | Henry Casson | Republican | January 7, 1895 | January 2, 1899 | William H. Upham | 2 |
| 15 | | Henry Casson | Republican | January 7, 1895 | January 2, 1899 | Edward Scofield | 2 |
| 16 | | William Froehlich | Republican | January 2, 1899 | January 5, 1903 | Edward Scofield | 2 |
| 16 | | William Froehlich | Republican | January 2, 1899 | January 5, 1903 | Robert M. La Follette Sr. | 2 |
| 17 | | Walter Houser | Republican | January 5, 1903 | January 7, 1907 | Robert M. La Follette Sr. | 2 |
| 17 | | Walter Houser | Republican | January 5, 1903 | January 7, 1907 | James O. Davidson | 2 |
| 18 | | James A. Frear | Republican | January 7, 1907 | January 6, 1913 | James O. Davidson | 3 |
| 18 | | James A. Frear | Republican | January 7, 1907 | January 6, 1913 | Francis E. McGovern | 3 |
| 19 | | John Donald | Republican | January 6, 1913 | January 1, 1917 | Francis E. McGovern | 2 |
| 19 | | John Donald | Republican | January 6, 1913 | January 1, 1917 | Emanuel L. Philipp | 2 |
| 20 | | Merlin Hull | Republican | January 1, 1917 | January 3, 1921 | Emanuel L. Philipp | 2 |
| 21 | | Elmer Hall | Republican | January 3, 1921 | January 1, 1923 | John J. Blaine | 1 |
| 22 | | Fred R. Zimmerman | Republican | January 1, 1923 | January 3, 1927 | John J. Blaine | 2 |
| 23 | | Theodore Dammann | Republican | January 3, 1927 | January 7, 1935 | Fred R. Zimmerman | 4 |
| 23 | | Theodore Dammann | Republican | January 3, 1927 | January 7, 1935 | Walter J. Kohler Sr. | 4 |
| 23 | | Theodore Dammann | Republican | January 3, 1927 | January 7, 1935 | Philip La Follette | 4 |
| 23 | | Theodore Dammann | Republican | January 3, 1927 | January 7, 1935 | Albert G. Schmedeman | 4 |
| 23 | | Theodore Dammann | Progressive | January 7, 1935 | January 2, 1939 | Philip La Follette | 2 |
| 24 | | Fred R. Zimmerman | Republican | January 2, 1939 | December 14, 1954 | Julius P. Heil | 71⁄3 |
| 24 | | Fred R. Zimmerman | Republican | January 2, 1939 | December 14, 1954 | Walter Samuel Goodland | 71⁄3 |
| 24 | | Fred R. Zimmerman | Republican | January 2, 1939 | December 14, 1954 | Oscar Rennebohm | 71⁄3 |
| 24 | | Fred R. Zimmerman | Republican | January 2, 1939 | December 14, 1954 | Walter J. Kohler Jr. | 71⁄3 |
| vacant | vacant | vacant | vacant | December 14, 1954 | December 16, 1954 | Walter J. Kohler Jr. | 1⁄3 |
| 25 | | Louis Allis | Republican | December 16, 1954 | January 3, 1955 | Walter J. Kohler Jr. | 1⁄3 |
| 26 | | Glenn M. Wise | Republican | January 3, 1955 | January 7, 1957 | Walter J. Kohler Jr. | 1 |
| 27 | | Robert C. Zimmerman | Republican | January 7, 1957 | January 6, 1975 | Vernon W. Thomson | 8 |
| 27 | | Robert C. Zimmerman | Republican | January 7, 1957 | January 6, 1975 | Gaylord Nelson | 8 |
| 27 | | Robert C. Zimmerman | Republican | January 7, 1957 | January 6, 1975 | John W. Reynolds Jr. | 8 |
| 27 | | Robert C. Zimmerman | Republican | January 7, 1957 | January 6, 1975 | Warren P. Knowles | 8 |
| 27 | | Robert C. Zimmerman | Republican | January 7, 1957 | January 6, 1975 | Patrick Lucey | 8 |
| 28 | | Doug La Follette | Democratic | January 6, 1975 | January 3, 1979 | Patrick Lucey | 1 |
| 28 | | Doug La Follette | Democratic | January 6, 1975 | January 3, 1979 | Martin J. Schreiber | 1 |
| 29 | | Vel Phillips | Democratic | January 3, 1979 | January 3, 1983 | Lee S. Dreyfus | 1 |
| 30 | | Doug La Follette | Democratic | January 3, 1983 | March 17, 2023 | Tony Earl | 11 |
| 30 | | Doug La Follette | Democratic | January 3, 1983 | March 17, 2023 | Tommy Thompson | 11 |
| 30 | | Doug La Follette | Democratic | January 3, 1983 | March 17, 2023 | Scott McCallum | 11 |
| 30 | | Doug La Follette | Democratic | January 3, 1983 | March 17, 2023 | Jim Doyle | 11 |
| 30 | | Doug La Follette | Democratic | January 3, 1983 | March 17, 2023 | Scott Walker | 11 |
| 30 | | Doug La Follette | Democratic | January 3, 1983 | March 17, 2023 | Tony Evers | 11 |
| 31 | | Sarah Godlewski | Democratic | March 17, 2023 | Incumbent | Tony Evers | 1 |