Janet Protasiewicz wins election to Wisconsin Supreme Court
MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Janet Protasiewicz defeated Dan Kelly on Tuesday for a seat on the state Supreme Court, marking a significant ideological shift to a liberal majority on the court.
For the first time since 2008, liberals will control the court 4-3 with Protasiewicz's victory. The shift to the left also marks the beginning of a series of lawsuits Democrats are likely to bring to the state’s court, seeking to repeal a pre-Civil War law banning abortion in most cases and reopening decisions on absentee ballot drop boxes and other election laws.
"Tonight, we celebrate this historic victory that has obviously that has reunited hope in so many of us," Protasiewicz said during her victory speech at Saint Kate Hotel downtown Milwaukee.
The race was coined as the most consequential state Supreme Court election in the battleground state because of abortion access, electoral maps and executive powers all hanging in the balance. With liberals ending a 15-year conservative grip on the court, Wisconsin's near-total abortion ban is likely to be brought before the court.
Protasiewicz heavily centered her campaign around the issue of abortion, touting herself as the pro-woman candidate who supports reproductive rights. Her opponent was backed by anti-abortion groups, but Kelly avoided talking about the issue during the campaign despite expressing opposition to abortion in a 2012 blog post, calling it a "policy deadly to children."
The race drew significant turnout, which Protasiewicz said shows voters wanted more from the court.
"They've chosen to reject partisan extremism in this state and secondly, it means our democracy will always prevail," she said.
The spending in the contest was unprecedented. It was the most expensive Supreme Court race in American history, topping more than $45 million, according to a report by WisPolitics.
Protasiewicz had a clear advantage throughout the race, outraising her rival by more than 5-to-1. However, in the final weeks of the campaign, the spending gap narrowed, but it wasn't enough to compete with Protasiewicz's ability to be up on air with multiple ads.
Millions were spent on harsh attack ads depicting Kelly as an "extremist" for his pro-life views and ties to election deniers, including advising Republican officials on a fake elector scheme to reverse Joe Biden's victory in Wisconsin.
Meanwhile, Protasiewicz was largely depicted by conservatives for being "soft on crime" for handing out light sentences involving violent crimes when she served as a Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge and former prosecutor.
The win by the Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge could also reopen decisions that Republicans have touted over the years, including redistricting, voter ID laws, and ACT 10, which restricts most collective bargaining rights for unions.
Protasiewicz's views on the state legislative maps drawn by Republicans were no mystery, she often called them "rigged" as they are often referenced to the most gerrymandered maps in the country.
Protasiewicz will replace retiring conservative Justice Patience Roggensack on the bench. She will take the oath of office on Aug. 1.