Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 2020 (February 18 nonpartisan primary)

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2020 Election Dates
Deadline to file candidacy
January 7, 2020
Primary election
February 18, 2020
General election
April 7, 2020

2020 State Judicial Elections
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Incumbent Daniel Kelly and challenger Jill Karofsky advanced from the February 18, 2020, nonpartisan primary for Wisconsin Supreme Court, while Ed Fallone was eliminated. Kelly received 50.1% of the vote to Karofsky's 37.2% and Fallone's 12.7%.^[2] Kelly and Karofsky advanced to the general election on April 7, 2020.

Although the race was officially nonpartisan, Kelly was a member of the court's conservative majority and received support from conservative groups. Fallone and Karofsky said they would join the court's liberal minority and received support from liberal groups.

All three candidates said they were running to counter politicization on the court. Kelly said judges should decide cases based on their interpretation of the law rather than their political preferences, while Fallone said he was running to counter what he said was the politicization of the judiciary, and Karofsky said Kelly had a record of ruling in favor of conservative groups.^[3][4][5]

Kelly was running for a full term on the court after Gov. Scott Walker (R) appointed him in 2016 to replace David T. Prosser, who retired.^[6] He said he had a broader range of experience than either Fallone or Karofsky, including as a prosecutor, defense attorney, and litigator.^[5]

Fallone is a Marquette University law professor who ran for state Supreme Court in 2013. He said his teaching experience and his work with the Hispanic community and low-income clients would bring new perspectives to the bench.^[4]

Karofsky was first elected to the Dane County Circuit Court in 2017. She said her experience as a trial court judge made her the most qualified candidate since she had firsthand experience with seeing the effects of state Supreme Court rulings on residents.^[5][7]

Karofsky and Fallone avoided direct criticism of one another. When asked why she and Fallone were not working to promote one another's candidacies, Karofsky responded, "It’s just the way Wisconsin is right now. The chances of both of us making it through the primary are very, very weak. I can’t imagine how that would happen."^[8] Fallone criticized both Kelly's and Karofsky's demeanor during an exchange at a Jan. 30 candidate forum but did not repeat his criticism in subsequent forums.^[9]

Recent election history suggested that either Fallone or Karofsky was likely to be eliminated in the Feb. 18 primary. Between 2005 and 2019, every contested Wisconsin Supreme Court election had a liberal and a conservative advance past the primary.

A Kelly win would have preserved the court's 5-2 conservative majority, while either a Fallone or a Karofsky win would have led to a 4-3 conservative majority, meaning that control of the court would be at stake in the next scheduled election in 2023. Click here to learn more about what's at stake in the general election.

Click on candidate names below to view their key messages:

Kelly					Fallone					Karofksy

Candidates and election results[edit]

Candidate profiles[edit]

This section includes candidate profiles created in one of two ways. Either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey or Ballotpedia staff created a profile after identifying the candidate as noteworthy.^[10] Ballotpedia staff compiled profiles based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements.

Endorsements[edit]

This section lists endorsements issued in this election. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please email us.

