Wisconsin judicial elections, 2014

Total candidates:|  52
Incumbents:|  41
Unopposed:|  39

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Judicial elections, 2014
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## Contents

* 1 Election dates
* 2 Appellate courts
* 2.1 Wisconsin Court of Appeals District I
* 2.2 Wisconsin Court of Appeals District II
* 2.3 Wisconsin Court of Appeals District IV
* 3 Circuit courts
* 3.1 Barron County Circuit Court, Wisconsin
* 3.2 Chippewa County Circuit Court, Wisconsin
* 3.3 Dane County Circuit Court, Wisconsin
* 3.4 Dodge County Circuit Court, Wisconsin
* 3.5 Dodge County Circuit Court, Wisconsin
* 3.6 Dunn County Circuit Court, Wisconsin
* 3.7 Eau Claire County Circuit Court, Wisconsin
* 3.8 Florence/Forest Counties Circuit Court, Wisconsin
* 3.9 Fond du Lac County Circuit Court, Wisconsin
* 3.10 Jefferson County Circuit Court, Wisconsin
* 3.11 Juneau County Circuit Court, Wisconsin
* 3.12 Kenosha County Circuit Court, Wisconsin
* 3.13 Marathon County Circuit Court, Wisconsin
* 3.14 Marinette County Circuit Court, Wisconsin
* 3.15 Menominee/Shawano County Circuit Court, Wisconsin
* 3.16 Milwaukee County Circuit Court, Wisconsin
* 3.17 Oneida County Circuit Court, Wisconsin
* 3.18 Outagamie County Circuit Court, Wisconsin
* 3.19 Polk County Circuit Court, Wisconsin
* 3.20 Price County Circuit Court, Wisconsin
* 3.21 Racine County Circuit Court, Wisconsin
* 3.22 Rock County Circuit Court, Wisconsin
* 3.23 St. Croix County Circuit Court, Wisconsin
* 3.24 Washington County Circuit Court, Wisconsin
* 3.25 Waukesha County Circuit Court, Wisconsin
* 3.26 Waupaca County Circuit Court, Wisconsin
* 3.27 Wood County Circuit Court, Wisconsin
* 4 Process
* 4.1 Primary election
* 4.2 General election
* 5 Noteworthy events
* 5.1 Wisconsin election wrap-up
* 5.2 Wisconsin election preview
* 5.3 Wisconsin primary results
* 5.4 Wisconsin 4-way race
* 6 See also
* 7 External links
* 8 Footnotes

The 2014 Wisconsin judicial elections were the earliest in the nation, concluding in April. In 2014, the following counties saw contested judicial elections for the circuit courts: Dunn, Florence, Forest, Jefferson, Milwaukee and Waupaca.

### Election dates[edit]

* January 7: Filing deadline
* February 18: Primary
* April 1: General election[1]

In addition to candidate lists, this page includes information about how the state's judicial elections work, as well as articles about noteworthy news in races across the state.

## Appellate courts[edit]

### Wisconsin Court of Appeals District I

Unopposed|  Judge Patricia Curley (Seat 1)

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### Wisconsin Court of Appeals District II

Unopposed|  Judge Lisa Neubauer (Seat 1)

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### Wisconsin Court of Appeals District IV

Unopposed|  Judge Gary Sherman (Seat 1)

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## Circuit courts[edit]

Jump to county:

Barron • Chippewa • Dane • Dodge • Dunn • Eau Claire • Florence/Forest • Fond du Lac • Jefferson • Juneau • Kenosha • Marathon • Marinette • Menominee/Shawano • Milwaukee • Oneida • Outagamie • Polk • Price • Racine • Rock • St. Croix • Washington • Waukesha • Waupaca • Wood

### Barron County Circuit Court, Wisconsin

Unopposed|  Judge Maureen Boyle (Branch 3)

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Unopposed|  Judge Michael Bitney (Branch 2)

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### Chippewa County Circuit Court, Wisconsin

Unopposed|  Judge Roderick Cameron (Branch 1)

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Unopposed|  Judge Steven Cray (Branch 3)

