Margaret Farrow, the first woman to serve as Wisconsin’s lieutenant governor, died this morning, her family said. She was 87.
Paul Farrow, who followed his mom’s footsteps into the state Legislature and now serves as Waukesha County exec, praised her as a “trailblazer.”
“Not only because of her significant positions as a woman in what was very much a man’s world at the time, but because of the way she stood up for all of the people of our community and our state to represent their best interests for decades,” Paul Farrow said. “Mom leaves behind a legacy of promoting the values that make us all better citizens and better people. Her values, her conviction, and her strength have inspired me in my life and my career as I strive to serve our community to a degree that honors her.”
Farrow began her political career as a local official before she was elected to the state Assembly in 1986. She won a seat in the state Senate three years later.
When Scott McCallum took over as Wisconsin’s chief executive in 2001 following Tommy Thompson’s departure for the Bush Administration, the lieutenant governor tapped Farrow to succeed him in that role.
McCallum lost his 2002 bid to retain the office, and Farrow would later go on to serve on the UW Board of Regents and as chair of the WisconsinEye Board.
See the release here.
