Spencer Coggs

G. Spencer Coggs
Coggs in 2010
Member of the Wisconsin Senate
from the 6th district
In office
November 25, 2003 – January 6, 2013
Preceded byGary George
Succeeded byNikiya Harris
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
In office
January 3, 1983 – November 25, 2003
Preceded byBetty Jo Nelsen
Succeeded byBarbara L. Toles
Constituency10th District (1983-1985)
16th District (1985-1993)
17th District (1993-2003)
Personal details
Born (1949-08-06) August 6, 1949 (age 75)
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Political partyDemocratic
Spousemarried
Children2
Relatives
Residence(s)Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Alma mater
Professionhealth officer, politician

George Spencer Coggs (born August 6, 1949) is an American public administrator and Democratic politician from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He is the current Milwaukee city treasurer, since April 2012, and previously served 10 years in the Wisconsin Senate and 20 years in the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing Milwaukee's west side. His uncle, Isaac N. Coggs, and cousin, Elizabeth M. Coggs, also served in the Assembly.

Early life, education and career

Coggs was a City of Milwaukee health officer (and Chief Steward of his AFSCME union local[1]), postal worker and industrial printer.

Wisconsin legislature

Coggs (right) with AFSCME organizers during campaign work for the 2008 elections
Coggs speaking in the state senate in 2009
Coggs chairing a committee hearing in 2009

Coggs was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly for what was then the 10th district in 1982 and reelected until 2002. During his time in the assembly he was the Majority Caucus Vice Chairperson in 1985, 1987 and 1989.

He was elected in 2003 to the state senate in a special election and reelected in 2004 and 2008. He sat on the Committee on Housing and Financial Institutions, and Joint Committee for Review of Criminal Penalties.[2]

Coggs was vice president of the National Labor Caucus of State Legislators.

2011 Wisconsin protests

See also: 2011 Wisconsin protests
Coggs speaking during the protest outside of the Wisconsin State Capitol on March 12, 2011 during the 2011 Wisconsin protests

During the protests in Wisconsin, Coggs, along with the 13 other Democratic State Senators, fled the state to deny the State Senate a quorum on Governor Scott Walker's controversial "Budget Repair" legislation.

Running for other offices

Coggs announced December 22, 2009, that he was running for the position of Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin in 2010. (Current Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton was not seeking a third term.[3]) On September 14, he lost the Democratic nomination in a four-way race, with fellow legislator Tom Nelson winning an absolute majority (52%) over Coggs' 21% and two other candidates with smaller percentages.[4][5]

In February 2012, Coggs was one of two State Senators (the other being fellow Democrat Tim Carpenter) to win a place on the ballot for Milwaukee City Treasurer in the Spring 2012 election, defeating former State Treasurer Dawn Marie Sass (like Coggs, a former AFSCME activist) and Socialist Rick Kissell in the non-partisan primary.[6] Coggs polled 13,559 votes; Carpenter 12,880; Sass 5,089 and Kissell 2,241.[7] In the general election, Coggs won with 35,096 votes to Carpenter's 34,293.[8]

After he was sworn in as Treasurer in mid-April, Coggs announced that he would not be resigning his position as Senator until a new Senator could be elected. "With us in the state Senate tied 16–16, it just makes sense for me to keep my position. If I were to leave, I'm not saying my Republican friends would cause mischief, but I don't want to give them any temptation," he stated. He said that he would donate his second salary to an as-yet-unnamed charity.[9] Two incumbent Assembly Democrats, his cousin Elizabeth Coggs and Sandy Pasch, had already announced that they would be running for the vacant seat (although Pasch later changed her mind).[10] In the end, he was succeeded in the Senate by another Democrat, Nikiya Harris.

References

  1. ^ Coggs profile at freedomspeaks.com
  2. ^ "Wisconsin State Senate". Sen. Spencer Coggs. Archived from the original on June 2, 2008. Retrieved December 23, 2009.
  3. ^ "Milwaukee senator enters lieutenant governor's race", Associated Press, La Crosse Tribune December 22, 2009.
  4. ^ "Fall 2010 primary election results", Milwaukee Journal Sentinel September 14, 2010.
  5. ^ Noth, Dominique Paul. "Plale’s loss to Larson and Walker’s tactics may expose the price of being an attack dog." Archived 2011-07-23 at the Wayback Machine, Milwaukee Labor Press September 15, 2010.
  6. ^ Sandler, Larry. "Coggs, Carpenter to square off for treasurer", Milwaukee Journal Sentinel February 21, 2012.
  7. ^ Official election results
  8. ^ Sandler, Larry. "Coggs edges Carpenter in city treasurer's race", Milwaukee Journal Sentinel April 4, 2012.
  9. ^ WTMJ News. "Spencer Coggs to finish out Senate term while he's Milwaukee City Treasurer" Archived 2013-01-17 at the Wayback Machine, WTMJ-TV April 18, 2012.
  10. ^ Marley, Patrick. "Elizabeth Coggs to seek Senate seat her cousin is vacating" All Politics Blog, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Online; April 17, 2012.