Tom Loftus served 14 years in the Wisconsin Legislature, where he served four terms as speaker of the Wisconsin Assembly. In 1990, Mr. Loftus ran for governor, but lost the the incumbent governor. Mr. Loftus began his political career in 1973 as a Democratic caucus staff writer for legislators. He quickly moved up as aide to the Assembly speaker and got a jump for his first race for Assembly in 1976 when a veteran Representative gave him two years' notice he would not seek re-election.