Wisconsin Supreme Court primary endorsements, 2020
Endorsement	Kelly	Fallone	Karofsky
Newspapers and editorials
Shepherd Express[11]		✔	✔
Elected officials
President Donald Trump (R)[12]	✔
Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Bradley[13]	✔
Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Dallet[14]			✔
Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Brian Hagedorn[13]	✔
State Sen. Janet Bewley (D)[14]			✔
State Sen. Chris Larson (D)[15]		✔
State Sen. Jon Erpenbach (D)[14]			✔
State Sen. LaTonya Johnson (D)[14]			✔
State Sen. Janis Ringhand (D)[14]			✔
State Sen. Patty Schachtner (D)[14]			✔
State Sen. Jennifer Shilling (D)[14]			✔
State Sen. Jeff Smith (D)[14]			✔
State Rep. Jill Billings (D)[14]			✔
State Rep. David Bowen (D)[15]		✔
State Rep. Jonathan Brostoff (D)[15]		✔
State Rep. Marisabel Cabrera (D)[15]		✔
State Rep. David Crowley (D)[15]		✔
State Rep. Steve Doyle (D)[14]			✔
State Rep. Jodi Emerson (D)[14]			✔
State Rep. Evan Goyke (D)[15]		✔
State Rep. Tip McGuire (D)[14]			✔
State Rep. Tod Ohnstad (D)[14]			✔
State Rep. Sondy Pope (D)[14]			✔
State Rep. Christine Sinicki (D)[14]			✔
State Rep. Shelia Stubbs (D)[14]			✔
State Rep. Amanda Stuck (D)[14]			✔
State Rep. Lisa Subeck (D)[14]			✔
State Rep. Chris Taylor (D)[14]			✔
State Rep. Don Vruwink (D)[14]			✔
State Rep. JoCasta Zamarripa (D)[15]		✔
Court of Appeals Judge Martin Joseph Donald[15]		✔
Court of Appeals Judge Brian Blanchard[14]			✔
Court of Appeals Judge Jennifer Nashold[14]			✔
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett[15]		✔
Former Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk (D)[14]			✔
Former Dane County Executive Rick Phelps (D)[14]			✔
Racine Mayor Cory Mason[14]			✔
Former Madison Mayor Joe Sensenbrenner[14]			✔
Former Madison Mayor Joel Skornicka[14]			✔
Individuals
Former Gov. Jim Doyle (D)[14]			✔
Former Gov. Tony Earl (D)[14]			✔
Former Gov. Martin Schreiber (D)[14]			✔
Former Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton (D)[14]			✔
Former U.S. Attorney James Santelle[15]		✔
Former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice David T. Prosser[13]	✔
Former state Sen. Tim Cullen (D)[14]			✔
Former state Rep. Spencer Black (D)[14]			✔
Former state Rep. David Clarenbach (D)[14]			✔
Former state Rep. Jeff Neubauer (D)[14]			✔
Former state Rep. Barbara Notestein (D)[14]			✔
Former state Rep. Sandy Pasch (D)[15]		✔
Former state Rep. Thomas Springer (D)[14]			✔
Former state Rep. Dana Wachs (D)[15]		✔
Former state Rep. Mandy Wright (D)[15]		✔
Former Court of Appeals Judge Edward Brunner[14]			✔
Former Court of Appeals Judge Bill Eich[14]			✔
Former Court of Appeals Judge Paul Higginbotham[14]			✔
Former Court of Appeals Judge Dan LaRocque[14]			✔
Former Court of Appeals Judge Paul Lundsten[14]			✔
Former Court of Appeals Judge Gary Sherman[14]			✔
Organizations
American Federation of Teachers Local 212[15][14]		✔	✔
Citizens Action[16]		✔	✔
Voces de la Frontera[15]		✔
Wisconsin Hispanic Lawyers Association[15]		✔
Wisconsin Right to Life[17]	✔

Timeline[edit]

2020[edit]

• February 2020 (click to collapse)

  February[edit]

  • February 11, 2020: The Shepherd Express endorsed Fallone and Karofsky.^[11]

  • February 10, 2020: The candidates submitted spring pre-primary campaign finance reports covering receipts and disbursements between January 1, 2020, and February 3, 2020. Kelly raised $187,000 during this period and had $463,000 cash on hand as of the end of the reporting period. Karofsky raised $65,400 and ended the period with $83,400 on hand, while Fallone raised $22,000 and ended the period with $51,900 on hand.^[18][19][20]

  • February 4, 2020: Kelly released a radio ad titled Fairy Tale.

  • February 3, 2020: Kelly, Fallone, and Karofsky participated in a candidate forum at the University of Wisconsin-Stout.^[21]

  • February 3, 2020: Karofsky released an ad titled Stop corruption.^[22]

  • February 1, 2020: Fallone and Karofsky participated in a candidate forum hosted by the League of Women Voters of Green Bay.^[23]

• January 2020 (click to expand)

  January[edit]

  • January 31, 2020: Citizens Action endorsed both Fallone and Karofsky.^[16]

  • January 30, 2020: Kelly released an ad.^[24]

  • January 30, 2020: Kelly, Fallone, and Karofsky met for a candidate forum hosted by the Milwaukee Bar Association.^[25]

  • January 27, 2020: Kelly and Fallone met for a candidate forum at St. Brendan's Inn in Green Bay.^[26]

2019[edit]

• November 2019 (click to expand)

  November[edit]

  • November 19, 2019: The candidates met for a candidate forum hosted by the American Constitution Society.^[27]

Debates and forums[edit]

February 3 candidate forum[edit]

On February 3, 2020, Kelly, Fallone, and Karofsky participated in a candidate forum hosted by the Menard Center at the University of Wisconsin-Stout.

Official recording, February 3, 2020, debate - University of Wisconsin-Stout

Click the links below for roundups of the candidate forum from:

• The Dunn County News
• WEAU

February 1 candidate forum[edit]

On February 1, 2020, Fallone and Karofsky participated in a candidate forum hosted by the League of Women Voters of Greater Green Bay.

