Printable Version Tell a friend

Lt. Governor, Wisconsin

Contact Information

Bio

About Barbara Lawton

Barbara Lawton is running for re-election as Wisconsin's Lieutenant Governor to continue to provide principled leadership to drive smart, innovative public policy that will ensure success is within everyone's reach. 

"My work as your lieutenant governor has focused on growing Wisconsin's economy," Lawton says.  "It doesn't matter if I am in Milwaukee, Superior or Green Bay, I hear the same thing: the number one concern is access to affordable, quality health care, followed by jobs and education and training. If re-elected, I will continue my work opening the way to a promising future for every one in every part of Wisconsin."

About Barbara

Born on July 5, 1951, Barbara Lawton and her four siblings grew up in Hales Corners and spent their later years on a farm just outside of Waterford.

When she moved to Green Bay to continue her studies, she met and married Cal Lawton.  Barbara completed her undergraduate studies at Lawrence University and a M.A. at UW-Madison while raising Amanda and Joseph.   

After college Barbara worked with companies wanting to do business in the southern cone of South America, and provided cross-cultural training to businesses. The Lawton family also lived for a time in Oaxaca, Mexico and Santiago, Chile.   

Barbara played an active role in the Green Bay community.  She is a founding member of the Educational Resource Foundation and a founding member of the Greater Green Bay Area Community Foundation, she has been a leader in building support for public schools and building community infrastructure to improve opportunities and quality of life in the area.  

Barbara is a founding member of Latinos Unidos, and later the Green Bay Area Multicultural Center, and served on the Entrepreneurs of Color Advisory Board, winning their first Founders' Award.  And she served on the Northeast Wisconsin Technical College Foundation Board.

In June, 2002, Barbara finally said "Yes!" to legislators' "Draft Lawton for Lt. Governor" campaign and announced her candidacy.  In January, 2003, she was sworn in as Wisconsin's first woman elected lieutenant governor, her first elected office. 

Your Lieutenant Governor: Doing the Right Thing for Wisconsin

From her office, Lt. Governor Lawton provides strong leadership for a comprehensive approach to economic development. 

"When Governor Jim Doyle and I took office, Wisconsin was in rough shape - we faced the largest deficit in the state's history, a lagging economy, and government out of touch with the challenges people face everyday.  We changed that," Lt. Governor Lawton said.  "With the budget back in order, we are now investing for future growth."  

"I work by inviting citizen-experts to help us devise more effective and innovative ways government can work to support their success," Lawton says.  "By tapping into those deep wells of talent, I have been able to advance strategies for smarter health care policy, to work with communities and regional groups to "reboot" for a 21st century economy, and to address our workforce crisis by better harvesting the talent of women." 

Lt. Governor Lawton has received national and international recognition for her economic development initiative, Wisconsin Women = Prosperity (WW=P).  

Leading Wisconsin Forward

Lt. Governor Lawton believes that to continue growing our economy, state government must be smarter, more efficient and, always, more responsible with your tax dollars. 
 
Working together, we will keep Wisconsin on the cutting edge.  Click here to read about the Doyle-Lawton plans for Wisconsin.