Wisconsin secretary of state nominee calls driver's licenses for illegal immigrants her top priority
- Nominee JoCasta Zamarripa calls driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants her 'number one priority' for a job with zero authority over the DMV.
- The Milwaukee alder aims to use the secretary of state post as a bully pulpit to pressure the next governor—even though the DOT and state Legislature hold all the cards.
- Wisconsin's 2006 law requiring proof of legal presence remains intact; Zamarripa's decade-old legislative pushes to change it all died quietly.
- Her GOP rival, Jay Schroeder, wants to pack the office with election oversight duties, making this race a circus of irrelevant promises.
Brief Summary
JoCasta Zamarripa, the Democratic candidate for Wisconsin secretary of state, has declared her top priority a policy she cannot implement. In an interview, she confirmed she'll use the largely ceremonial office to lobby for a governor signing driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants—a change requiring legislative action and DOT cooperation. She's pining for Democratic guv nominee David Crowley to do the honors, but current law and a 2006 statute make that wishful thinking without a full legislative overhaul. Zamarripa has flogged this dead horse since 2015 as a state rep, calling it an 'economic development' and 'public safety' win, yet none of her bills ever crossed the finish line. Meanwhile, her opponent Jay Schroeder wants to grab election powers, proving both candidates are campaigning for jobs they'd rather fundamentally alter than actually perform. Nineteen states already hand out these licenses, but Wisconsin isn't budging without a fight—or a law change.
Why This Matters
This story matters because it exposes the gap between political grandstanding and actual governance. A candidate for a bureaucratic office is openly admitting she'd ignore its mundane duties to chase a policy that requires the governor and Legislature to cooperate—two branches she won't control. For Wisconsin voters, this is a reminder that the secretary of state race isn't a policy shop; it's a springboard for louder, flashier agendas. Your vote here won't change the DMV queue, but it might telegraph which side you want yelling at the statehouse. If Zamarripa wins, she'll be a lobbyist with a title; if Schroeder wins, he'll be a wrecking ball for election boards. Either way, buy earplugs.