Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 2025

Wisconsin 2025 elections State executive offices • Supreme court • Appellate courts • State ballot measures • School boards • Municipal • All local elections by county • How to run for office

2025 State Judicial Elections
2026 » « 2024
Overview
Supreme Courts Overview
Appellate Courts Overview
View judicial elections by state:
Select a state:AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyomingSelect court type:Trial courtsAppellate courtsSupreme courtsReset

Susan Crawford defeated Brad Schimel in the nonpartisan general election for a 10-year term on the Wisconsin Supreme Court on April 1, 2025.^[1][2] Incumbent Justice Ann Walsh Bradley did not run for re-election. The filing deadline was January 7, 2025. The primary scheduled for February 18, 2025, was canceled after only two candidates filed to run.

Wisconsin’s Supreme Court elections are officially nonpartisan, but candidates often take stances on specific issues and receive backing from the state's political parties during their campaigns. The state’s Democratic Party endorsed Crawford, and Schimel was the former Republican attorney general.

With Crawford's win, liberals retained a 4-3 majority on the court. Liberals first won a 4-3 majority in the April 2023 election, when Judge Janet Protasiewicz won an open seat, defeating Daniel Kelly 55.4% to 44.4% shifting ideological control of the court for the first time in 15 years.^[3]

Crawford was a judge on the Dane County Circuit Court. She previously worked as an attorney for the state attorney general’s office and as legal counsel to former Gov. James Doyle (D).^[4] Crawford said she ran to "protect the basic rights and freedoms of Wisconsinites under our constitution."^[5] She said she would focus on safety when making decisions: "I believe people in Wisconsin deserve to feel safe as they go about their lives . . . My top priority in making decisions is always to make our communities safer."^[6] Crawford campaigned on keeping the current balance on the court intact, and said, "For the first time in years, we have a majority on the court focused on getting the facts right, following the law, and protecting our constitutional rights. We can’t risk having that progress reversed."^[7] In addition to the state Democratic Party, Justices Ann Walsh Bradley, Rebecca Dallet, Jill Karofsky, and Janet Protasiewicz — who local media outlets described as the court’s four liberal justices — also endorsed Crawford.^[8][9]

Schimel was a judge on the Waukesha County Circuit Court and was the state’s attorney general from 2015 to 2019. Schimel said he ran to "restore confidence in the people of Wisconsin that the justice system will be fair and impartial. I will be honest about my principles, but will never prejudge a case."^[10] Schimel’s website said he "dedicated his career to defending victims, supporting law enforcement, and ensuring that criminals are held accountable."^[11] Schimel criticized the court for "impos[ing] on the people of this state their will, rather than impartial judgment based on the law." He campaigned on changing the balance of the court and said, "There is no check on this new liberal Supreme Court majority. . . . The only check on them is to take back the majority by winning in 2025.”^[12] President Donald Trump (R) and the Wisconsin Professional Police Association received Schimel.^[13][14]

According to WisPolitics, the candidates and satellite groups had spent more than $80 million on the race as of March 21, 2025.^[15][16] This surpassed the 2023 election as the most expensive judicial race in U.S. history. According to WisPolitics, candidates and satellite groups spent more than $56 million in the 2023 election.^[17][18][19] As of March 24, Crawford raised $21.8 million and spent $21.4 million, and Schimel raised $10 million and spent $9.5 million. Click here to learn more about spending in this race.

Media outlets covering the race wrote that the outcome could affect rulings on issues such as the state’s abortion laws, union rules, and the redistricting process.^[20] University of Wisconsin-Madison professor Barry Burden said, "I think the Supreme Court races have become as important as any other race in the state. It’s become the one election that really decides the direction of the state."^[21]

On this page, you will find:

• Voting dates and deadlines
• Information about the court
• The political composition of the court
• The judicial selection process
• A brief history of elections to the court

Election news

This section includes a timeline of events leading up to the election.

• March 31, 2025 ABC News reported that total spending in the race had surpassed $90 million and NPR reported that total spending the race was expected to reach more than $100 million.^{[22] [23]}Click here to learn about satellite spending in this race.

