Wisconsin Supreme Court elections
There are seven justices on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. For more information about these elections, visit the Wisconsin judicial elections page.
Judicial selection
- See also: Judicial selection in Wisconsin
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.[1][2]
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[3]
Chief justice
The chief justice of the court is selected by peer vote for a term of two years.
Vacancies
In the event of a vacancy on the court, the governor has the power and duty to appoint an individual to the vacancy. The governor screens judicial applicants using an advisory council on judicial selection. The council recommends three to five candidates to the governor, although the governor is not bound by their recommendations. The appointed justice must then stand for election in the first subsequent year in which no other justice's term expires.[2][1][4]
The map below highlights how vacancies are filled in state supreme courts across the country.
Elections
2025
- See also: Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 2025
General election
The general election will occur on April 1, 2025.
General election for Wisconsin Supreme Court
Susan Crawford and Brad Schimel are running in the general election for Wisconsin Supreme Court on April 1, 2025.
Candidate | ||
 | Susan Crawford (Nonpartisan) | |
 | Brad Schimel (Nonpartisan) | |
| ||||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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2023
- See also: Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 2023
General election
General election for Wisconsin Supreme Court
Janet Claire Protasiewicz defeated Daniel Kelly in the general election for Wisconsin Supreme Court on April 4, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Janet Claire Protasiewicz (Nonpartisan) | 55.4 | 1,021,822 |
 | Daniel Kelly (Nonpartisan) | 44.4 | 818,391 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.2 | 3,267 | ||
| Total votes: 1,843,480 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Wisconsin Supreme Court
Janet Claire Protasiewicz and Daniel Kelly defeated Jennifer Dorow and Everett Mitchell in the primary for Wisconsin Supreme Court on February 21, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Janet Claire Protasiewicz (Nonpartisan) | 46.4 | 446,403 |
| ✔ | | Daniel Kelly (Nonpartisan) | 24.2 | 232,751 |
 | Jennifer Dorow (Nonpartisan) | 21.9 | 210,100 | |
 | Everett Mitchell (Nonpartisan) | 7.5 | 71,895 | |
| Total votes: 961,149 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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2020
- See also: Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 2020
General election
General election for Wisconsin Supreme Court
Jill Karofsky defeated incumbent Daniel Kelly in the general election for Wisconsin Supreme Court on April 7, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Jill Karofsky (Nonpartisan) | 55.2 | 855,573 |
| Daniel Kelly (Nonpartisan) | 44.7 | 693,134 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 990 | ||
| Total votes: 1,549,697 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Wisconsin Supreme Court
Incumbent Daniel Kelly and Jill Karofsky defeated Edward A. Fallone in the primary for Wisconsin Supreme Court on February 18, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Daniel Kelly (Nonpartisan) | 50.1 | 352,876 |
| ✔ | | Jill Karofsky (Nonpartisan) | 37.2 | 261,783 |
 | Edward A. Fallone (Nonpartisan) | 12.7 | 89,184 | |
| Total votes: 703,843 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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2019
- See also: Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 2019
General election
General election for Wisconsin Supreme Court
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Brian Hagedorn (Nonpartisan) | 50.2 | 606,414 |
 | Lisa Neubauer (Nonpartisan) | 49.7 | 600,433 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 722 | ||
| Total votes: 1,207,569 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2018
- See also: Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 2018
| 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 | ||
Voter turnout was measured at 22.2 percent, making this the highest spring election turnout in state history since 2011.[5]
2017
Candidates
■ Annette Ziegler (Incumbent/Unopposed)
2016
Candidates
■ JoAnne Kloppenburg
■ Rebecca Bradley
Kloppenburg and Bradley faced each other in the April 5 general election.
Defeated in primary
Withdrawn
General election results
| 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 | ||
Primary results
The primary election was held February 16, 2016.
