St. Louis, Mo., Apr 5, 2023 / 11:00 am
Milwaukee County Judge Janet Protasiewicz, who garnered numerous endorsements and campaign funding from pro-abortion organizations during a contentious race for a seat on Wisconsin’s Supreme Court, emerged as the victor Tuesday night in what proved to be the most expensive state Supreme Court race in history.
The 2023 Wisconsin judicial race, which might have remained obscure in other years even within Wisconsin, captured national media attention and record fundraising numbers this spring. Pro-life and pro-abortion advocates agree that Protasiewicz’s win could tip the scales against the state’s current abortion ban, which is currently being challenged in court.
The April 4 statewide election, which saw high turnout numbers, featured former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly and Protasiewicz, a judge for Branch 24 of the Milwaukee County Circuit Court in Wisconsin, having been elected to that court in 2014. In a Feb. 21 primary, Kelly and Protasiewicz emerged as the two highest vote-getters, advancing them to the nonpartisan general election.
Protasiewicz defeated Kelly 55%-45% as of 11:15 p.m. Eastern time, according to the Associated Press.