• March 24, 2025: Crawford reported raising $21.8 million and spending $21.4 million March 17, 2025.^[24] Schimel reported raising $10 million and spending $9.5 million through the same date.^[25] Click here to learn about campaign finance in this race.

• March 12, 2025: Crawford and Schimel participated in a debate moderated by WISN 12 at Marquette University Law School.^[26] Click here to learn more about the debate.

Candidates and results

General election

Voting information

See also: Voting in Wisconsin

About the Wisconsin Supreme Court

See also: Wisconsin Supreme Court

The Wisconsin Supreme Court is the highest appellate court in the state of Wisconsin. Seven justices, selected in nonpartisan elections for 10-year terms, sit on the state's court of last resort. The court has jurisdiction over all other Wisconsin courts and can also hear original actions.^[37]

Political composition

This is the political composition of the supreme court heading into the 2025 election. Justices are selected in nonpartisan elections. In the case of a mid-term vacancy, the governor appoints a replacement.

■ Brian Hagedorn		Elected in 2019
■ Ann Walsh Bradley		Elected in 1995, 2005, and 2015
■ Janet Claire Protasiewicz		Elected in 2023
■ Annette Ziegler		Elected in 2007 and 2017
■ Rebecca Dallet		Elected in 2018
■ Rebecca Bradley		Appointed by Scott Walker (R) in 2015, elected 2016
■ Jill Karofsky		Elected in 2020

Selection

See also: Nonpartisan election of judges

The seven justices of the Wisconsin Supreme Court are elected in statewide nonpartisan elections. Judges serve ten-year terms, and to remain on the court, they must run for re-election after their term expires. Only one seat may be elected in any year, and more than two candidates for each seat must file to have a primary.^[38][39]

Qualifications

To serve on the supreme court, a judge must be:

• licensed to practice law in Wisconsin for a minimum of five years immediately prior to election or appointment; and
• under the age of 70.^[40]

Selection of the chief judge

The chief justice of the court is selected by peer vote for a term of two years.

Candidate comparison

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

No candidate in this race completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign ads

Susan Crawford

January 21, 2025

January 21, 2025

February 7, 2025

View more ads here:

• YouTube
• Facebook

Brad Schimel

January 14, 2025

January 22, 2025

February 4, 2025

View more ads here:

• YouTube
• Facebook

Debates and forums

This section includes links to debates, forums, and other similar events where multiple candidates in this race participated. If you are aware of any debates or forums that should be included, please email us.

March 12 debate

On March 12, 2025, Crawford and Schimel participated in a debate moderated by WISN 12 at Marquette University Law School.

• Click here to watch the debate

Click on the links below for summaries of the event:

• NBC News
• Spectrum News 1
• The Hill
• Wisconsin Examiner
• Wisconsin Public Radio

Election competitiveness

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

We provide results for polls that are included in polling aggregation from FiveThirtyEight and RealClearPolitics, when available. No polls were available for this election. To notify us of polls published in this election, please email us.

Wisconsin Supreme Court Election, 2025: General election polls
Poll	Date	Crawford	Schimel	Undecided/Other	Margin of error	Sample size[41]	Sponsor[42]
RMG Research	Feb. 25-28	44%	40%	16%[43]	± 3.5	800 RV	Institute for Reforming Government
Napolitan News Service	January 17-21, 2025	35%	40%	23%[44]	± 3.5	800 RV	Institute for Reforming Government

Noteworthy endorsements

Click the links below to see endorsement lists published on candidate campaign websites, if available. If you are aware of a website that should be included, please email us.

• Susan Crawford
• Brad Schimel

This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please email us.

Noteworthy officials and individuals at campaign events, town halls, and rallies

• March 30, 2025: Tesla CEO Elon Musk spoke at a rally supporting Schimel in Green Bay, Wisconsin on March 30.^[45]

• March 18, 2025: Minnesota Governor and 2024 Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz spoke at a town hall supporting Crawford in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.^[46]

• March 17, 2025: Donald Trump, Jr. spoke at a town hall supporting Schimel in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin.^[47]

• March 7, 2025: U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) held a rally in Kenosha, Wisconsin and criticized Elon Musk's spending in the race.^[48]

Election spending

Campaign finance

Satellite spending

See also: Satellite spending

Satellite spending describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.^[49][50]

If available, satellite spending reports by the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and OpenSecrets.org are linked below. FEC links include totals from monthly, quarterly, and semi-annual reports. OpenSecrets.org compiles data from those reports as well as 24- and 48-hour reports from the FEC.^[51]

Details about satellite spending of significant amounts and/or reported by media are included below those links. The amounts listed may not represent the total satellite spending in the election. To notify us of additional satellite spending, email us.