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### Dane County Circuit Court, Wisconsin

Unopposed|  Judge John Markson (Branch 1)

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Unopposed|  Judge William Hanrahan (Branch 7)

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### Dodge County Circuit Court, Wisconsin

Unopposed|  Judge Brian A. Pfitzinger (Branch 1)

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### Dodge County Circuit Court, Wisconsin

Unopposed|  Judge Steven Bauer (Branch 4)

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### Dunn County Circuit Court, Wisconsin

Branch 1

Candidate| Incumbency| Primary Vote| Election Vote

|
|
|

MayerChristina Mayer | No| | 48.4% D
PetersonJames PetersonA| No| | 51.5% A

### Eau Claire County Circuit Court, Wisconsin

Unopposed|  Judge Kristina Bourget (Branch 1)

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Unopposed|  Judge Michael Schumacher (Branch 2)

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### Florence/Forest Counties Circuit Court, Wisconsin

Candidate| Incumbency| Primary Vote| Election Vote

|
|
|

KennedyRobert Kennedy Jr. | No| | 37.0% D
StenzLeon StenzA| Yes| | 63.0% A

### Fond du Lac County Circuit Court, Wisconsin

Unopposed|  Judge Dale English (Branch 1)

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### Jefferson County Circuit Court, Wisconsin

Branch 3

Candidate| Incumbency| Primary Vote| Election Vote

|
|
|

MillerJoann Miller | No| | 42.4% D
WambachDave WambachA| Yes| | 57.6% A

### Juneau County Circuit Court, Wisconsin

Unopposed|  Judge Paul S. Curran (Branch 2)

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### Kenosha County Circuit Court, Wisconsin

Unopposed|  Judge Bruce Schroeder (Branch 3)

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### Marathon County Circuit Court, Wisconsin

Unopposed|  Judge LaMont Jacobson (Branch 3)

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### Marinette County Circuit Court, Wisconsin

Unopposed|  Judge David Miron (Branch 1)

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### Menominee/Shawano County Circuit Court, Wisconsin

Unopposed|  Judge James Habeck (Branch 1)

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### Milwaukee County Circuit Court, Wisconsin

Unopposed|  Judge Thomas McAdams (Branch 7)

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Unopposed|  Judge William Brash (Branch 21)

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Unopposed|  Janet Protasiewicz (Branch 24)

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Unopposed|  Judge Kevin Martens (Branch 27)

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Unopposed|  Judge Daniel Noonan (Branch 31)

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Unopposed|  Judge Rebecca Dallet (Branch 40)

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Unopposed|  Judge John DiMotto (Branch 41)

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Branch 32

Candidate| Incumbency| Primary Vote| Election Vote

|
|
|

KennedyRobert Kennedy Jr. | No| | 40.0% D
PerezLaura PerezA| No| | 59.7% A

### Oneida County Circuit Court, Wisconsin

Unopposed|  Judge Patrick O'Melia (Branch 1)

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### Outagamie County Circuit Court, Wisconsin

Unopposed|  Judge Nancy Krueger (Branch 2)

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Unopposed|  Judge Mitchell Metropulos (Branch 3)

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### Polk County Circuit Court, Wisconsin

Unopposed|  Judge Molly GaleWyrick (Branch 1)

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### Price County Circuit Court, Wisconsin

Unopposed|  Judge Douglas Fox (Seat 1)

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### Racine County Circuit Court, Wisconsin

Unopposed|  Judge Charles Constantine (Branch 7)

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### Rock County Circuit Court, Wisconsin

Unopposed|  Judge James Daley (Wisconsin) (Branch 1)

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### St. Croix County Circuit Court, Wisconsin

Unopposed|  Judge Eric Lundell (Branch 1)

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Unopposed|  Judge Howard Cameron (Branch 4)

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### Washington County Circuit Court, Wisconsin

Unopposed|  Judge James Muehlbauer (Branch 2)

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### Waukesha County Circuit Court, Wisconsin

Unopposed|  Judge Lee Dreyfus (Branch 5)

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Unopposed|  Judge Patrick Haughney (Branch 6)

