Wisconsin is gearing up for another big election on April 1 that could shape the political landscape in the state. Voters will go to the polls to elect a new Wisconsin Supreme Court justice to replace retiring Justice Ann Walsh Bradley, and the political ads that are already airing show how both sides see it as a race with significant consequences.
Why It Matters
While the court is technically nonpartisan, conservatives controlled the court for 15 years until 2023, when the election of Justice Janet Protasiewicz tipped the balance 4-3 in favor of liberal justices.
The new progressive majority made their influence felt. They reinstated the use of ballot drop boxes, and threw out GOP-created legislative maps that critics say made Wisconsin one of the most gerrymandered states in the nation.
If liberals win the 2025 election, they will maintain control of the court until at least 2028. In addition, two more conservative justices, Annette Ziegler and Rebecca Bradley, are up for re-election in 2026 and 2027, so they could expand their majority by flipping those seats on the court.
Who Are the Candidates?
The conservative candidate is Brad Schimel, a Waukesha County judge who has statewide name recognition from serving as former Gov. Scott Walker’s attorney general.
The progressive candidate is Susan Crawford, a Dane County judge who has been endorsed by all four of the Supreme Court’s liberal justices.
We hope to have both candidates on the City Cast Madison podcast to talk about their positions.
What Are the Issues?
The court will hear a case arguing that the state Constitution protects the right to an abortion and that an 1849 law that has been cited as outlawing abortions only applies to infanticide. The court will also likely hear an appeal to a lower court decision that overturned Walker’s Act 10 law outlawing collective bargaining for most public sector employees.
On the airwaves, an issue that has already come up from both campaigns is a backlog of unprocessed rape kits during Schimel’s tenure as AG. Schimel says his office processed 4,000 kits during his four-year term, while Crawford charges that Schimel’s office left some 6,000 kits unprocessed for the first half of that term.
How Much Money Is Being Spent?
Over $56 million was spent in the 2023 Wisconsin Supreme Court race, making it the most expensive judicial race in national history. But some observers expect that record to be eclipsed this year, with money pouring in from political parties and outside donors on both sides.
Crawford said this month that her campaign had raised $2.8 million so far, while Schimel’s campaign said he has raised $2.2 million. And with billionaire Trump supporter Elon Musk throwing his support behind Schimel last week, that spending (and all those ads) are only likely to escalate. Buckle up.
