Wisconsin Supreme Court seat 2025; stage set for April election
MILWAUKEE - The stage is set for arguably the most important Wisconsin election of 2025.
In just a few short months, your vote could have a big impact on your life.
Tuesday, Jan. 7, was the deadline for candidates to file their nomination papers to turn in enough signatures to get on the ballot. Only two people turned them in, so there won't be a primary.
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"It does affect every citizen in lots of different ways, because the court does decide the law of the land in Wisconsin," former Justice Janine Geske said.
Liberals have held control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court since 2023, when Janet Proterowicz won election. That flipped the court to the left and ended 15 years of conservative control.
Since then, the court has decided some national attention-grabbing issues, including striking down Republican-drawn legislative maps, which was a decision that took a major dent out of the Republican majority in Madison.
The court also reversed itself on absentee ballot drop boxes, allowing them once again.
In April, you’ll decide once again if the Wisconsin Supreme Court goes liberal or conservative.
It's a worry for Geske.
"I am very concerned about the impartiality of the court and that court be independent of the other two branches," Geske said. "The last race and particularly this race, as it’s beginning looking at the websites of the two candidates, it looks like they’re running for legislative positions and that they are the key vote for the court."
Supreme Court candidates are officially non-partisan. But liberals are backing Dane County Circuit Court Judge Susan Crawford, while conservatives are supporting Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Brad Schimel.
"I have long been a fan of the elected judiciary and the public participating. I have changed on that. I think that maybe we need to go to sort of an appointed process with confirmation, or something like the federal system, because it’s become way too partisan and the parties have way too much say on the court and our decisions are then going to be political rather than legal," Geske said. "And that imperils our independent branch of the government."
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And then there's the money. WisPolitics reported the 2023 race, which set the national record, topped $56 million in campaign spending.
Wisconsin 2025-26 legislative session begins; inauguration ceremony held
With your tax money and the future of the state on the line, the Wisconsin Legislature kicks off a new session on Monday, Jan. 6.
"The money really deeply concerns me, as well, because we have special interests, we have people outside the state, we have the political parties putting in millions and millions of dollars into these races. Many years ago when I ran, we spent aout $200,000 statewide [...] It’s scary."
Data shows the Wisconsin Supreme Court is deciding a lot less cases than it once did.
Marquette history professor Alan Ball has crunched the numbers and found Wisconsin's Supreme Court decisions plummeting to just 14 last term. He compared that with Minnesota's and Iowa’s Supreme Courts, both of which had more than 90 decisions.
The 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court election will be held on Tuesday, April 1.