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Former UW-Madison Chancellor Donna Shalala Wins U.S. House Seat In Florida

Shalala's Victory Made Her First Democrat To Flip A GOP Seat

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Former Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson and former UW-Madison Chancellor Donna Shalala
Former Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson and former UW-Madison Chancellor Donna Shalala, a Democrat, speak at an appearance in Wausau sponsored by the Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy and Service. Photo by Paul Muggli

Donna Shalala, the former chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has won a U.S. House seat in Florida, making her the first Democrat to flip a GOP seat on Tuesday night.

After serving in President Bill Clinton’s Cabinet as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services and running major universities, Shalala is starting a third career with her election to the House.

She was chancellor of the UW-Madison from 1987 to 1993.

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The 77-year-old Democrat won Tuesday in the 27th Congressional District, a Miami district that had long been in Republican hands. Shalala has sought to turn her age into a positive by stressing her experience with this slogan: “Ready on Day One.”

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