Click here for the official recording of the candidate forum. Click the links below for roundups of the candidate forum from:

• The Appleton Post-Crescent
• The Press-Times

January 30 candidate forum[edit]

On January 30, 2020, Kelly, Fallone, and Karofsky met for a candidate forum hosted by the Milwaukee Bar Association.

Official recording, January 30, 2020, debate - Milwaukee Bar Association

Click the links below for roundups of the candidate forum from:

• The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
• Wisconsin Public Radio
• The Wisconsin State Journal
• WUWM

January 27 candidate forum[edit]

On January 27, 2020, Kelly and Fallone participated in a candidate forum at St. Brendan's Inn in Green Bay.

• Click here to read the WFRV roundup of the forum.

November 19, 2019, candidate forum[edit]

On November 19, 2019, Kelly, Fallone, and Karofsky met for a candidate forum at the law offices of Foley & Lardner LLP sponsored by the American Constitution Society. Click here here for the official recording of the candidate forum. Click the links below for roundups of the candidate forum from:

• The Wisconsin Examiner
• The Wisconsin State Journal
• U.S. News and World Report

Campaign themes[edit]

See also: Campaign themes

Candidate survey[edit]

Ballotpedia invites candidates to participate in its annual survey. Click here to fill out the survey.

The following campaign themes came from the candidates' campaign websites, where available.

Daniel Kelly[edit]

Kelly's campaign website stated the following:

Ed Fallone[edit]

Fallone's campaign website stated the following:

Jill Karofsky[edit]

Karofsky's campaign website stated the following:

Campaign ads[edit]

This section shows advertisements released in this race. Ads released by campaigns and, if applicable, satellite groups are embedded or linked below. If you are aware of advertisements that should be included, please email us.

Dan Kelly[edit]

• "Fairy Tale" - Kelly radio ad, released February 4, 2020
• Untitled Kelly campaign ad, released January 30, 2020

Jill Karofsky[edit]

"Stop corruption" - Karofsky campaign ad, released February 3, 2020

Polls[edit]

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

If you are aware of polls conducted in this race, please email us.

Candidate support[edit]

The following committees and groups either contributed to the candidate's campaign or made a recommendation or endorsement of the candidate.

Support for Kelly[edit]

• Fox Valley Initiative^[32]
• Friends of John Murtha^[32]
• Jim Ott for Assembly^[32]
• Murphy for Assembly^[18]
• Republican Party of the 6th Congressional District of Wisconsin^[32]
• Republican Party of Portage County^[18]
• Republican Party of Sheboygan County^[32]
• Republican Party of Vilas County^[32]
• Schimel for Judge^[18]
• Stroebel for Senate^[32]
• Wisconsin Right to Life^[32]

Support for Fallone[edit]

• American Federation of Teachers Local 212^[15]
• Burns for Wisconsin^[33]
• Citizens Action^[16]
• Professional Fire Fighters of Green Bay^[34]
• Voces de la Frontera^[15]
• Wisconsin Hispanic Lawyers Association^[15]

Support for Karofsky[edit]

• American Federation of Teachers Local 212^[14]
• Citizens for Spencer Black^[35]
• Coulee Region United Educators^[20]
• Friends of Christian Albouras^[35]
• Citizens Action^[16]
• Friends of David Mahoney for Sheriff^[36]
• Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin PAC^[35]

Campaign finance[edit]

Satellite spending[edit]

See also: Satellite spending

Satellite spending, commonly referred to as outside spending, describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.^[37][38][39]

This section lists satellite spending in this race reported by news outlets in alphabetical order. If you are aware of spending that should be included, please email us.

What's at stake in the general election?[edit]

The general election determined the size of the court's conservative majority. A win for Fallone or Karofsky would have reduced the conservative majority to 4-3, meaning that the next regularly scheduled election in 2023 would decide control of the court. A Kelly win would have preserved the court's 5-2 conservative majority. Assuming no justices leave the bench before their terms expire, a Kelly win would have prevented a liberal majority from forming on the court until 2026 at the earliest.

At the time of the election, Wisconsin was one of 14 states with divided government, where neither party held a trifecta. Democrat Tony Evers (D) was governor, while Republicans held majorities in both chambers of the state legislature.

