Governor Walker will consider appointing candidates running for Supreme Court

MADISON — Governor Scott Walker will consider appointing to a vacancy on the Wisconsin Supreme Court one of the candidates running to fill the 10-year term.

Walker's spokeswoman Laurel Patrick said Tuesday, September 29th that Walker has three criteria for filling the remainder of Justice Patrick Crooks' term, which runs through the end of July. She did not list being a candidate for the full term which begins in August as excluding anyone from consideration.

Appeals Court judges JoAnne Kloppenburg and Rebecca Bradley, along with Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Joe Donald, had all announced their plans to run before Crooks died.

Kloppenburg's spokeswoman says she is not going to apply for the appointment. The other campaigns did not immediately reply to requests for comments Monday or Tuesday.

The application deadline is Friday, October 2nd.

Judge Joe Donald, candidate for Supreme Court, issued the following statement:

“I will not be an applicant for the Supreme Court in this abbreviated process. The Governor should not appoint one of the three declared candidates, nor anyone else who is considering a run.

In this unusual situation, where the race is already ongoing and more candidates may enter the race, the Governor should defer to the will of the people. If he chooses to make an interim appointment, it should be someone broadly respected and who pledges to step aside after the April election to allow the election winner to take office.

Wisconsin doesn’t need a coronation, it needs a Supreme Court Justice who earns the support of Wisconsin voters.”