Wisconsin Secretary of State nominee declares driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants her top priority

JoCasta Zamarripa, the Democratic nominee for Wisconsin secretary of state, says her top priority if elected is convincing a governor to sign legislation granting driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants, and she hopes the Democratic gubernatorial nominee David Crowley will be that governor, according to a WMTV report.

Zamarripa said in an interview with Vanessa Kjeldson of WMTV-15 that the bill, which she sponsored when she was in the state Assembly, received support from Crowley at the time.

“My number one priority is to see the governor sign driver’s licenses for undocumented Wisconsinites into law,” Zamarripa said. 

She said she is confident Crowley will sign the legislation if he is elected governor. The secretary of state does not issue licenses, which come from the state Transportation Department, but Zamarripa has said she plans to use the office as a platform for advancing policy.

Zamarripa attended St. Joan Antida all-girls Catholic high school in Milwaukee run by the Sisters of Charity of St. Joan Antida. After graduating from college in 2005, Zamarripa worked for Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin as a community outreach coordinator and educator, according to a Women in Wisconsin profile. She also began organizing for Fair Wisconsin, an LGBT advocacy organization. Zamarripa was elected to the Assembly in 2010 and during her first re-election campaign in 2012 she announced she identifies as bisexual. 

During her tenure in the state legislature, Zamarripa wrote bills seeking to grant driver’s licenses and in-state tuition to undocumented immigrants. In 2015, she introduced a bill creating a special driver’s card that would require renewal every two years and could not be used for voting. “It’s an economic development bill; it’s a public safety bill,” she told Wisconsin Public Radio. The bill did not pass the Wisconsin legislature. 

Tiffany, the Republican nominee for governor, responded to the interview on X, saying, “Our number one priority is to protect American citizens. The Stop Greenlighting Driver Licenses for Illegal Immigrants Act would put an end to this insanity.” Tiffany is an original cosponsor of the federal bill Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, introduced in September 2025 to cut a federal law-enforcement grant to states that license illegal immigrants. It has not passed the House.

Tiffany’s campaign has said Crowley supports driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants, in a campaign release Oct. 5 accompanying an ad. The release did not include a Crowley response on licenses.

Crowley, Milwaukee County executive, has made other pledges that would require legislative action. On Oct. 6, he promised to “work with the Legislature to put a constitutional amendment that explicitly protects reproductive freedom” on the ballot if elected, WPR reported. The article noted a governor has no formal power to approve or block such an amendment.

Crowley led Tiffany 49% to 46% among likely voters, and 46% to 45% among registered voters, in a Marquette Law School poll taken Sept. 16-23, a separation that is within the margin of error. Inflation and cost of living was the top issue for voters at 45%, followed by illegal immigration and border security at 11%. Zamarripa faces Republican Jay Schroeder in the Nov. 3 general election.