David Maas (Waukesha County Circuit Court Branch 4, Wisconsin, candidate 2025)

David Maas

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Nonpartisan

Candidate, Waukesha County Circuit Court Branch 4

Elections and appointments

Last election

April 1, 2025

Education

High school

Marquette University High School

Bachelor's

Rice University, 1995

Personal

Profession

Prosecutor

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Instagram

David Maas ran for election to the Waukesha County Circuit Court Branch 4 in Wisconsin. He was on the ballot in the general election on April 1, 2025.

Maas completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

David Maas provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on March 25, 2025:

• High school: Marquette University High School
• Bachelor's: Rice University, 1995
• Gender: Male
• Profession: Prosecutor
• Incumbent officeholder: No
• Campaign slogan: Tough. Tested. Committed to Justice.
• Campaign website
• Campaign Facebook
• Campaign Instagram

Elections

General election

General election for Waukesha County Circuit Court Branch 4

David Maas and Bridget Schoenborn ran in the general election for Waukesha County Circuit Court Branch 4 on April 1, 2025.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	David Maas (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Bridget Schoenborn (Nonpartisan)

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	Incumbency information for this election was not available.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Maas in this election.

Campaign themes

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

David Maas completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Maas' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

For the past 25 years, I have been a state prosecutor here in Wisconsin. The bulk of my career was spent as an Assistant Attorney General where I specialized in Internet Crimes Against Children cases. I was Deputy Director of the Complex Criminal Litigation Unit and supervised our statewide prosecutor training for all ADAs in Wisconsin. My extensive courtroom experience (well over 100 cases tried to jury) have prepared me to run an efficient, effective, and fair courtroom. I have a conservative judicial philosophy, I respect the law, and I believe the Constitution should be the foundation for legal analysis.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Public safety is a key issue in Waukesha County. That's why we need to elect a judge who spent a quarter century fighting crime and standing up for the rights of victims. With my extensive experience, it is no wonder why the major law enforcement agencies in the county have endorsed me.
• I have a deep respect for the rule of law, the Constitution, and separation of powers. Judges should not make laws. While judges decide facts and apply the law, the role of making law is left to the legislature and should be respected. I believe the Constitution should be the foundation of legal analysis and that legal precedent, if consistent with the Constitution, should be respected.
• Increased technology and the power of cell phones have opened up a wide range of investigative techniques that can lead to the arrest and prosecution of otherwise unknown suspects. I have a lot of experience with 4th Amendment law and technology, and have even trained state judges in this area. Wisconsin needs judges on the bench who understand these issues, who can protect privacy interests while at the same time granting authority to law enforcement to use this technology in its investigations. I will be that judge.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I want to be careful in answering this question, because while judges are individuals who have passions and interests, those personal passions should not affect judicial decisions. The judge must be the neutral and detached magistrate who decides issues based solely upon the law and the facts. That said, the public policy issues that I could help advance as a judge are judicial/court efficiency and public awareness and education about the judicial system.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

A judge should be a hard worker, must listen to litigants, and must be prepared and ready for the issues in the case. A judge should run an efficient courtroom and respect the time and professionalism of the litigants, the attorneys, the staff, and the jury.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I am a hard worker and I am used to a huge caseload. It is not unusual for an Assistant District Attorney to handle more than 500 cases at one time. I am used to that workload and know that a heavy caseload as a judge would not prevent me from handling cases in a fair and efficient manner.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Apply the rule of law, decide facts, and provide decisions to issues presented by litigants.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

Judges have incredible authority, even at the circuit court level. They can incarcerate people, terminate parental rights, interpret contractual language, and take away or grant property.

How would you describe your legal philosophy?

I have deep respect for the Constitution and the Separation of Powers doctrine. I think the roles of the three branches should be adhered to, and it should not be the role of the judicial branch to interfere with executive policy making or legislative law making, unless the Constitution requires it.

Is there a particular judge, past or present, whom you admire?

I admire Justice Scalia and the philosophy of originalism. Having worked in high tech crimes and seen the difficulty of squaring the 4th Amendment with things like cell phones, cloud computing, and GPS location information, I have a deep respect for the idea that while our technology has far outpaced anything our framers had in mind when drafting the Constitution, their will and their intent should still be respected.

Do you believe that empathy is an important quality for a judge?

I think empathy should be a consideration for any judge. But decisions must be made without passion, prejudice, or bias.

Have you ever been rated by a Bar Association? If so, what was the rating?

N/A

Why are you running for this particular court seat?

I am passionate about making a positive impact on the legal system and Waukesha. Judges must apply the law consistently and justly while respecting the legislative process and precedent. My 25 years in state courtrooms have shown the importance of a fair, respectful court environment, upholding the highest ethical standards and prioritizing public safety. I will ensure victims’ rights are respected, offenders are held accountable, and decisions are made with community safety in mind. A firm but fair approach to justice will protect Waukesha families while maintaining the integrity of our courts.

What is your primary concern about today's legal system in your state?

Efficiency, access to defense attorneys for indigent defendants, time to disposition.

Would you be interested in serving on a higher court in the future? If so, which court appeals to you?

No. I intend to retire after my circuit court career.

Do you believe that Bar Association ratings are an accurate reflection of a judge’s ability?

No.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

State Supreme Court Candidate Brad Schimel

State Court of Appeals Judge Shelley Grogan
Circuit Court Judge Jack Melvin
Waukesha County Police Chiefs Association
Waukesha Deputy Sheriffs Labor Union
Milwaukee Police Association
Fond du Lac District Attorney Eric Toney (R)

Waukesha District Attorney Sue Opper (R) retired

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

I think the public should have a clear understanding of where their tax dollars go and how courts operate.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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