Democrat-Backed Protasiewicz Wins Wisconsin Supreme Court Race

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Facts

  • Democrat-backed Milwaukee County Circuit judge Janet Protasiewicz Tuesday defeated Republican-supported former Justice Dan Kelly for a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, shifting the majority control of the court to liberals for the first time in 15 years.1
  • With 75% of the ballots counted, Protasiewicz had 55.4% of the vote to Kelly's 44.6% – a lead of approximately 160K votes.2
  • It was the most expensive judicial election in US history, with more than $42.3M spent as of Monday. Because Wisconsin has a Democratic governor and a Republican-led state legislature, activists on both sides see the court as a decisive force in stalemates.3
  • A major issue in the run-up to the election was an upcoming decision on the constitutionality of the state’s 1849 ban that only allows abortion when it's necessary to save the life of the mother. Protasiewicz has publicly supported abortion rights, while Kelly has previously criticized abortion.4
  • Protasiewicz, whose 10-year term begins Aug. 1, could also be a crucial vote in a lawsuit that could overturn Republican-drawn legislative maps in the state.5
  • Election integrity was also at play, as Kelly was an advisor to a group of Republicans who allegedly falsely claimed to be electors for former Pres. Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election. The state Supreme Court narrowly rejected the plan.6

Sources: 1Associated Press, 2Reuters, 3Wall Street Journal, 4Axios, 5NPR Online News and 6Guardian.

Narratives

  • Democratic narrative, as provided by Mother Jones. This election has saved Wisconsin from the clutches of election-denying Republicans who pose a risk to democracy. Now, an unpopular abortion ban and a rigged voting map can be rescinded, and other progressive goals can be accomplished for the betterment of the state and the country.
  • Republican narrative, as provided by New York Post. This wasn’t a victory for democracy; it was a win for a judge who was backed heavily by radical-left billionaire George Soros and other out-of-state financiers. They seemingly won’t rest until they’ve spread their dangerous soft-on-crime agenda across the country.