Spending news

• On March 31, NPR reported that total spending the race was expected to reach more than $100 million.^[22] Here are some notable satellite groups and people who's spending were listed in the article:
  • NPR and the New York Times reported on March 31 that Tesla CEO Elon Musk and groups linked to him spent at least $20 million supporting Schimel.^[22][52]
  • NPR reported on March 31 that Lynde Uihlein had spent $6.2 million and George Soros had spent $2 million supporting Crawford, according to The Brennan Center.^[22][53]

• On March 24, The New York Times and WISN reported that the candidates and satellite groups had spent more than $80 million on the race as of March 21. ^[54][55]

• On March 12, WisPolitics reported that the candidates and satellite groups had spent nearly $59 million in the race, including $25.5 million supporting Crawford and $33.3 million supporting Schimel. Here's a breakdown of satellite spending mentioned in the report.^[17]
  • America PAC, founded by Elon Musk, had spent nearly $6.2 million on canvassing efforts backing Schimel, as of it's most recent filing with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission on March 10.^[17]
  • Building America’s Future PAC, which also received funding from Elon Musk, had spent $6 million supporting Schimel, including ad spending tracked by AdImpact, and spending included in the groups latest filings.^[17]

• The Associated Press reported on March 4 that the Wisconsin Democratic Party announced plans to spend more than $1 million on digital ads, billboards, and town halls opposing Elon Musk.^[56]

• According to ABC News, Schimel received nearly $1.7 million from the Wisconsin Republican Party as of February 26, 2025.^[29] According to the Associated Press, the party received $970,000 from ABC Supply owner Diane Hendricks in January, $650,000 from president of Uline-- a shipping and packing company -- Liz Uihlein, and $500,000 from Ameritrade founder and Chicago Cubs co-owner Joe Ricketts.^[30]

• According to ABC News, Crawford received $3 million from the Wisconsin Democratic Party as of February 26, 2025. This includes $1 million that the party received from George Soros and $500,000 that the party received from Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D). According to the Associated Press, " the party also received $490,000 from Lynde Uihlein, $470,000 from Gloria Page, the mother of Google co-founder Larry Page, and $250,000 from LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman.^[29][30]

• Building America's Future spent $1.6 million on TV ads opposing Crawford as of February 20, 2025.^[31]

• America PAC, founded by Elon Musk, spent $1 million on canvassing operations supporting Schimel as of February 20, 2025. ^[32][29]

• A Better Wisconsin Together $1 million on digital and television ads supporting Crawford as of February 20.^[31]

Historical election spending

^[57][58]

Noteworthy cases

In Ballotpedia's March 27, 2025 episode of On The Ballot, The Center Square’s Dan McCaleb said that the race has “big implications for Wisconsin voters and Wisconsin taxpayers, but there's potential for some national implications too.” McCaleb listed the state’s congressional maps, abortion, voter ID, or former Gov. Scott Walker’s (R) Act 10, which limited the collective bargaining rights of public employees in the state among the issues that could appear before the court.

According to the State Bar of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Supreme Court issued 14 opinions in its 2023-24 term, the fewest ever.^[59][60]

Four of these were 4-3 decisions in which the court's four liberal justices voted in the majority, including a December 2023 decision ruling the state’s legislative maps unconstitutional and a July 2024 decision to reinstate the use of ballot drop boxes in the state.^[61][62]

The court's July 2024 ruling in Priorities USA v. Wisconsin Elections Commission overturned the court's previous 2022 ruling in Teigen v. Wisconsin, in which the then 4-3 conservative majority held that state law only permitted voters to return absentee/mail-in ballots by mail or in person at the office of a municipal clerk.

Click on the links below to read the rulings in each of the court's 4-3 decisions.