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ideology[7] | Candidate | Percentage | Votes | |
| Liberal | Martin Joseph Donald | 12.1% | 68,746 | |
| Liberal | JoAnne Kloppenburg |
43.2% | 244,729 | |
| Conservative | Rebecca Bradley |
44.7% | 252,932 | |
| Vote Total: | 566,407 | |||
3474 of 3474 precincts reporting
Source: Wisconsin Government Accountability Board Official Results
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 | |
2013
See also: Wisconsin judicial elections, 2013
| Candidate | Incumbency | Position | Primary Vote | Election Vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patience Roggensack | ||||
| Ed Fallone | No | 29.8% | 42.47%  | |
| Vince Megna | No | 6.3% |
2011
- Main article: Wisconsin judicial elections, 2011
In the general election on April 5, 2011, Justice David Prosser narrowly defeated court of appeals Judge JoAnne Kloppenburg, winning 50.19 percent of the vote. The winner was not certified until May 20, 2011, after the recount requested by the Kloppenburg campaign was completed.
Joel Winnig and Marla J. Stephens were eliminated from the race after the primary election on February 15, receiving only 9.2 percent and 10.8 percent of the vote, respectively.
| Candidate | Incumbency | Position | Primary Vote | Election Vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JoAnne Kloppenburg | No | District IV | 49.70% | |
| David T. Prosser | Yes | 50.192% | ||
| Joel Winnig | No | |||
| Marla J. Stephens | No |
2009
In April 2009, incumbent justice Shirley Abrahamson defended her seat on the court against challenger, Jefferson County judge Randy Koschnick.
| Candidate | Incumbent | Seat | Election votes | Election % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Shirley Abrahamson  |
Yes | 473,712 | 59.6% | |
| Randy Koschnick | No | 319,706 | 40.2% |
2008
- See also: Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 2008
Judge Michael Gableman defeated Justice Louis Butler in the spring election on April 1, 2008, after a hotly-contested campaign. The defeat of Butler was the first time since 1967 that a challenger defeated an incumbent supreme court justice for a seat on Wisconsin's highest court. Justice George Currie lost his bid for re-election after he allowed the Milwaukee Braves baseball team to relocate to Atlanta in 1967.[11]
With the election of Gableman, it was the first time in 110 years that there was not a justice from Milwaukee on the Wisconsin Supreme Court.[11]
| Candidate | Incumbent | Seat | Election votes | Election % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Gableman |
No | 425,101 | 51.1% | |
| Louis Butler | Yes | 402,798 | 48.5% |
2007
On April 3, 2007, Washington County Circuit Court Judge Annette Ziegler soundly defeated Madison area immigration attorney Linda Clifford by a sizable 2-to-1 margin, taking 65 out of Wisconsin's 72 counties including Milwaukee County.[13] The race was a open seat due to the retirement of Jon Wilcox.
Voters in 2007 soundly rejected Clifford, reportedly because she did not have any prior judicial experience, and because her campaign ran negative advertising that criticized Ziegler. Clifford was the target of ads paid for by the Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce business group.[14] In the end, Clifford lost but won her home county Dane County by nearly 30,000 votes.
Ziegler won in counties that played well for conservatives in the past, but also in more liberal counties. Ziegler won in all the conservative strongholds including Green Bay, Appleton, Fond du Lac, and Oshkosh. She won by close margins in virtually every swing region including Kenosha, Racine, La Crosse, Eau Claire, Janesville, and Beloit.[13] She also won Milwaukee County by over 10,000 votes.[13]
Ziegler had a broad appeal with independent, conservative and moderate voters that helped in her victory, while Clifford was favored by more liberal voters.[14]
Charges and counter-charges
The race was particularly contentious on two fronts. First, there were charges made by the Clifford campaign that Ziegler illegally presided over 56 cases involving West Bend Savings Bank. Zeigler's husband Todd served on the bank's board of directors.[15] Also, third-party groups like Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce reportedly spent a huge amount of money on advertising. Business groups, concerned about how recent rulings have affected the state's economic climate, said electing Ziegler was a way to preserve the court's makeup at the time. Their game plan worked the following year, in the 2008 supreme court election.
