Incumbent emerges as winner in Wisconsin Supreme Court race

April 15, 2011

MADISON, Wisconsin: The canvass of votes in Wisconsin's 72 counties was completed on Friday afternoon, and it shows that incumbent David T. Prosser won re-election to the Wisconsin Supreme Court over challenger JoAnne Kloppenburg by 7,316 votes.

Kloppenburg had declared victory in the race when she was leading by 204 votes on election day. The following day however, the County Clerk for Waukesha County revealed that she had failed to include the tally from the city of Brookfield, and those votes were enough to put Prosser in the lead. The Kloppenburg campaign may request a recount of the votes, and has until Wednesday, April 20 to make that request.

State officials are waiting to certify the vote count until the recount request deadline passes. The state would pay the costs related to a recount, since the margin between the two candidates is less than half of a percent.

The Prosser campaign declared victory on April 15 with the following statement:

"Today, the will of the electorate is clear with the last canvas now completed and Justice David Prosser re-elected to another 10 year term to the Supreme Court. Justice Prosser extends his appreciation and respect to Joanne Kloppenburg and her spirited campaign. With certified results in‐hand, Justice Prosser hopes that a shared respect for the judiciary allows the campaign to move to a positive conclusion. Justice Prosser looks forward to thanking the voters of Wisconsin and is expected make a public address in the near‐future."

See also

• Wisconsin judicial elections, 2011
• Upheaval in Wisconsin Supreme Court election results
• The Morning After: If the results are close, what happens next in Wisconsin?