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### Waupaca County Circuit Court, Wisconsin

Branch 2

Candidate| Incumbency| Primary Vote| Election Vote

|
|
|

SteckbauerKeith A. Steckbauer | Yes| 29.8%A| 42.3% D
JelinskiEdmund J. Jelinski | No| 22.3%|
FreemanBrenda Starr Freeman | No| 21.1%|
ClussmanVicki Taggatz ClussmanA| No| 24.8%A| 57.5% A

### Wood County Circuit Court, Wisconsin

Unopposed|  Judge Gregory Potter (Branch 1)

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## Process[edit]

Judges in Wisconsin participate in nonpartisan elections. Wisconsin is one of four states that hold judicial elections every year, along with Louisiana, New York and Ohio.[2][3]

### Primary election[edit]

A primary is held on the third Tuesday in February to nominate judicial candidates for the spring election. Candidates seeking election must file by December 1 preceding the spring general election.[2] A primary is required to be held if more than two candidates file for nomination to the supreme court, the same district of an appellate court or for the same branch of a circuit court.[2] If the number of candidates for office does not exceed twice the number to be elected to the office a primary is not held and all the candidates will appear on the ballot in the spring election.[2] The two candidates who receive the most votes in a primary race advance to the general election.[4]

### General election[edit]

A spring election is held on the first Tuesday in April.[2]

## Noteworthy events[edit]

The following articles were current as of the dates listed.

### Wisconsin election wrap-up

April 3, 2014| Click for story→

|

See also: JP Election Brief: Who's qualified? Courts, candidates and special interest groups all want a say

On April 1, Wisconsin held their spring general election. In the race for Branch 1 of the Dunn County Circuit Court,James M. Peterson defeated Roger M. Hillestad in the primary and received 51.5 percent of the vote in the general election, trumping Christina M. Mayer's 39.8 percent.[5] The contested race for Branch 3 of the Jefferson County Circuit Court, Dave Wambach defeated opponent Joann Miller. Wambach won with 57.6 percent of the electorate compared to Miller's 42.4 percent.[6]

Vicki Taggatz Clussman defeated the newly appointed incumbent Keith A. Steckbauer for Branch 2 of the Waupaca County Circuit Court. Clussman, who had served as assistant district attorney for Waupaca County since 1987, received 57.5 percent of the vote to Steckbauer's 42.3 percent.[7] Steckbauer was a former attorney and owner of the firm Steckbauer Law S.C.. He was appointed to the bench by Governor Scott Walker on January 14, 2014.[8][9] In the primary, Clussman and Steckbauer defeated challengers Brenda Starr Freeman and Edmund J. Jelinski.

In Florence County incumbent Leon Stenz defeated Robert A. Kennedy, Jr. to remain on the bench of the Florence/Forest Counties Circuit Court. In Milwaukee County, Laura Gramling Perez defeated Cedric Cornwall and was elected to Branch 32 of the Milwaukee County Circuit Court.

### Wisconsin election preview

March 27, 2014| Click for story→

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See also: JP Election Brief: Women successful in judicial races as incumbents face challengers

Wisconsin voters led the nation with a spring general election which took place on Tuesday, April 1, 2014.

Judges in Wisconsin run in nonpartisan elections across the board. Supreme court judges run for 10-year terms, appellate and circuit court judges run for six-year terms. If a judge leaves office mid-term, the Governor appoints a new judge who must then run in the next election. A situation like this happened earlier this year with the Waupaca County Circuit Court. Governor Scott Walker appointed Judge Keith A. Steckbauer to the bench to fill the vacancy left by retiring Judge John Hoffmann. Steckbauer won in the primary election and faced opponent Vicki Taggatz Clussman in the general election.

The majority of the 2014 judicial races in Wisconsin were unopposed, with a few exceptions. Laura Gramling Perez faced Cedric Cornwall to compete for Branch 32 of the Milwaukee County Circuit Court. For Branch 3 of the Jefferson County Circuit Court, Dave Wambach and Joann Miller ran against each other. Robert A. Kennedy, Jr. challenged incumbent Leon Stenz of the Florence/Forest Counties Circuit Court. Christina M. Mayer and James M. Peterson competed for a seat on the Dunn County Circuit Court. No supreme court judges were up for re-election in 2014, and there were no vacancies to fill, but Patricia Curley, Lisa Neubauer and Gary Sherman all sought re-election at the appellate level.

