FOUR CANDIDATES SQUARE OFF IN HIGH STAKES COURT RACE

Now that the midterm elections are behind us and divided government remains the status quo in Madison, all eyes have shifted to the spring state Supreme Court race where voters will decide the ideological makeup of Wisconsin’s highest appellate court for at least the next two years and establish the balance of power between conservative and liberal justices. This year’s spring election features a high stakes statewide race for an open seat on the court. Conservative Justice Patience Roggensack is retiring after 20 years of service on the bench. First elected in 2003 and reelected in 2013, Justice Roggensack also served as chief justice from 2015 to 2021.

This particular Supreme Court race is considered one of the more consequential elections Wisconsinites have seen in recent memory and could have lasting political implications beyond the bench on a wide variety of major policy decisions ranging from environmental and business regulations, abortion, legislative redistricting to executive versus legislative branch powers to name a few. The race will be the most hard fought, expensive in state history and voter turnout will be a key factor in a historically low turnout spring election. Currently, the Wisconsin Supreme Court has three liberal justices and four conservatives, including retiring Justice Roggensack. Justice Brian Hagedorn has acted as a “swing” vote on some issues, joining with the court’s liberal wing in a series of 4-3 decisions on issues such as redistricting and the public release of businesses’ COVID-19 data. Four candidates will appear on the statewide ballot in the spring primary - two conservatives and two liberals. The top two vote-getters in the February 21 primary election will square off in the general election on April 4. Wisconsin has not seen a fourway primary in a supreme court race since 2011. Supreme Court elections are officially nonpartisan races and justices are elected to serve 10-year staggered terms. However, over time these elections have become more hyper partisan with the Democrat and Republican parties investing more resources on trying to influence the outcome of these races. Spring elections in Wisconsin also include many nonpartisan and local elective offices such as judges, mayors, city council, county and school boards. has your back.

Waukesha County Judge Jennifer Dorow announced her candidacy on November 30, 2022. Judge Dorow was appointed to the bench by former Republican Governor Scott Walker in 2011 and she was reelected in 2012 and 2018. Dorow has served as a chief judge in Waukesha County since 2017, overseeing administrative, financial, and personnel matters for the circuit courts in the 3rd district. Previously, Judge Dorow worked as an assistant district attorney for Waukesha County and as a criminal defense attorney.

She most recently gained national publicity this year as the presiding judge in the trial of the 2021 Waukesha Christmas parade attack. Dorow's endorsements include Eric Toney, the Fond du Lac District Attorney who was the Republican nominee for state attorney general in 2022. See Dorow’s campaign website at judgejennifer.com.

Former Justice Daniel Kelly announced his candidacy on September 8, 2022. Kelly was also appointed by Governor Walker in 2016 to serve out the remainder of a retiring justice’s term. He lost his reelection bid to current Justice Jill Karofsky in 2020. Kelly became just the second state Supreme Court incumbent in Wisconsin's history to lose re-election. As a former justice, Kelly is the only candidate with an actual track record from the high court to show how he would likely rule from the bench. Kelly consistently joined the conservative members of the court on rulings. Kelly has received the endorsement of Justice Rebecca Bradley and numerous sheriffs from around the state. In 2020, he founded Daniel Kelly Consulting and became a senior fellow at the Institute for Reforming Government. See Kelly’s campaign website at justicedanielkelly.com.

Dane County Judge Everett Mitchell announced his candidacy on June 1, 2022 as the second liberal leaning candidate to get into the race. He currently serves as presiding judge of the Dane County court’s juvenile division and is the senior pastor at Christ the Solid Rock Baptist Church. Judge Mitchell first won election in 2016 and was re-elected in 2022.

Before that, he was an assistant district attorney in Dane County and worked as the director of community relations for the University of WisconsinMadison. Judge Mitchell has been endorsed by former Democrat Governor Jim Doyle, Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett and Dane County Executive Joe Parisi, and Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes. See Mitchell’s campaign website at judgeeverettmitchell.com.

Milwaukee County Judge Janet Protasiewicz was the first liberal candidate to announce her candidacy on May 25, 2022. Judge Protasiewicz was first elected to the bench in 2014 and was re-elected in 2020. Previously, she worked as an assistant district attorney in Milwaukee County for 26 years. Protasiewicz also served as an adjunct law professor at Marquette Law School. Judge Protasiewicz has been endorsed by Justice Rebecca Dallet and a number of Milwaukee-area judges and elected officials. See Protasiewicz’s campaign website at www.janetforjustice.com.

At Western National Insurance, nice is what’s guided us for over 100 years. And we’re just getting started.

Western National Insurance. The power of nice.