- Source: Joseph E. Tregoning
Joseph E. Tregoning (May 26, 1941 – October 10, 2019) was an American dairy farmer, businessman, and Republican politician from Shullsburg, Wisconsin. He served 23 years in the Wisconsin State Assembly, from 1967 to 1990. He subsequently served as deputy secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection under governor Tommy Thompson, and was acting secretary in late 1997.
Biography
Joseph Tregoning was born on May 26, 1941, in Dubuque, Iowa. He was raised and educated in Shullsburg, Wisconsin, where his father owned a farm. He graduated from Shullsburg High School.
Political career
Joe became active locally in the Republican Party of Wisconsin, and from 1964 to 1967 he served as chairman of the Lafayette County Republican Party.
In 1966, Tregoning made his first bid for Wisconsin State Assembly, launching a primary challenge against incumbent state representative G. Fred Galli in the Green–Lafayette district. Galli was just completing his first term in the Assembly, and was facing a challenge from both Tregoning, who was then-chair of the Lafayette County Republican Party, and from Madeline Stauffacher, who was then-chair of the Green County Republican Party. In the three-way primary, Galli prevailed, receiving 52% to Tregoning's 26% of the vote.
However, just after the start of 1967 legislative term, Galli died of a sudden heart attack. Tregoning decided to run again in the special election to succeed him and serve out the remainder of his term in the 78th Wisconsin Legislature. Tregoning again faced two opponents in the Republican primary, and prevailed narrowly over Monroe businessman Robert E. Tschudy. He easily prevailed in the April special election, defeating Democratic dairy farmer Thomas W. McCarthy. He easily won election to a full term in 1968, and was re-election in 1970 in the then-heavily Republican district.
The 1971 legislative term saw the passage of a major redistricting law. Districts were given a formal numbering, and Tregoning's district was made the 51st Assembly district. The boundaries of the district only slightly changed, removing some areas of northeastern Lafayette and northwestern Green counties and adding some territory of western Rock County. The district remained significantly Republican, and Tregoning easily won re-election in 1972 and 1974.
Just after the 1974 election, Tregoning suffered a severe injury while working on his farm. A piece of his clothing became stuck in a powered post hole digger. His left arm was severed, his right arm, left shoulder, left leg, and several ribs were broken, and he received a concussion. After a long hospitalization and moths of recovery, he returned to the State Capitol for the first time in April 1975.
After his accident, Tregoning won three more terms in that Assembly district. In 1982, the Wisconsin legislature underwent another drastic redistricting by court-order. This time, Tregoning's district was significantly effected. The court plan placed his native Lafayette County in the 38th Assembly district; Green and Rock counties were removed entirely, replaced by Iowa County and parts of southern Sauk County. The 1982 election was the closest of Tregoning's career, as he received only 52% of the vote. It was his only election in the 38th Assembly district, as a 1983 act of the legislature superseded the court-ordered district plan. The 1983 act restored his previous district number—51—but made only slight changes to the district boundaries from the 1982 plan, removing the areas of Sauk County and adding areas of southeast Grant County.
Tregoning went on to win the 1984 election under the new 51st Assembly district. In 1986, he faced his first primary challenge since winning office in 1967. His challenger was 26 year old Hazel Green farmer Stephen Freese, who charged that Tregoning, after 19 years in office, had lost touch with his district. Freese ran hard, knocking on 10,000 doors in the district, but fell 326 votes short in the primary. Tregoning went on to win the 1986 general election and one more term in 1988. Freese would ultimately succeed Tregoning.
Department of Agriculture
In 1990, Wisconsin agriculture secretary Howard C. Richards announced his plan to retire and Tregoning decided to seek the office. At that time, the secretary was selected by a board of commissioners, not directly appointed by the governor. Tregoning was one of three finalists, along with former Republican legislator James Harsdorf and Alan Tracy, a close aide of the outgoing secretary. The board ultimately selected Alan Tracy as the next secretary, but immediately after his appointment, Tracy hired Tregoning as his executive assistant.
Tracy and Tregoning served together for over 7 years, and during that time the governor was given authority to directly appoint the secretary. When that change occurred, in 1995, then-governor Tommy Thompson considered replacing Tracy with a political appointee, but deferred. In 1996 and 1997, Tracy and his then-deputy, Elizabeth Kohl, were accused of mismanagement and harassment. The accusations culminated in both of their resignations in June of that year. Tregoning took over as acting secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, and served in that capacity until Governor Thompson appointed a successor in November. The new secretary, Ben Brancel, chose to keep Tregoning on as deputy secretary.
Tregoning lost his title in 2001, when Tommy Thompson was replaced as governor by Scott McCallum. McCallum appointed his own secretary and deputy secretary, but allowed Tregoning to remain on as an employee of the department. Nevertheless, Tregoning's ouster was met with bipartisan disappointment in the state capitol. Tregoning accepted the demotion to assistant to new secretary James Harsdorf and was later assigned administrator of the division of agricultural development. He remained in that role until his retirement in 2003.
Personal life and family
Joe Tregoning married Jeanne M. Brunette in 1971. They met when Jeanne was assigned as to his legislative office as a secretary during his first legislative term. Jeanne was a Democrat and the granddaughter of state legislator E. F. Brunette. After working in Joe's office during the 1967 session, Jeanne was hired as a staffer on the Kellett Commission on reorganization of state government.
Jeanne and Joe Tregoning had one son together before Jeanne was paralyzed in an automobile accident in 1972. Joe spent the next 44 years as her primary caregiver, even after his own serious accident in 1974.
Outside of politics, Tregoning was active in the Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship International and Freemasonry. After leaving the Department of Agriculture, Tregoning largely stayed out of public affairs, but did weigh in occasionally to support candidates, including his friend former governor Tommy Thompson in his 2012 U.S. Senate campaign.
Jeanne M. Tregoning died at age 75 in Madison, Wisconsin on August 9, 2016; Joe died on October 10, 2019. He was survived by his son and three grandchildren.