Wisconsin’s Supreme-Court Race: A Big Win for the Left

On Tuesday, progressive Milwaukee judge Janet Protasiewicz defeated conservative candidate Dan Kelly by eleven points in Wisconsin’s supreme-court election, handing progressive activists a 4–3 majority on the court and the opportunity to reshape Wisconsin law on a wide array of matters, from abortion to redistricting to public-sector unions.

Kelly’s 55.5–44.5 loss yesterday was almost identical to his 55.2–44.7 loss in the 2020 supreme-court race. Kelly had been appointed to Wisconsin’s high court by Governor Scott Walker in 2016, and was seeking a ten-year term in 2020. His loss that year coincided with a competitive Democratic presidential primary between Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders that gave Democrats a big advantage in the down-ballot supreme-court election.

About the Author

John McCormack

John McCormack is a former Washington correspondent for National Review and was a fellow at the National Review Institute.

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On Tuesday, progressive Milwaukee judge Janet Protasiewicz defeated conservative candidate Dan Kelly by eleven points in Wisconsin’s supreme-court election, handing progressive activists a 4–3 majority on the court and the opportunity to reshape Wisconsin law on a wide array of matters, from abortion to redistricting to public-sector unions.

Kelly’s 55.5–44.5 loss yesterday was almost identical to his 55.2–44.7 loss in the 2020 supreme-court race. Kelly had been appointed to Wisconsin’s high court by Governor Scott Walker in 2016, and was seeking a ten-year term in 2020. His loss that year coincided with a competitive Democratic presidential primary between Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders that gave Democrats a big advantage in the down-ballot supreme-court election.