St. Louis, Mo., Feb 20, 2023 / 14:15 pm
Wisconsin voters are set to head to the polls Feb. 21 to vote for a new state Supreme Court justice in a nonpartisan primary. Though turnout in Wisconsin judicial elections is generally low, pro-life advocates say this election will play a major role in determining whether unborn children will continue to receive protection in Wisconsin, a state that currently has a near-total ban on abortion in place.
Wisconsin is the only state in the nation with a pre-Roe v. Wade abortion ban in effect, at least on paper. Wisconsin’s ban, which is contained in Section 940.04 of the Wisconsin Statutes and dates to 1849, allows abortion only to save the life of the mother. The law was unenforceable following Roe v. Wade, but Roe’s overturning last year allowed the statute to come into effect. Still, the state’s Democratic governor and attorney general have said they will not enforce the ban.
Now, Jennifer Dorow, Daniel Kelly, Everett Mitchell, and Janet Protasiewicz are running in the nonpartisan primary this week for an open seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which is being vacated by retiring conservative justice Patience Roggensack. The top two vote-getters on Tuesday will advance to the nonpartisan general election on April 4, Ballotpedia reports. The ultimate winner will sit on the Wisconsin Supreme Court for the next decade.