Silver Lining in Wisconsin Election Results

On Tuesday, while all eyes were locked on Donald Trump, the day’s most consequential story had little to do with the former president or his monomaniacal pursuers in Manhattan. Instead, it was the verdict voters in Wisconsin rendered in the race for state supreme court justice.

In the Badger State, Democrat-aligned Janet Protasiewicz emerged victorious over her Republican-backed rival, Daniel Kelly. And it wasn’t particularly close. As of this writing, Protasiewicz enjoys a ten-point margin of victory. After several years in which Democrat-linked justices clawed seat after seat away from the Republicans who dominated the bench in the 2010s, Protasiewicz’s victory secured the restoration of a left-wing majority on the court.

About the Author

Noah Rothman

Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. His third book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence, was published by Hachette in May 2026.

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On Tuesday, while all eyes were locked on Donald Trump, the day’s most consequential story had little to do with the former president or his monomaniacal pursuers in Manhattan. Instead, it was the verdict voters in Wisconsin rendered in the race for state supreme court justice.

In the Badger State, Democrat-aligned Janet Protasiewicz emerged victorious over her Republican-backed rival, Daniel Kelly. And it wasn’t particularly close. As of this writing, Protasiewicz enjoys a ten-point margin of victory. After several years in which Democrat-linked justices clawed seat after seat away from the Republicans who dominated the bench in the 2010s, Protasiewicz’s victory secured the restoration of a left-wing majority on the court.

About the Author

Noah Rothman

Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. His third book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence, was published by Hachette in May 2026.