Fighting Bob La Follette's Progressive Legacy Endures in Madison
April 1, 2026·about 2 hours ago·via jsonline.com
Robert M. La Follette, the Republican governor and senator from Wisconsin known as "Fighting Bob," built a legacy of progressive reforms that still echoes in Madison today. Elected governor in 1900 after battling corrupt party bosses, he smashed railroad monopolies, doubled their taxes, enacted direct primary elections to empower voters over insiders, and pioneered civil service merit hiring to curb patronage. Read more about this...