• Clarke v. Wisconsin Elections Commission, 2023
• Catholic Charities Bureau, Inc. v. State of Wisconsin Labor and Industry Review Commission
• Sojenhomer LLC v. Village of Egg Harbor, 2024
• Priorities USA v. Wisconsin Elections Commission

Upcoming or ongoing cases

Here are some cases and issues that are receiving significant media coverage leading up to the election. The court is expected to decide on cases in its 2024-2025 term.

Abortion

Two cases abortion-related cases Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin v. Urmanski and Kaul v. Urmanski have drawn significant media attention in the months leading up to the election. According to the Wisconsin Examiner's Henry Redman, "The cases, accepted concurrently, ask if the state’s 1849 law widely seen as banning abortion actually does so and if abortion is a right protected by the state Constitution. "

In Ballotpedia's February 12, 2025 episode of On The Ballot Wisconsin Public Radio’s state capitol reporter Anya van Wagtendonk said, "When Roe was overturned, a number of states had trigger laws. Wisconsin had for about a year a trigger law went into effect, and it was written in about 1849, and it essentially outlawed all abortion. And so that was in effect for about a year until a lower court decided... that actually does not mean that abortion is outlawed. And so now abortion is being practiced again in the state of Wisconsin, and so it's up before the Supreme Court. ... Essentially this decision will decide does that lower court decision stay or do we go back to that standard of the trigger law where it's outlawed in the state... That was a huge motivating factor in 2023, and I will be very shocked if that is not again a major sort of message in the election."

Relevant media coverage

• Associated Press
• Associated Press
• PBS News
• Wisconsin Examiner

Governor's partial veto power

LeMieux v. Evers asks the court to rule on the powers of the Wisconsin governor's partial veto.

This case stems from Gov. Tony Evers' (D) partial veto of the 2023-25 budget, which included a $325 school funding increase for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years. Evers used the partial veto to cross out two numbers and a dash, to extend the increases to 2425, or for 400 years.^[63]

Relevant media coverage

• Wisconsin Examiner
• Channel3000

Act 10

A case regarding Act 10, which limited union rights and collective bargaining agreements may appear before the court during its 2024-2025 term and received significant news coverage leading up to the election.

In Ballotpedia's February 12, 2025 episode of On The Ballot Wagtendonk said Act 10 was "the signature policy of Republican Governor Scott Walker and essentially undid collective bargaining rights for most public employees. That's been the law of the land for about 15 years. People may remember huge protests, and people occupying the state capitol, Democratic lawmakers fleeing the state all in protest of this law. And so that was recently ruled unconstitutional by a lower court, and that's going to go before the Supreme Court."

On Feb. 12, 2025, the court announced that it would not immediately hear the case, instead sending it to an appeals court. Bauer wrote "The court’s decision not to immediately hear the case means it is almost certain not to consider it until after the April 1 election. That election will determine whether liberals maintain their majority on the court. Even if the conservative wins, due to Hagedorn’s recusal, the court would be split 3-3 between liberal and conservative justices when considering the case."^[64]

In 2014, the court, which had a conservative majority at the time, upheld the law.^[65]

Relevant media coverage

• ABC News
• Associated Press
• Associated Press
• PBS Wisconsin
• Wisconsin Watch

Election context

Election history

Overview

Conservatives gained a 4-3 majority on the court in 2008 following the election of Michael Gableman. Conservatives held an expanded 5-2 majority from 2016-2018 and again from 2019-2020. Liberals gained a majority on the court in 2023 following the election of Janet Claire Protasiewicz.

The chart below details Wisconsin Supreme Court elections between 2005 and 2023.

Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 2005-2023
Year	Winning candidate	Ideological lean	Percent share of vote	Losing candidate	Ideological lean	Percent share of vote	Margin of victory	Majority on court	Turnout	Other statewide elections on ballot
2023	Janet Claire Protasiewicz	Liberal	55.4%	Daniel Kelly	Conservative	44.4%	11.0%	4-3	39.3%	None
2020	Jill Karofsky	Liberal	55.2%	Daniel Kelly	Conservative	44.7%	10.5%	4-3	45.8%	Primary election - U.S. President
2019	Brian Hagedorn	Conservative	50.2%	Lisa Neubauer	Liberal	49.7%	0.5%	5-2	26.6%	None
2018	Rebecca Dallet	Liberal	55.8%	Michael Screnock	Conservative	44.2%	11.5%	4-3	22.2%	None
2017	Annette Ziegler (incumbent)	Conservative	97.2%	Write-in	--	2.8%	94.4%	5-2	~16%	State Superintendent of Public Instruction
2016	Rebecca Bradley (incumbent)	Conservative	52.4%	JoAnne Kloppenburg	Liberal	47.5%	4.9%	5-2	47.4%	Primary election - U.S. President
2015	Ann Walsh Bradley (incumbent)	Liberal	58.1%	James Daley	Conservative	41.9%	16.2%	4-3	18.3%	None
2013	Patience Roggensack (incumbent)	Conservative	57.5%	Ed Fallone	Liberal	42.5%	15%	4-3	20.5%	State Superintendent of Public Instruction
2011	David T. Prosser (incumbent)	Conservative	50.2%	JoAnne Kloppenburg	Liberal	49.7%	0.5%	4-3	34.3%	None
2009	Shirley Abrahamson (incumbent)	Liberal	59.6%	Randy Koschnick	Conservative	40.2%	19.4%	4-3	18.2%	None
2008	Michael Gableman	Conservative	51.1%	Louis Butler (incumbent)	Liberal	48.5%	2.6%	4-3	19.3%	None
2007	Annette Ziegler	Conservative	58.6%	Linda M. Clifford	Liberal	41.1%	17.5%	4-3	19.4%	None
2006	N. Patrick Crooks (incumbent)	Liberal	99.4%	Write-in	--	0.6%	98.8%	4-3	11.8%	None
2005	Ann Walsh Bradley (incumbent)	Liberal	99.6%	Write-in	--	0.4%	99.2%	4-3	17.1%	State Superintendent of Public Instruction

General election vote margins

2023

Main article: Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 2023

Janet Protasiewicz defeated Daniel Kelly in the nonpartisan general election for Wisconsin Supreme Court on April 4, 2023. Protasiewicz's election meant the balance of the court would switch from a 4-3 conservative majority to a 4-3 liberal majority for the first time in 15 years.^[66]

The election determined who would succeed retiring conservative Justice Patience Roggensack, whose term expired in July 2023. While supreme court elections are officially nonpartisan, justices and candidates are considered to be liberal or conservative. With Roggensack—a member of the court's conservative majority—retiring, the general election determined the ideological control of the court.^{[67][68][69][70][71]}

Wisconsin media identified abortion, election administration, and legislative redistricting as legal issues the court could address following the election.^{[71][72][73][74][75][76]} For media analysis and commentary on this election, click here.

At the time of the election, Protasiewicz, a former assistant district attorney, had served on the Milwaukee County Circuit Court since 2014.^[77] After the primary, Protasiewicz said, "We're saving our democracy in the state of Wisconsin. … I'm talking about the ability to vote, to have a vote that counts about women's rights, reproductive freedoms, the fact that the 2024 presidential election results could likely come into our Supreme Court chamber, just everything people care about."^[78]

Kelly previously served on the supreme court from 2016, when Gov. Scott Walker (R) appointed him to fill a vacancy, to 2020, when he lost re-election to Jill Karofsky 55.2% to 44.7%. As a result of that election, the supreme court went from a 5-2 conservative majority to a 4-3 conservative one. Ahead of the 2023 election, Kelly said, "If an activist were to win next April, Wisconsin's public policy would be imposed by four lawyers sitting in Madison instead of being adopted through our constitutional processes. I won't let that happen on my watch.^[79]

At a March 21 debate, Protasiewicz criticized Kelly for accepting the endorsements of organizations that opposed abortion and said Kelly would support keeping in place an 1849 state law that prohibited abortion in most cases. She also accused Kelly of advising state Republican officials who planned on sending an alternate slate of electors to Washington D.C. after the 2020 election.^[80][81]

Kelly criticized Protasiewicz for accepting contributions from the state Democratic Party and said those contributions might influence her actions as a member of the court. Kelly also criticized Protasiewicz for publicly stating her views on issues that could come before the court, including abortion and legislative redistricting.^[80] To view recordings and summaries of the debate, click here.