Recent elections to the Wisconsin Supreme Court had been decided by narrow margins. In 2019, conservative Brian Hagedorn defeated liberal Lisa Neubauer by a 0.5 percent margin. Aside from the 2017 election in which incumbent Annette Ziegler was unopposed, the widest margin of victory in the preceding decade was liberal incumbent Ann Walsh Bradley's 16.2 percent win in 2015.

Past elections[edit]

Overview[edit]

Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 2005-2019
Year	Winning candidate	Ideological lean	Percent share of vote	Losing candidate	Ideological lean	Percent share of vote	Margin of victory	Majority on court	Turnout	Other statewide elections on ballot
2019	Brian Hagedorn	Conservative	50.2%	Lisa Neubauer	Liberal	49.7%	0.5%	5-2	26.6%	None
2018	Rebecca Dallet	Liberal	55.8%	Michael Screnock	Conservative	44.2%	11.6%	4-3	22.2%	None
2017	Annette Ziegler (incumbent)	Conservative	97.2%	Write-in	--	2.8%	94.4%	5-2	~16%	State Superintendent of Public Instruction
2016	Rebecca Bradley (incumbent)	Conservative	52.4%	JoAnne Kloppenburg	Liberal	47.5%	4.9%	5-2	47.4%	Primary election - U.S. President
2015	Ann Walsh Bradley (incumbent)	Liberal	58.1%	James Daley	Conservative	41.9%	16.2%	4-3	18.3%	None
2013	Patience Roggensack (incumbent)	Conservative	57.5%	Ed Fallone	Liberal	42.5%	15%	4-3	20.5%	State Superintendent of Public Instruction
2011	David T. Prosser (incumbent)	Conservative	50.2%	JoAnne Kloppenburg	Liberal	49.7%	0.5%	4-3	34.3%	None
2009	Shirley Abrahamson (incumbent)	Liberal	59.6%	Randy Koschnick	Conservative	40.2%	19.4%	4-3	18.2%	None
2008	Michael Gableman	Conservative	51.1%	Louis Butler (incumbent)	Liberal	48.5%	2.6%	4-3	19.3%	None
2007	Annette Ziegler	Conservative	58.6%	Linda M. Clifford	Liberal	41.1%	17.5%	4-3	19.4%	None
2006	N. Patrick Crooks (incumbent)	Liberal	99.4%	Write-in	--	0.6%	98.8%	4-3	11.8%	None
2005	Ann Walsh Bradley (incumbent)	Liberal	99.6%	Write-in	--	0.4%	99.2%	4-3	17.1%	State Superintendent of Public Instruction

2019[edit]

See also: Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 2019

Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge Brian Hagedorn defeated Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge Lisa Neubauer in the nonpartisan election for a 10-year term on the Wisconsin Supreme Court on April 2, 2019. Hagedorn won with 50% support. The seat was previously held by Justice Shirley Abrahamson, a member of the court's 4-3 liberal minority at the time of the election. Abrahamson did not run for re-election.

Although the election was officially nonpartisan, groups associated with the Democratic Party tended to support Neubauer while groups associated with the Republican Party tended to support Hagedorn.

2018[edit]

See also: Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 2018

Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Rebecca Dallet won the nonpartisan election for a 10-year term on the Wisconsin Supreme Court against Sauk County Circuit Judge Michael Screnock on April 3, 2018. Dallet won with 56 percent support. The seat was previously held by Justice Michael Gableman, a member of the court's 5-2 conservative majority at the time of the election, who did not seek re-election.

Although the election was officially nonpartisan, groups associated with the Democratic Party tended to support Dallet while groups associated with the Republican Party tended to support Screnock.

Wisconsin Supreme Court, 2018
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Rebecca Dallet	55.72%	555,848
Michael Screnock	44.19%	440,808
Total Votes (3880/3880 precincts)		996,656
Source: Wisconsin Elections Commission

2017[edit]

See also: Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 2017

Candidates[edit]

■ Annette Ziegler (Incumbent/Unopposed)
One seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court was up for election in 2017. Justice Annette Ziegler was elected to the court in 2007 for a 10-year term and needed to stand for re-election in 2017 in order to serve another term. She ran unopposed.^[40] Because she was unopposed, the seat did not appear on the ballot in Wisconsin's February primary election but instead appeared only on the ballot for the April 4 general election.

