What's at stake: Control for Wisconsin Supreme Court goes up for grabs once again

(WLUK) -- In 2023, Wisconsin saw a historic state Supreme Court election. Next spring could be more of the same.

"The Protasiewicz-Kelly race was the single most expensive state Supreme Court [race] in United States history," Lawrence University history professor Jerald Podair said. "And I have a feeling they're gonna break another record."

Why was it so pivotal? Because the 2023 election shifted the political majority for the first time in over a decade.

"Wisconsin Democrats will be organizing around the clock to ensure that the pro-freedom Democracy and rule of law majority in our state Supreme Court endures for years to come," Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler said.

The announcement of Justice Ann Walsh Bradley's retirement means the court could flip back to a 4-3 conservative majority.

"The liberals on the state Supreme Court have turned it into a super legislature," Wisconsin GOP Chair Brian Schimming said. "That's not what the Wisconsin Constitution is written for. It's not what the people of this state wanted."

Since the liberal majority took control, the court has made rulings on several prominent issues.

"Abortion is on the minds, especially of Democrats and that's the first thing that you think about at this point, at this juncture in time, when any Supreme Court justice announces they're going to leave," Podair said.

The only declared candidate so far is Republican Brad Schimel, a circuit court judge who previously served as Wisconsin's attorney general. No Democrats have officially entered the race. However two candidates -- one being a former Planned Parenthood policy director -- are considering it.

"If we want to make sure that we don't have the 1849 abortion ban come back into force, we're gonna need to reject Schimel and the far-right Republican-backed candidates and elect someone who's in the mold of Ann Walsh Bradley," Wikler said.

"Are we gonna turn the state Supreme Court back to moderates and independents in this state or will it stay in liberal control? And they seem to be focused on upending law wherever they can," Schimming said.

Bradley will leave as the fifth longest-serving justice in Wisconsin history. Her successor will be elected to a 10-year term.

The Supreme Court election is technically nonpartisan. Voters will narrow the field down to two candidates on Feb. 18, 2025 with the general election happening April 1 of next year.