Senator Spencer Coggs looks at 2010 lieutenant governor run
Taking it Statewide
Taking it Statewide
By Jonathan Gramling
Part 1 of 2
Although he comes from an illustrious family of public servants, State Senator Spencer Coggs didn’t
always see serving in the state legislature as an option for him. “I was a grassroots community activist and I
just thought working for the people was the best thing to do,” Coggs recalled during an interview with The
Capital City Hues. “But I discovered through the civil rights era and the militant era that there were so many
services that government can provide and that we’re paying taxes for that we need to have someone on ‘the
inside’ to let people know what was there in terms of services for them. So someone had to sacrifice
themselves and get inside the system. I kind of became that person.”
As a health officer with the city of Madison, Coggs witnessed first-hand the plethora of services available
to people through their tax dollars that weren’t necessarily being accessed by African Americans and other
people of color. He wanted to help “bend” those services to become more relevant and accessible. So when
a seat opened up in the Wisconsin Assembly in 1982 due to redistricting, Coggs threw his hat in the ring and
was elected to the Assembly and he has served in the Wisconsin State Legislature ever since, first as a
representative and then as a senator when a special election was held in 2003. And now after 26 years in the
legislature, Coggs is giving serious consideration to running for lieutenant governor in the September 2010
Democratic primary.
While he has achieved many successes during his 26 years — he was instrumental in involving minority-
owned and women-owned businesses in the construction of Miller Park and the Marquette Interchange —
Coggs comes across as a regular guy who never lost his labor roots as vice-president of Local 1091, District
Council 48, AFSCME. As we walked outside of the State Capitol, some constituents approached him about
some issues and we stopped the interview so he could listen to their concerns. As we sit at a table sipping
Part 1 of 2
Although he comes from an illustrious family of public servants, State Senator Spencer Coggs didn’t
always see serving in the state legislature as an option for him. “I was a grassroots community activist and I
just thought working for the people was the best thing to do,” Coggs recalled during an interview with The
Capital City Hues. “But I discovered through the civil rights era and the militant era that there were so many
services that government can provide and that we’re paying taxes for that we need to have someone on ‘the
inside’ to let people know what was there in terms of services for them. So someone had to sacrifice
themselves and get inside the system. I kind of became that person.”
As a health officer with the city of Madison, Coggs witnessed first-hand the plethora of services available
to people through their tax dollars that weren’t necessarily being accessed by African Americans and other
people of color. He wanted to help “bend” those services to become more relevant and accessible. So when
a seat opened up in the Wisconsin Assembly in 1982 due to redistricting, Coggs threw his hat in the ring and
was elected to the Assembly and he has served in the Wisconsin State Legislature ever since, first as a
representative and then as a senator when a special election was held in 2003. And now after 26 years in the
legislature, Coggs is giving serious consideration to running for lieutenant governor in the September 2010
Democratic primary.
While he has achieved many successes during his 26 years — he was instrumental in involving minority-
owned and women-owned businesses in the construction of Miller Park and the Marquette Interchange —
Coggs comes across as a regular guy who never lost his labor roots as vice-president of Local 1091, District
Council 48, AFSCME. As we walked outside of the State Capitol, some constituents approached him about
some issues and we stopped the interview so he could listen to their concerns. As we sit at a table sipping
coffee, someone walked by and said ‘Hello Mr. Lieutenant Governor.’ Coggs acknowledged it with a slight smile and engaged once again in a
discussion of the issues.
ndeed, Coggs believes in constituent services and being responsive to the electorate while also staking out positions based on principle.
“Now what I didn’t know — and that’s what you call naiveté — is that whereas I had about four bosses working for the city, I was inheriting 50,000
bosses,” Coggs recalled with a laugh about when he was first elected. “Now as a state senator, I have approximately 160,000 bosses. And since
the entire state of Wisconsin tries to claim me often times, I have the whole 4.5 million bosses.”
As the chair of the State Tribal Relations Subcommittee, Coggs has a say in how the state interacts with the sovereign Indian Nations that exist
within its borders. While Coggs’ American Indian constituency in Milwaukee is relatively small, he has taken on the issue of the use of Indian
references in school nicknames and mascots.
“Currently, a number of high schools in the state of Wisconsin — because we have such a rich Native American background — have names
and references to Native Americans, some not so good such as ‘Red Men’ and ‘Chieftains,’” Coggs said. “Often times, people don’t understand that
culturally — but more importantly spiritually — this is offensive to members of Native tribes and tribal councils in the state of Wisconsin. There is no
process if someone wants to protest a mascot or a logo or a nickname for a school team. So we have a bill that sets up a process that the Dept. of
Public Instruction as a neutral party, make a ruling, after each party has given their side, as to whether the name can be kept. If they rule against a
school, they give the school a year to change it. Currently, there is no process so if a school changes, often times people feel put out. If the school
doesn’t change, the affected Native American tribe feels put out. In this instance, at least people will have a process and feel that they have had a
fair shot at it.”
Next issue: A look at the issues and the lieutenant governor’s race.
discussion of the issues.
ndeed, Coggs believes in constituent services and being responsive to the electorate while also staking out positions based on principle.
“Now what I didn’t know — and that’s what you call naiveté — is that whereas I had about four bosses working for the city, I was inheriting 50,000
bosses,” Coggs recalled with a laugh about when he was first elected. “Now as a state senator, I have approximately 160,000 bosses. And since
the entire state of Wisconsin tries to claim me often times, I have the whole 4.5 million bosses.”
As the chair of the State Tribal Relations Subcommittee, Coggs has a say in how the state interacts with the sovereign Indian Nations that exist
within its borders. While Coggs’ American Indian constituency in Milwaukee is relatively small, he has taken on the issue of the use of Indian
references in school nicknames and mascots.
“Currently, a number of high schools in the state of Wisconsin — because we have such a rich Native American background — have names
and references to Native Americans, some not so good such as ‘Red Men’ and ‘Chieftains,’” Coggs said. “Often times, people don’t understand that
culturally — but more importantly spiritually — this is offensive to members of Native tribes and tribal councils in the state of Wisconsin. There is no
process if someone wants to protest a mascot or a logo or a nickname for a school team. So we have a bill that sets up a process that the Dept. of
Public Instruction as a neutral party, make a ruling, after each party has given their side, as to whether the name can be kept. If they rule against a
school, they give the school a year to change it. Currently, there is no process so if a school changes, often times people feel put out. If the school
doesn’t change, the affected Native American tribe feels put out. In this instance, at least people will have a process and feel that they have had a
fair shot at it.”
Next issue: A look at the issues and the lieutenant governor’s race.
State Sen. Spencer Coggs
