Milwaukee— Wisconsin Democrats won the state’s available supreme court seat in an off-year election, regaining liberal control of the court after 15 years.
The Associated Press called the Wisconsin Supreme Court election for Milwaukee County Judge Janet Protasiewicz over former state Supreme Court Justice Dan Kelly. The campaign broke the state supreme court election spending record.
The victory achieved by Protasiewicz comes at a critical juncture for the court, as well as for the Democratic voters who were responsible for electing her to her position. With a liberal majority on the court, it is possible that they will entertain a case that might invalidate the legislative maps that Republicans drew in Wisconsin. It is almost inevitable that the justices will hear a challenge to Wisconsin’s abortion restriction that was passed before the Civil War.
Assuming nothing unanticipated occurs, the victory also ensures that liberals will hold a majority on the court in advance of the presidential election that will take place the following year. Wisconsin, which is known for being a swing state, is anticipated to play an important role in the race for the White House once again. In the event that election-related litigation is brought before the state court, Protasiewicz will serve as one of the seven judges who have the authority to provide the ultimate decision.
The audience at the Saint Kate Hotel in downtown Milwaukee exploded when Protasiewicz approached the stage for her winning speech. At the same time, several of her most ardent fans danced on stage.
At the conclusion of her remarks, Protasiewicz was joined onstage by the three liberal justices with whom she will be serving in the near future on the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
Protasiewicz has said that “our state is taking a step forward to a better and brighter future where our rights and liberties will be preserved.” Even while there is still much work to be done, tonight we celebrate this historic triumph that has undoubtedly sparked hope in so many of us. “And although there is still much work to be done, today we celebrate this historic success.”
Democratic Party’s High Expectations
If the court were to redesign the boundaries in a way that gave Democrats a higher chance of winning contests for the legislature, the Democrats have high hopes that they would finally be able to shift the political trajectory of the state to the left. The court has the ability to redesign the congressional map of Wisconsin, which is now controlled by Republicans, who hold six of the state’s eight U.S. House seats. Wisconsin is otherwise a 50-50 state.
Protasiewicz was born and reared on the south side of Milwaukee. He worked for the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s office for 25 years as a prosecutor, and he has spent most of the past decade working as a judge.
During the campaign, Protasiewicz was very open about her political views, despite the fact that she did not make any promises on how she would rule on pending matters before the Supreme Court. On the topic of abortion, she said that she was of the opinion that women should have the freedom to choose. When it came to the process of redistricting, she referred to the maps of the state legislature that had been prepared by Republicans as “rigged.”
Her campaign also relied more than any in history on the Democratic Party of Wisconsin’s financial support, so much so that Protasiewicz vowed to recuse herself from cases involving the state party once she takes office.