The high-stakes nature of the Ziegler-Clifford race helped the candidates raise a record-breaking $1.7 million by mid-March. Third parties threw previously unheard-of sums into television ads, mailings and automated phone calls. The race saw harsh ads from both sides.[16]
After the election, the Wisconsin Judicial Commission heard complaints about Ziegler's involvement in cases including West Bend Savings Bank. In May 2008, the Wisconsin Judicial Commission publicly reprimanded Ziegler. While calling the misconduct "serious and significant" in a 60-page opinion, the state supreme court nonetheless opted for the most lenient discipline available. The court could have imposed a suspension or expulsion from the bench, although both the Wisconsin Judicial Commission and a three-judge judicial conduct panel had recommended a reprimand. Groups including the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, Common Cause and One Wisconsin Now criticized the commission's ruling as too lenient.
2007 Supreme Court Election Results
| Candidate | Votes received | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Annette Ziegler | 487,422 | 58.60% |
| Linda Clifford | 342,371 | 41.10% |
1997
In 1997, Jon Wilcox won election handily over ACLU attorney Walt Kelley. However, after the election, Kelley filed a complaint with the former Wisconsin State Elections Board (now the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board) alleging that Wilcox's campaign illegally coordinated last-minute get-out-the-vote efforts with the supposedly independent Wisconsin Citizens for Voter Participation. State law bans any coordination or cooperation between independent groups like the coalition and a candidate or candidate's campaign organization.
As part of the largest collective settlement of a case involving state campaign finance law violations, Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Jon Wilcox agreed to personally pay a $10,000 fine on behalf of his 1997 re-election campaign. Under the settlement, Wilcox's campaign manager, Mark Block, also agreed to pay a $15,000 fine and promised not to work as a consultant or volunteer on any campaign until 2004. The coalition's co-founder, former assembly Republican staffer Brent Pickens, agreed to pay a $35,000 fine and promised not to work on any campaigns for the next five years.
According to an article in The Daily Reporter, the settlement opened the door to suggestions by some that Wilcox should resign or be removed from the high court. One elections board member said Wilcox should, at the very least, sit out future cases involving the elections board.[17]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection," accessed August 12, 2021
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Wisconsin State Legislature, "Wisconsin Constitution," accessed September 19, 2014 (Article VII, Section 4: pg.10) Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "section4" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ Wisconsin State Legislature, "Wisconsin Constitution," accessed September 19, 2014 (Article VII, Section 24: pg.11)
- ↑ Wisconsin State Legislature, "8.50 - Special elections," accessed April 19, 2023
- ↑ The Seattle Times, "Dallet advantage in Democratic counties fuels win," April 4, 2018
- ↑ Wisconsin State Journal, "Claude Covelli drops out of Supreme Court race," December 22, 2015
- ↑ This is a nonpartisan election, but where possible Ballotpedia draws on endorsements, court decisions, and other data to infer ideological affiliation.
- ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "Candidates Registered 2015 Spring Election," January 8, 2015
- ↑ Wisconsin Election Commission, "2015 Spring Election Results," accessed September 19, 2019
- ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "Results of Spring General Election - 4/7/2009"
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, "Gableman victorious," April 2, 2008
- ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "2008 Spring Election Results"
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 WI Government Accountablity Board, "2007 Supreme Court Canvas Results," November 18, 2008
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 WisPolitics, "2007 Supreme Court Election Blog," April 3, 2007
- ↑ Journal Sentinel, "Pricey court race might set new pace," April 6, 2007
- ↑ Journal-Sentinel, "Ziegler wins court seat," April 4, 2007
- ↑ Daily Reporter, "Elections Board cites Wilcox’s campaign manager, voter group," July 25, 2000
Federal courts:
Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Wisconsin, Western District of Wisconsin • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Wisconsin, Western District of Wisconsin
State courts:
Wisconsin Supreme Court • Wisconsin Court of Appeals • Wisconsin Circuit Courts
State resources:
Courts in Wisconsin • Wisconsin judicial elections • Judicial selection in Wisconsin