2016[edit]

See also: Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 2016

Wisconsin Supreme Court, Rebecca Bradley's Seat, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Rebecca Bradley Incumbent	52.35%	1,024,892
JoAnne Kloppenburg	47.47%	929,377
Write-in votes	0.19%	3,678
Total Votes (100% Reporting)		1,957,947
Source: Wisconsin Government Accountability Board Official Results

One seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court was up for election in 2016. Following the death of Justice N. Patrick Crooks on September 21, 2015, Rebecca Bradley was appointed to the Wisconsin Supreme Court by Governor Scott Walker (R) on October 9, 2015. Earlier in September, Crooks had announced his plans to retire at the end of his term.^[41] Bradley had already announced a run for Crooks' seat before his death.^[42]

Bradley and opponent JoAnne Kloppenburg received the highest number of votes for Bradley's seat in the primary on February 16, 2016, knocking Joe Donald out of the race. Bradley and Kloppenburg then faced each other in the sharply contested April general election. Bradley won. The race had the highest voter turnout for a supreme court race in Wisconsin state history, with over 1,900,000 votes cast.^[43][44]

2015[edit]

See also: Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 2015

See also: Wisconsin judicial elections, 2015

 

General election, 2015
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Ann Walsh Bradley Incumbent	58.1%	471,866
James Daley	41.9%	340,632
Total Votes		813,200

^[45][46]

One seat was open for election on the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2015. Incumbent Justice Ann Walsh Bradley defeated Rock County Circuit Court Judge James Daley in the general election on April 7, 2015. Although the election was nonpartisan, Bradley is considered to be part of the liberal minority on the court. If Daley won, conservatives would have held a five-member majority on the seven-member court.^[47]

Justice Bradley was elected to the court in 1995 and re-elected in 2005. She previously served as a circuit court judge for 10 years in Marathon County. Judge Daley joined the Rock County Circuit Court since 1989.^[48][49]

2013[edit]

See also: Wisconsin judicial elections, 2013

Candidate	Incumbency	Position	Primary Vote	Election Vote
RoggensackPatience Roggensack
FalloneEd Fallone	No		29.8%A	42.47%   A
MegnaVince Megna	No		6.3%

One seat was open for election on the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2013. Incumbent Justice Patience Roggensack defeated law professor Ed Fallone in the general election on April 2, 2013. Although the election was nonpartisan, Roggensack is considered to be a member of the court's conservative majority. If Fallone had won, control of the court would have gone to the liberal wing.

Justice Roggensack was first elected to the court in 2003. She previously served for seven years on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals and for 16 years as an attorney in private practice.

2011[edit]

See also: Wisconsin judicial elections, 2011

Candidate	Incumbency	Position	Primary Vote	Election Vote
KloppenburgJoAnne Kloppenburg	No	District IV		49.70%   A
ProsserDavid T. Prosser   A	Yes			50.192%   A
WinnigJoel Winnig	No
StephensMarla J. Stephens	No

One seat was open for election on the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2011. Incumbent Justice David T. Prosser defeated Assistant Attorney General JoAnne Kloppenburg in the general election on April 5, 2011. Although the election was nonpartisan, Prosser is considered to be a member of the court's conservative majority. If Kloppenburg had won, control of the court would have gone to the liberal wing.

Justice Prosser was first appointed to the court in 1998 by Gov. Tommy Thompson (R) and was elected to a full term in 2001. He had previously served on the Wisconsin Tax Appeals Commission and in the Wisconsin State Assembly.

Historical competitiveness in statewide races in Wisconsin[edit]

The following chart shows the vote totals for general election candidates in contested statewide races from 2012 through 2018. Although Wisconsin Supreme Court elections are nonpartisan, liberal and conservative groups typically coalesce around specific candidates. In those cases, Democratic and Republican refers to the preferred candidate of each party.

Partisan vote totals in statewide races in Wisconsin, 2012-2018
Year	Race	Democratic Votes	Democratic Percentage	Republican Votes	Republican Percentage	Other Votes	Other Percentage	Total votes
2018	U.S. Senate	1,472,914	55.4%	1,184,885	44.5%	2,964	0.1%	2,660,763
2018	Governor	1,313,836	49.6%	1,284,786	48.5%	52,480	2.0%	2,651,102
2018	State Supreme Court	555,848	55.7%	440,808	44.2%	829	0.1%	997,485
2016	President	1,382,536	46.5%	1,405,284	47.2%	188,330	6.3%	2,976,150
2016	U.S. Senate	1,380,335	46.8%	1,479,471	50.2%	87,539	3.0%	2,947,345
2016	State Supreme Court	929,377	47.5%	1,024,892	52.3%	3,678	0.2%	1,957,947
2015	State Supreme Court	471,866	58.0%	340,632	41.9%	702	0.1%	813,200
2014	Governor	1,122,913	46.6%	1,259,706	52.3%	27,698	1.1%	2,410,317
2013	State Supreme Court	362,969	42.5%	491,261	57.5%	485	0.1%	854,715
2012	President	1,620,985	52.8%	1,407,966	45.9%	39,483	1.3%	3,068,434
2012	U.S. Senate	1,547,104	51.5%	1,380,126	45.9%	78,808	2.6%	3,006,038

