January 4, 2023
Two liberals and two conservatives are seeking an open seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court this spring.
The four candidates filed paperwork to get on the ballot by Tuesday’s 5:00 p.m. deadline. They will face off in a Feb. 21 primary where the top two finishers will go on to the April 4 general election to replace retiring Justice Patience Roggensack for a 10-year seat on the court.
Although seats on the Wisconsin Supreme Court are technically nonpartisan, most Supreme Court elections in the past several years have had distinctly partisan overtones. In this contest Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Janet Protasiewicz and Dane County Circuit Court Judge Everett Mitchell are likely to draw support from Democrats while Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Jennifer Dorow and former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly are likely to get support from Republicans.
Conservatives currently hold a 4-3 majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Whoever succeeds Roggensack, who is a conservative, will determine whether the court has a liberal or conservative majority.
Protasiewicz, of Franklin, was elected circuit judge in 2014 and reelected in 2020. Before that, she was a long-time Milwaukee County assistant district attorney.
Mitchell, of Sun Prairie, was elected circuit judge in 2016 and reelected in 2022. Mitchell, a former Dane County assistant district attorney, has been a pastor since 2011.
Dorow, of Hartland, was appointed a Waukesha circuit judge in 2011 by former GOP Gov. Scott Walker. She was elected to a six-year term in 2012 and reelected in 2018. Before becoming a judge, Dorow was a Waukesha County assistant district attorney.
Kelly, of North Prairie, was appointed to the Wisconsin Supreme Court by Walker in 2016 to fill a vacancy. He lost a bid for a full 10-year term on the high court in 2020 to Jill Karofsky. Before he was appointed to the court, Kelly was a private practice attorney and general counsel for a conservative nonprofit foundation.
Campaign finance reports that will show the candidates’ fundraising and spending in the last half of 2022 are due Jan. 17.
The latest campaign finance report for Protasiewicz, who declared her candidacy last May, showed that she raised $168,232 in the first half of 2022 and had $164,368 in her campaign account on June 30.
Mitchell, who declared his candidacy last June, raised $24,471 in the first six months of 2022 and had $27,767 in his campaign account on June 30, his most recent campaign finance report showed.
The latest campaign finance report for Kelly, who entered the race last September, showed he raised nothing in the first six months of 2022 and had $16,581 in his campaign account on June 30. Kelly’s cash balance was money left over from his unsuccessful 2020 court race.
Dorow, who entered the race last November, has not raised any campaign cash since 2012 when she ran for her first six-year term for circuit judge. She was unopposed for reelection in 2018. Her last reported cash balance was $396 in 2016.