Douglas J. La Follette (born June 6, 1940) is an American academic, environmental scientist, and politician serving as the 30th Secretary of State of Wisconsin since 1983. A member of the Democratic Party, La Follette is the longest-serving statewide elected official (excluding U.S. senators) in the United States; he was narrowly re-elected in 2022 to an unprecedented 12th term in office. He previously served as the 28th Secretary of State from 1975 to 1979, and in the Wisconsin Senate from 1973 to 1975. Early life and career La Follette was born in Des Moines, Iowa. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Marietta College, his Master of Science in chemistry from Stanford University, and his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Columbia University. He began a teaching career as an assistant professor at University of Wisconsin–Parkside in Kenosha. La Follette also served as a research associate at University of Wisconsin–Madison. He also owned a small business. Known as an environmentalist before running for public office, he was a Wisconsin organizer of the first Earth Day for Gaylord Nelson in 1970 and co-founded Wisconsin's Environmental Decade (now known as Clean Wisconsin) with Peter Anderson. His great-grandfather has been described as an uncle of Robert "Fighting Bob" La Follette by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Chemical & Engineering News, while Dissent Magazine referred to the great-grandfather as Bob La Follette's brother. WKOW News and WEAU News state that “Fighting Bob” La Follette was Doug's great-uncle. "Fighting Bob"'s grandson, former Wisconsin Attorney General Bronson La Follette, has described Doug La Follette as a "second cousin, three times removed" from "Fighting Bob" La Follette. Alternatively, Milwaukee Magazine has noted Doug as a "first cousin three times removed of Robert "Fighting Bob" La Follette". According to professor and author Nancy Unger, Doug is a third cousin of Bronson. Doug went on to serve with Bronson from 1975 to 1979 and from 1983 to 1987. Political career La Follette first ran for office in the 1970 U.S. House of Representatives election, losing to Les Aspin in the Democratic primary for Wisconsin's 1st congressional district. La Follette served in the Wisconsin State Senate for Kenosha in 1973 and 1974. La Follette was elected Secretary of State of Wisconsin in 1974. He unsuccessfully ran for Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin on a ticket with Governor Martin Schreiber in 1978. In 1982, he was again elected Secretary of State, defeating