While most of the judicial elections in Wisconsin in 2014 were unopposed races, there were a handful of contested seats.

### Wisconsin primary results

February 20, 2014| Click for story→

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See also: JP Election Brief: Wisconsin primary concludes as the rest of the nation is just heating up

Two Wisconsin counties held judicial primaries on February 18, 2014.

One candidate eliminated from Dunn County nonpartisan ticket

There were 1466 total votes cast in Dunn County for the February nonpartisan judicial primary. The Dunn County Clerk reported that James M. Peterson had the strongest showing in the February 18 primary with 664 votes. Coming in second was Christina M. Mayer with 583 votes. Finally, Roger M. Hillestad had 218 votes and thus was not on the general election ballot. Peterson and Mayer ran in the general election.[10]

Waupaca down to Steckbauer, Clussman

In Waupaca County, incumbent Keith A. Steckbauer led in the primary results, receiving 839 votes. Coming in second - and therefore remaining on the ticket - was Vicki Taggatz Clussman with 698 votes. The other contenders, Brenda Starr Freeman and Edmund J. Jelinski, received 594 and 628 votes, respectively. Neither appeared on the general election ballot.[11][12]

### Wisconsin 4-way race

February 13, 2014| Click for story→

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See also: JP Election Brief: The Election Brief is back!

The retirement of former Judge John Hoffmann from the Waupaca County Circuit Court in Wisconsin resulted in a competitive judicial election in 2014.

Keith A. Steckbauer, Edmund J. Jelinski, Vicki Taggatz Clussman and Brenda Starr Freeman all filed for candidacy to replace Hoffmann. Steckbauer was appointed by Governor Scott Walker to finish the remainder of Hoffmann’s term. He ran a private practice for 17 years prior to that appointment.[13] The other three challengers brought histories of public and private legal experience to the race.[14] Clussman served as a veteran assistant district attorney in Waupaca County for 26 years. Freeman served as a probate contract guardian in Outagamie County and part-time district attorney in Waupaca County. Jelinski worked as a private practice attorney since 2003, and was a district attorney previously.[15]

The primary on February 18 served to eliminate two of the candidates. The remaining contenders then faced voters in the April 1 general election.

## See also[edit]

* Wisconsin judicial elections
* Judicial selection in Wisconsin

## External links[edit]

* Wisconsin's Government Accountability Board, "Elections"

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "Elections"
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Wisconsin Legislative Council, "Overview of the Election Law in Wisconsin," archived March 31, 2014
3. ↑ Judgepedia.org, "Judicial Elections by State," accessed April 30, 2014
4. ↑ American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Wisconsin," accessed March 31, 2014
5. ↑ Dunn County Website, "Tabular Statement of Votes Cast," April 1, 2014 (dead link)
6. ↑ Wisconsin Election Watch, "Jefferson County Judge: David Wambach Easily Defeats JoAnn Miller," accessed April 2, 2014
7. ↑ Waupaca County Website, "Tabular Statement of Votes Cast," April 1, 2014
8. ↑ Wisconsin Election Watch, "Keith Steckbauer," accessed January 20, 2014
9. ↑ WSAW News, "Governor Scott Walker Appoints Waupaca County Judge," January 16, 2014
10. ↑ Dunn County, Unofficial election results for the February 18, 2014 primary.
11. ↑ Waupaca County, "Unofficial election results of the February 18, 2014 primary"
12. ↑ Appleton Post Crescent, "Primary elections narrow race for council, county board seats"
13. ↑ County Post, “What makes a fair judge,” By Robert Cloud, January 30, 2014
14. ↑ Postcresant.com, Waupaca county judge, district 2. Date accessed, February 10, 2014
15. ↑ County Post, “Five candidates for judge,” December 19, 2013

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