Dane County judge Susan Crawford enters state Supreme Court race

 

MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Dane County Judge Susan Crawford launched her bid for the Wisconsin Supreme Court Monday with the ideological balance of the court up for grabs next year.

Crawford, who served nearly a decade as a prosecutor and previously worked for Planned Parenthood, said she entered the race to "protect the basic rights and freedoms" of Wisconsinites -- hinting at how abortion could be a key issue during the 2025 election.

"Those rights are threatened by an all-out effort to politicize the court to drive a right-wing agenda - I believe Wisconsin deserves better,” Crawford said in a statement.

"I know we need Supreme Court justices who understand what it takes to keep communities safe, who are impartial and fair, who will use common sense, and who won’t politicize the constitution to undermine our most basic rights."

Crawford is seeking to replace outgoing liberal Justice Ann Walsh Bradely, who announced last month she will not run for another 10-year term on the bench.

She joins former Republican Attorney General Brad Schimel who announced his bid in the race that will determine the court's majority in this swing state.

In a press release, Crawford mentioned her past work for Planned Parenthood. Schimel, a conservative, opposes abortion.

Schimel criticized Crawford for her ties to the abortion organization by calling her work “radical.”

“While I was a frontline prosecutor in the courtroom defending crime victims and putting criminals behind bars, she was working for radical left-wing special interests groups that don’t share our values,” Schimel said in a statement.

It comes as the state's high court is expected to rule on Wisconsin's abortion ban. Justices have been asked to determine whether the state's 1849 abortion ban can be enforced and declare the state constitution protects abortion rights.

Anthony Chergosky, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, said abortion could again be a defining issue in 2025 but he warned it may lose steam depending on the outcome of this year's presidential race.  

"I think it's quite possible abortion could remain one of the top issues of voters in 2025, but it's also quite possible that the key issues are going to change," Cherogsky said. 

When liberal Justice Janet Protasiewicz was elected in 2023, it marked the first time in 15 years liberals gained controlled of the court.  Conservatives will have the opportunity to shift the ideological balance of the court next year.

Protasiewicz centered her campaign around abortion and redistricting, the process of redrawing legislative and congressional maps. The court's new majority tossed out voting maps drawn by conservatives and signaled their likely to overturn a ban on absentee ballot drop boxes. 

Redistricting, election laws, in addition to abortion, are all issues likely to resurface on the campaign trail, Cherogsky said. 

"I think everyone has realized how important majority control of the state Supreme Court is and conservatives are going to feel a serious sense of urgency to protect the majority this upcoming election," he said.