Cathy Zeuske
Cathy Susan "Cate" Zeuske (born December 4, 1958),[1] is an American Republican politician who served as the 31st State Treasurer of Wisconsin and 9th Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Revenue. She was also elected to four terms in the Wisconsin State Assembly and was Deputy Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Administration.[2]
Cate Zeuske | |
|---|---|
| 9th Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Revenue | |
| In office November 27, 1996 – March 2001 | |
| Governor | Tommy Thompson |
| Preceded by | Mark D. Bugher |
| Succeeded by | Richard G. Chandler |
| 31st State Treasurer of Wisconsin | |
| In office January 7, 1991 – January 3, 1995 | |
| Governor | Tommy Thompson |
| Preceded by | Charles P. Smith |
| Succeeded by | Jack Voight |
| Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the 4th district | |
| In office January 7, 1985 – January 7, 1991 | |
| Preceded by | Barbara Ulichny |
| Succeeded by | John H. Ainsworth |
| Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the 54th district | |
| In office January 3, 1983 – January 7, 1985 | |
| Preceded by | Esther Doughty Luckhardt |
| Succeeded by | Carol A. Buettner |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Cathy Susan Zeuske December 4, 1958 Clintonville, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | John Gard |
| Children | 2 daughters |
Early life and career
A native of Clintonville, Wisconsin, Zeuske graduated from Shawano High School and then attended McGill University. She received her B.A. from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.[1] Prior to her political career, she worked as an insurance agent.[3]
Public office
Zeuske was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1982 at the age of 23, and served until 1991, having decided to forgo re-election and instead run against incumbent State Treasurer Charles Smith (D) in 1990.
State Treasurer (1991-1995)
On November 6, 1990, Zeuske was elected Wisconsin State Treasurer.[2] During her time in office she established the State Treasurer's Advisory Council and State Treasurer's Annual Conference for Local and County Clerks/Treasurers. She was also a member of the State Board of Commissioners of Public Lands, State Board of Canvassers, State Depository Selection Board, Insurance Security Fund, State of Wisconsin Investment Board, Wisconsin Retirement Fund, National Association of State Treasurers, Heritage Tourism Advisory Council, Wisconsin Trust for Historic Preservation, Governor's Commission on Dental Care, and Council on State-Local Relations.
She gave up her reelection bid in 1994 to compete in the Republican Senate primary for the opportunity to run against incumbent Democratic Senator Herb Kohl. In the September primary, she lost the nomination to State Senator Robert Welch. On November 8, 1994, Republican Jack Voight was elected as the new State Treasurer, while Senator Kohl went on to defeat State Senator Welch 58% to 41%. In 2000, Zeuske served as a member of the platform committee for the Republican National Convention. She was a member of the Wisconsin Women for Trump coalition in 2016.[4]
Cabinet Positions
Zeuske was then appointed in 1995 as Deputy for the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority and later as Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Revenue from 1999 to 2001. From 2001 to 2015, Zeuske was the administrative director of a non-profit organization and international leadership academy for public officials.[5]
In 2015, Zeuske was appointed by Governor of Wisconsin Scott Walker to serve as Deputy Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Administration.[6] She resigned in May 2018.[7]
Personal life
Zeuske is married to John Gard,[8] who served as Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly from 2003 until 2007.[9] They have two children.[1]
Electoral history
Wisconsin Treasurer (1990)
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, November 6, 1990 | |||||
| Republican | Cathy S. Zeuske | 623,548 | 48.70% | +5.01% | |
| Democratic | Charles P. Smith (incumbent) | 609,505 | 47.61% | -5.07% | |
| Labor–Farm | Lucille Berrien | 28,141 | 2.20% | -1.43% | |
| Independent | David A. Ameringer | 19,077 | 1.49% | ||
| Plurality | 14,043 | 1.10% | -7.88% | ||
| Total votes | 1,280,271 | 100.0% | -6.99% | ||
| Republican gain from Democratic | Swing | 10.08% | |||
United States Senate (1994)
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican Primary, September 13, 1994 | |||||
| Republican | Robert T. Welch | 157,109 | 47.39% | ||
| Republican | Matthew Gunderson | 74,460 | 22.46% | ||
| Republican | Cathy S. Zeuske | 56,248 | 16.97% | ||
| Republican | Thomas M. Fitzpatrick | 43,695 | 13.18% | ||
| Total votes | 331,512 | 100.0% | |||
References
- "Zeuske, Cathy S. (born 1958)". Dictionary of Wisconsin History. Wisconsin Historical Society. Retrieved 2007-01-06.
- Eagleton Institute of Politics. "Women in Elective Office - Historical Summary". Center for American Women and Politics. Rutgers University. Archived from the original on 2007-02-04. Retrieved 2007-01-06.
- "Wisconsin Women Legislators − A Historical List" (PDF). Legislative Reference Bureau. Wisconsin State Legislature. January 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-08-18. Retrieved 2007-01-06.
- Bauer, Scott (2016-08-24). "Trump unveils Wisconsin women coalition lacking big names". AP NEWS. Retrieved 2018-12-11.
- "Zeuske, Cathy S. 1958". Wisconsin Historical Society. 2016-12-21. Retrieved 2018-12-11.
- Journal, Matthew DeFour | Wisconsin State. "Scott Walker announces administrative shake-up". madison.com. Retrieved 2018-12-11.
- "Zeuske Resigns from Department of Administration - Hamilton Consulting". The Hamilton Consulting Group. 2018-05-03. Retrieved 2018-12-11.
- "WISCONSIN STATE CAPITOL". Beacon Design Handcrafted Keepsakes Since 1976. Archived from the original on 2018-12-15. Retrieved 2018-12-11.
- "Wisconsin 08". cnn.com. CNN. Retrieved 2007-01-06.
- Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau (1991). "Elections in Wisconsin". In Barish, Lawrence S.; Theobald, H. Rupert (eds.). State of Wisconsin 1991-1992 Blue Book (Report). Madison, Wisconsin: State of Wisconsin. p. 908. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
- Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau (1995). "Elections in Wisconsin". In Barish, Lawrence S. (ed.). State of Wisconsin 1995-1996 Blue Book (Report). Madison, Wisconsin: State of Wisconsin. p. 896. Retrieved May 18, 2020.