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Thompson wins historic fourth term
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Tommy Thompson
On November 3, 1998 Republican Governor Tommy Thompson won a historic fourth term as Wisconsin governor by defeating Democrat Ed Garvey by a margin of 60% to 39%.
Born in Elroy, Wisconsin on November 19, 1941, Thompson began his political career in 1966 when he was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly. In 1973 he became the assistant Assembly minority leader and in 1981, the minority leader.
He was elected the 42nd governor of Wisconsin in 1987 and served through 2001, for an unprecedented four terms. While governor, he created BadgerCare, a program that provided health coverage to families whose employers didn't provide health insurance but who made too much money for Medicaid.
He left the office when he was appointed Health and Human Services Directory by President George W. Bush.
He ran a brief presidential campaign for the 2008 election, announcing his candidacy in April 2007 and dropping out by October 2007 when he endorsed Rudy Giuliani. After Giuliani withdrew, Thompson threw his endorsement to Senator John McCain.
In April of 2009, Tommy Thompson announced that he is considering another run for Wisconsin governor. A recent poll by St. Norbert College found that of likely candidates,Thompson garnered the highest rating with 57%.