The three liberal justices on the court—Rebecca Dallet, Ann Walsh Bradley, and Jill Karofsky—endorsed Protasieweicz.^[82][83][84] EMILY's List, a political action committee dedicated to electing Democratic women who support abortion, also endorsed Protasiewicz.^[85]

Conservative justices Roggensack, Rebecca Bradley, and Annette Ziegler endorsed Kelly. The groups Wisconsin Right to Life, Wisconsin Family Action, and Pro-Life Wisconsin also endorsed Kelly.^[86][87]

The election set a new record for campaign spending in state judicial elections. According to WisPolitics, more than $44 million had been spent in the race as of March 30, three times the $15 million spent in the previous record holder, a 2004 Illinois Supreme Court race.^[88]

Voters also decided a state constitutional amendment that would increase the discretion judges have to impose cash bail on people accused of violent crimes. According to NBC's Sam Edelman, the amendment could affect the turnout for the supreme court election.^[89][89] Click here to learn more.

Protasiewicz and Kelly were the top two vote-getters among the four candidates who ran in the February 21 nonpartisan primary.. Protasiewicz received 46.5% of the primary vote, and Kelly received 24.2%. Waukesha County Circuit Judge Jennifer Dorow, a conservative candidate, and Dane County Circuit Judge Everett Mitchell, a liberal candidate, received 21.9% and 7.5%, respectively. Together, Protasiewicz and Mitchell received 53.9% of the vote to Kelly and Dorow's combined 46.1%.

As of 2023, Wisconsin had a divided government. The governor was Democrat Tony Evers, while the Republican Party controlled both chambers of the state legislature.

2020

Main article: Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 2020

Jill Karofsky defeated incumbent Daniel Kelly in the nonpartisan April 7 election for a 10-year term on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Karofsky received 55.3% of the vote to Kelly's 44.7%.^[90]

The election followed weeks of debate among state leaders over whether to postpone the election or adjust election procedure in response to the coronavirus pandemic. In-person voting took place as scheduled on April 7. The absentee ballot mail return deadline was extended from April 7 to April 13, although ballots submitted via mail needed to be postmarked by April 7 in order to be valid. Click here for more.

Although the race was officially nonpartisan, Kelly was a member of the court's conservative majority and received support from conservative groups. Karofsky said she would join the court's liberal minority and received support from liberal groups.

Karofsky's win reduced the size of the court's conservative majority to 4-3, meaning that the 2023 election determined control of the court, assuming no justices left the bench early. A Kelly win would have prevented control of the court from changing until the 2026 election at the earliest.

Recent elections to the Wisconsin Supreme Court had been decided by narrow margins. In 2019, conservative Brian Hagedorn defeated liberal Lisa Neubauer by a 0.5 percent margin. Aside from the 2017 election in which incumbent Annette Ziegler was unopposed, the widest margin of victory in the preceding decade was liberal incumbent Ann Walsh Bradley's 16.2 percent win in 2015.

Kelly was running for a full term on the court after Gov. Scott Walker (R) appointed him in 2016 to replace David T. Prosser, who retired.^[91] He said he had a broader range of experience than Karofsky, including as a prosecutor, defense attorney, and litigator.^[92]

Karofsky was first elected to the Dane County Circuit Court in 2017. She said her experience as a trial court judge made her the most qualified candidate since she had firsthand experience seeing the effects of state supreme court rulings on residents.^[92][93]

Both candidates said they were running to counter politicization on the court. Kelly said judges should decide cases based on their interpretation of the law rather than their political preferences, while Karofsky said Kelly had a record of ruling in favor of conservative groups.^[94][92]

In the February 18 primary, Kelly received 50.1% of the vote to Karofsky's 37.2%. A third candidate, Ed Fallone, was eliminated.^[95] Click here for more on the primary.

2019

See also: Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 2019

Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge Brian Hagedorn defeated Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge Lisa Neubauer in the nonpartisan election for a 10-year term on the Wisconsin Supreme Court on April 2, 2019. Hagedorn won with 50% support. The seat was previously held by Justice Shirley Abrahamson, a member of the court's 4-3 liberal minority at the time of the election. Abrahamson did not run for re-election.

