Tommy Thompson

Tommy Thompson
Official portrait, c. 2001
President of the University of Wisconsin System
In office July 1, 2020 – March 18, 2022
Preceded by	Raymond W. Cross
Succeeded by	Jay Rothman
19th United States Secretary of Health and Human Services
In office February 2, 2001 – January 26, 2005
President	George W. Bush
Preceded by	Donna Shalala
Succeeded by	Mike Leavitt
Chair of the National Governors Association
In office August 1, 1995 – July 16, 1996
Preceded by	Howard Dean
Succeeded by	Bob Miller
42nd Governor of Wisconsin
In office January 5, 1987 – February 1, 2001
Lieutenant	Scott McCallum
Preceded by	Tony Earl
Succeeded by	Scott McCallum
Minority Leader of the Wisconsin State Assembly
In office December 17, 1981 – January 5, 1987
Preceded by	John C. Shabaz
Succeeded by	Betty Jo Nelsen
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the 42nd district
In office January 2, 1967 – January 5, 1987
Preceded by	Louis C. Romell
Succeeded by	Ben Brancel
Constituency	Adams–Juneau–Marquette district (1967–1973) 79th district (1973–1983) 87th district (1983–1985)
Personal details
Born	Tommy George Thompson (1941-11-19) November 19, 1941 (age 82) Elroy, Wisconsin, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Sue Mashak ​ (m. 1968)​
Relatives	Ed Thompson (brother)
Education	University of Wisconsin–Madison (BA, JD)
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Army Wisconsin Army National Guard United States Army Reserve
Years of service	1966–1972 (ARNG) 1972–1976 (USAR)
Rank	Captain

Tommy George Thompson (born November 19, 1941) is an American Republican politician from Juneau County, Wisconsin. He served as the 19th United States secretary of Health and Human Services from 2001 to 2005 in the cabinet of President George W. Bush. Before that, he was the 42nd governor of Wisconsin (1987–2001) and Republican floor leader in the Wisconsin State Assembly (1981–1987).

He is the longest-serving governor in Wisconsin history, holding office from January 1987 until February 2001, and is the only person to be elected to the office four times. During his tenure as governor he was also chair of Amtrak, the nation's passenger rail service. He was chairman of the Republican Governors Association in 1991 and 1992, and the National Governors Association in 1995 and 1996. After his time in the Bush Administration, Thompson became a partner in the law-firm Akin Gump and Independent Chairman of Deloitte's Center for Health Solutions. He has served on the boards of 22 other organizations.^[1] Thompson most recently served as interim president of the University of Wisconsin System from 2020 to 2022.^[2][3]

Thompson was a candidate for President of the United States, running in the 2008 Republican Party presidential primaries, but withdrew from the race before voting began.^[4] He was the Republican nominee for United States Senate in Wisconsin in the 2012 election, vying to replace retiring senator Herb Kohl, but was defeated by Democrat Tammy Baldwin in what was his only statewide election loss.^[5]