Cathy Susan "Cate" Zeuske (born December 4, 1958), is an American

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

politician who served as the 31st State Treasurer of Wisconsin and 9th Secretary of the

Wisconsin Department of Revenue The Wisconsin Department of Revenue (DOR) is an agency of the Wisconsin state government responsible for the administration of all tax laws, as well as valuing property and overseeing the wholesale distribution of alcoholic beverages and enforc ...

. She was also elected to four terms in the

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Representatives are elected for two-year terms, ...

and was Deputy Secretary of the

Wisconsin Department of Administration The Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA) is an agency of the Wisconsin state government which provides a range of services and programs, from operations, technology, and logistical support for the state, to assistance programs for low-inco ...

Early life and career

A native of

Clintonville, Wisconsin Clintonville is a city in Waupaca County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 4,591 at the 2020 census. The area that became Clintonville was first settled in March, 1855. History Clintonville lies within ancestral Menominee territor ...

, Zeuske graduated from Shawano High School and then attended

McGill University McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous ...

. She received her

B.A. Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...

from the

University of Wisconsin–Madison A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United Stat ...

. Prior to her political career, she worked as an insurance agent.

Public office

Zeuske was elected to the

in 1982 at the age of 23, and served until 1991, having decided to forgo re-election and instead run against incumbent State Treasurer Charles Smith (D) in 1990.

State Treasurer (1991-1995)

On November 6, 1990, Zeuske was elected Wisconsin State Treasurer. During her time in office she established the State Treasurer's Advisory Council and State Treasurer's Annual Conference for Local and County Clerks/Treasurers. She was also a member of the State Board of Commissioners of Public Lands, State Board of Canvassers, State Depository Selection Board, Insurance Security Fund, State of Wisconsin Investment Board, Wisconsin Retirement Fund, National Association of State Treasurers, Heritage Tourism Advisory Council, Wisconsin Trust for Historic Preservation, Governor's Commission on Dental Care, and Council on State-Local Relations. She gave up her reelection bid in 1994 to compete in the Republican Senate primary for the opportunity to run against incumbent Democratic Senator

Herb Kohl Herbert H. Kohl (born February 7, 1935) is an American businessman and politician. Alongside his brother and father, the Kohl family created the Kohl's department stores chain, of which Kohl went on to be president and CEO. Kohl also served as a ...

. In the September primary, she lost the nomination to State Senator Robert Welch. On November 8, 1994, Republican

Jack Voight Jack C. Voight (born December 17, 1945) is an American politician and businessman who served as the 32nd State Treasurer of Wisconsin from 1995 to 2007. He is a member of the Republican Party. Early life and career Born and raised in New London, ...

was elected as the new State Treasurer, while Senator Kohl went on to defeat State Senator Welch 58% to 41%. In 2000, Zeuske served as a member of the platform committee for the Republican National Convention. She was a member of the Wisconsin Women for Trump coalition in 2016.

Cabinet Positions

Zeuske was then appointed in 1995 as Deputy for the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority and later as Secretary of the

from 1999 to 2001. From 2001 to 2015, Zeuske was the administrative director of a non-profit organization and international leadership academy for public officials. In 2015, Zeuske was appointed by Governor of Wisconsin Scott Walker to serve as Deputy Secretary of the

. She resigned in May 2018.

Personal life

Zeuske is married to

John Gard John G. Gard (born August 3, 1963) is an American lobbyist and former politician. A Republican, he was the 75th Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly (2003–2007) and was a member of the Assembly for 19 years. Gard also ran unsuccessful ...

, who served as Speaker of the

from 2003 until 2007. They have two children.

Electoral history

Wisconsin Treasurer (1990)

, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, November 6, 1990

United States Senate (1994)

, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", Republican Primary, September 13, 1994

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zeuske, Cathy 1958 births State treasurers of Wisconsin McGill University alumni University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly Living people People from Clintonville, Wisconsin Women state legislators in Wisconsin 20th-century American women politicians 20th-century American politicians Candidates in the 1994 United States elections 21st-century American women