Although the election was officially nonpartisan, groups associated with the Democratic Party tended to support Neubauer while groups associated with the Republican Party tended to support Hagedorn.

General election

2018

See also: Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 2018

Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Rebecca Dallet won the nonpartisan election for a 10-year term on the Wisconsin Supreme Court against Sauk County Circuit Judge Michael Screnock on April 3, 2018. Dallet won with 56 percent support. The seat was previously held by Justice Michael Gableman, a member of the court's 5-2 conservative majority at the time of the election, who did not seek re-election.

Although the election was officially nonpartisan, groups associated with the Democratic Party tended to support Dallet while groups associated with the Republican Party tended to support Screnock.

Wisconsin Supreme Court, 2018
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Rebecca Dallet	55.72%	555,848
Michael Screnock	44.19%	440,808
Total Votes (3880/3880 precincts)		996,656
Source: Wisconsin Elections Commission

Earlier results

To view the electoral history dating back to 2008 for the office of Wisconsin Supreme Court, click [show] to expand the section.

2017 See also: Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 2017 Candidates ■ Annette Ziegler (Incumbent/Unopposed) One seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court was up for election in 2017. Justice Annette Ziegler was elected to the court in 2007 for a 10-year term and needed to stand for re-election in 2017 in order to serve another term. She ran unopposed.[96] Because she was unopposed, the seat did not appear on the ballot in Wisconsin's February primary election but instead appeared only on the ballot for the April 4 general election. 2016 See also: Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 2016 Wisconsin Supreme Court, Rebecca Bradley's Seat, 2016 Candidate Vote % Votes Rebecca Bradley Incumbent 52.35% 1,024,892 JoAnne Kloppenburg 47.47% 929,377 Write-in votes 0.19% 3,678 Total Votes (100% Reporting) 1,957,947 Source: Wisconsin Government Accountability Board Official Results One seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court was up for election in 2016. Following the death of Justice N. Patrick Crooks on September 21, 2015, Rebecca Bradley was appointed to the Wisconsin Supreme Court by Governor Scott Walker (R) on October 9, 2015. Earlier in September, Crooks had announced his plans to retire at the end of his term.[97] Bradley had already announced a run for Crooks' seat before his death.[98] Bradley and opponent JoAnne Kloppenburg received the highest number of votes for Bradley's seat in the primary on February 16, 2016, knocking Joe Donald out of the race. Bradley and Kloppenburg then faced each other in the sharply contested April general election. Bradley won. The race had the highest voter turnout for a supreme court race in Wisconsin state history, with over 1,900,000 votes cast.[99][100] 2015 See also: Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 2015 See also: Wisconsin judicial elections, 2015   General election, 2015 Candidate Vote % Votes Ann Walsh Bradley Incumbent 58.1% 471,866 James Daley 41.9% 340,632 Total Votes 813,200 [101][102] One seat was open for election on the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2015. Incumbent Justice Ann Walsh Bradley defeated Rock County Circuit Court Judge James Daley in the general election on April 7, 2015. Although the election was nonpartisan, Bradley is considered to be part of the liberal minority on the court. If Daley won, conservatives would have held a five-member majority on the seven-member court.[103] Justice Bradley was elected to the court in 1995 and re-elected in 2005. She previously served as a circuit court judge for 10 years in Marathon County. Judge Daley joined the Rock County Circuit Court since 1989.[104][105] 2013 See also: Wisconsin judicial elections, 2013 Candidate Incumbency Position Primary Vote Election Vote RoggensackPatience Roggensack      FalloneEd Fallone  No 29.8%A 42.47%   A MegnaVince Megna  No 6.3%   One seat was open for election on the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2013. Incumbent Justice Patience Roggensack defeated law professor Ed Fallone in the general election on April 2, 2013. Although the election was nonpartisan, Roggensack is considered to be a member of the court's conservative majority. If Fallone had won, control of the court would have gone to the liberal wing. Justice Roggensack was first elected to the court in 2003. She previously served for seven years on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals and for 16 years as an attorney in private practice. 2011 See also: Wisconsin judicial elections, 2011 Candidate Incumbency Position Primary Vote Election Vote KloppenburgJoAnne Kloppenburg     No District IV 49.70%   A ProsserDavid T. Prosser   A Yes 50.192%   A WinnigJoel Winnig     No   StephensMarla J. Stephens     No   One seat was open for election on the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2011. Incumbent Justice David T. Prosser defeated Assistant Attorney General JoAnne Kloppenburg in the general election on April 5, 2011. Although the election was nonpartisan, Prosser is considered to be a member of the court's conservative majority. If Kloppenburg had won, control of the court would have gone to the liberal wing. Justice Prosser was first appointed to the court in 1998 by Gov. Tommy Thompson (R) and was elected to a full term in 2001. He had previously served on the Wisconsin Tax Appeals Commission and in the Wisconsin State Assembly. 2009 Candidate Incumbent Seat Election votes Election % Shirley Abrahamson A Yes 473,712 59.6% Randy Koschnick No 319,706 40.2% [106] 2008 See also: State Supreme Court elections, 2008 Incumbent Louis Butler was defeated by challenger Michael Gableman. Candidate Incumbent Seat Election votes Election % Michael Gableman A No 425,101 51.1% Louis Butler Yes 402,798 48.5%