About the Wisconsin Supreme Court[edit]

See also: Wisconsin Supreme Court

The Wisconsin Supreme Court is the highest appellate court in the state of Wisconsin. Seven justices, selected in nonpartisan elections for 10-year terms, sit on the state's court of last resort. The court has jurisdiction over all other Wisconsin courts and can also hear original actions.^[50]

Political composition[edit]

This is the political composition of the supreme court heading into the 2020 election. Justices are selected in nonpartisan elections. In the case of a mid-term vacancy, the governor appoints a replacement.

■ Brian Hagedorn		Elected in 2019
■ Ann Walsh Bradley		Elected in 1995, 2005, and 2015
■ Patience Roggensack		Elected in 2003 and 2013
■ Annette Ziegler		Elected in 2007 and 2017
■ Rebecca Dallet		Elected in 2018
■ Rebecca Bradley		Appointed by Scott Walker (R) in 2015, elected 2016
■ Daniel Kelly		Appointed by Scott Walker (R) in 2016

Selection[edit]

See also: Nonpartisan election of judges

The seven justices of the Wisconsin Supreme Court are elected in nonpartisan elections. Justices serve 10-year terms.^[51][52] In the event of a midterm vacancy, the governor appoints a replacement. If the vacancy occurs after that year's spring election and on or before December 1 of the same year, the appointee must stand for election in the next succeeding spring election in which no other justice is to be elected. If the vacancy occurs after December 1 but before the following spring's election, the appointee must stand for election in the next spring election—beginning with the second spring election from the time of the appointment—in which no other justice is to be elected.^[51][52]

The governor solicits recommendations from an Advisory Council on Judicial Selection in making his or her appointments, but is not required to choose one of the suggested appointees.^[51][53]

Qualifications[edit]

To serve on the supreme court, a justice must be:

• a qualified elector in the state; and
• licensed to practice law in the state for at least five years immediately prior to appointment or election to the court.^[51]

Selection of the chief judge[edit]

The chief justice of the supreme court is elected by a majority of the justices serving on the Court to serve a two-year term.

State profile[edit]

Demographic data for Wisconsin
	Wisconsin	U.S.
Total population:	5,767,891	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	54,158	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:	86.5%	73.6%
Black/African American:	6.3%	12.6%
Asian:	2.5%	5.1%
Native American:	0.9%	0.8%
Pacific Islander:	0%	0.2%
Two or more:	2.1%	3%
Hispanic/Latino:	6.3%	17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:	91%	86.7%
College graduation rate:	27.8%	29.8%
Income
Median household income:	$53,357	$53,889
Persons below poverty level:	15%	11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Wisconsin. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Presidential voting pattern[edit]

See also: Presidential voting trends in Wisconsin

Wisconsin voted for the Democratic candidate in four out of the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016.

Pivot Counties (2016)

Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, 23 are located in Wisconsin, accounting for 11.17 percent of the total pivot counties.^[54]

Pivot Counties (2020)

In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Wisconsin had 21 Retained Pivot Counties and two Boomerang Pivot Counties, accounting for 11.60 and 8.00 percent of all Retained and Boomerang Pivot Counties, respectively.

More Wisconsin coverage on Ballotpedia

• Elections in Wisconsin
• United States congressional delegations from Wisconsin
• Public policy in Wisconsin
• Influencers in Wisconsin
• Wisconsin fact checks
• More...

See also[edit]

Wisconsin	Judicial Selection	More Courts
Courts in Wisconsin Wisconsin Court of Appeals Wisconsin Supreme Court	Elections: 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 Gubernatorial appointments Judicial selection in Wisconsin	Federal courts State courts Local courts

External links[edit]

• Wisconsin Supreme Court

Footnotes[edit]

v • e 2020 State Judicial Elections State supreme court elections by state Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • Colorado • Florida • Georgia • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maryland • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Mexico • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • South Dakota • Texas • Utah • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming Intermediate appellate court elections by state Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • Colorado • Florida • Georgia • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maryland • Michigan • Minnesota • Missouri • Nebraska • Nevada • New Mexico • North Carolina • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Washington • Wisconsin

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