2025 battleground elections

See also: Battlegrounds

This is a battleground election. Other 2025 battleground elections include:

• New Jersey gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2025 (June 10 Democratic primary)
• New Jersey gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2025
• Virginia House of Delegates elections, 2025

See also

Wisconsin	Judicial Selection	More Courts
Courts in Wisconsin Wisconsin Court of Appeals Wisconsin Supreme Court	Elections: 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 Gubernatorial appointments Judicial selection in Wisconsin	Federal courts State courts Local courts

External links

• Search Google News for this topic
• Wisconsin Supreme Court

Footnotes

v • e 2025 State Judicial Elections State supreme court elections by state Louisiana • Pennsylvania • Wisconsin Intermediate appellate court elections by state Louisiana • Pennsylvania • Washington • Wisconsin

v • e Ballotpedia About Overview • What people are saying • Support Ballotpedia • Contact • Contribute • Job opportunities Executive: Leslie Graves, Founder and CEO • Gwen Beattie, Chief Operating Officer Communications: Alison Graves • Carley Allensworth • Abigail Campbell • Sarah Groat • Nathaniel Harwood • Dillon Redmond • Erica Shumaker External Relations: Ashley Fleming • Hannah Nelson Operations: Meghann Olshefski • Amanda Herbert • Mandy Morris • Caroline Presnell • Kelly Rindfleisch Policy: Michael Leland • Jon Dunn • Amy Handlin • Jimmy McAllister • Annelise Reinwald • Emma Soukup • Mina Vogel Content Strategy: Josh Altic Tech: Matt Latourelle • Ryan Burch • Kirsten Corrao • Beth Dellea • Travis Eden • Tate Kamish • Margaret Kearney • Eric Lotto • Joseph Sanchez • Mary Susmitha Contributors: Scott Rasmussen Editorial Content Geoff Pallay, Director of Editorial Content and Editor-in-Chief • Ken Carbullido, Vice President of Election Product and Technology Strategy • Norm Leahy, Senior Editor • Daniel Anderson, Managing Editor • Ryan Byrne, Managing Editor • Cory Eucalitto, Managing Editor • Mandy McConnell, Managing Editor • Doug Kronaizl, Local Elections Project Manager • Jaclyn Beran • Marielle Bricker • Joseph Brusgard • Emma Burlingame • Kelly Coyle • Thomas Ellis • Frank Festa • Nicole Fisher • Brianna Hosea • Joseph Greaney • Thomas Grobben • Jaime Healy-Plotkin • Tyler King • Glorie Martinez • Nathan Maxwell • Ellie Mikus • Jackie Mitchell • Ellen Morrissey • Mackenzie Murphy • Kaley Platek • Samantha Post • Adam Powell • Ethan Rice • Spencer Richardson • Victoria Rose • Briana Ryan • Myj Saintyl • Maddy Salucka • Maddie Sinclair Johnson • Abbey Smith • Alexis Thacker • Janie Valentine • Joel Williams • Samuel Wonacott • Trenton Woodcox