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Patricia Baker (Wisconsin)
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2020 - Present
2028
5
Patricia Baker is a judge of the Portage County Circuit Court in Wisconsin. Baker assumed office in 2020. Baker's current term ends on July 31, 2028.
Baker ran for re-election to the Stevens Point Area Public School District School Board At-large in Wisconsin. Baker won in the general election on April 4, 2017.
She was appointed to the court on December 7, 2020 by Gov. Tony Evers (D) to replace Thomas Flugaur.[1]
Baker was re-elected to the court for a six-year term ending in 2028 on April 5, 2022 in Portage County.[2]
Biography
Baker earned a B.A. in communications from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities in 1982 and a J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1996. She worked as a staff attorney for Legal Action of Wisconsin, Inc., following her graduation from law school. She went on to be an assistant district attorney for the state and an assistant city attorney for the city of Wausau, Wisconsin. Appointed in November 2011, she was the clerk of circuit court for Portage County Circuit Court.[3]
Elections
2017
Four seats on the Stevens Point Area Public School District School Board were up for general election on April 4, 2017. Incumbents Amy Dailey, Patricia Baker, Dewey Gantz, and Christina Scott ran unopposed for re-election to their seats.[4]
Three of the seats were up for regular election and came with a three-year term. One seat was up for special election and came with a one-year term. The three candidates who receive the most votes will win the seats with the three-year term, while the fourth place candidate will win the seat with the one-year term. Baker, Scott, and Dailey won three-year terms, while Gantz won the one-year term.[5]
Results
| Stevens Point Area Public School District, General Election, 3- and 1-year terms, 2017 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Patricia Baker Incumbent |
27.91% | 3,964 |
| Amy Dailey Incumbent |
24.30% | 3,451 |
| Christina Scott Incumbent |
24.04% | 3,414 |
| Dewey Gantz Incumbent |
23.14% | 3,287 |
| Write-in votes | 0.61% | 87 |
| Total Votes | 14,203 | |
| Source: Portage County Board, "Portage County 4-4-17 Spring Nonpartisan Election," accessed April 4, 2017 These election results are unofficial and will be updated after official vote totals are made available. | ||
Funding
All school board candidates in Wisconsin were required to file a campaign registration statement with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission after qualifying as candidates. This statement declares their candidacy to the county clerk's office and allows them to claim exemption from reporting campaign contributions and expenditures. Candidates were only required to report campaign contributions and expenditures if they did one or both of the following:[6]
- Accepted contributions, made disbursements, or incurred debt in excess of $2,000 during the calendar year
- Accepted more than $100 from a single source during the calendar year, barring contributions made by candidates to their own campaigns
There were three campaign finance report deadlines in 2017:
- The pre-primary report was due February 13, 2017,
- The pre-election report was due March 27, 2017, and
- The post-election report was due July 15, 2017.[7]
Candidates who filed before January 1, 2017, also had to file a continuing campaign finance report on January 16, 2017.[8]
2016
Results
Wisconsin held general elections for local judicial offices on April 5, 2016. A primary election took place on February 16, 2016. The filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was January 5, 2016. Trish Baker and incumbent Robert Shannon defeated David Knaapen and Jared Redfield in the Portage County Circuit Court primary for Branch 2.[9]
| Portage County Circuit Court (Branch 2), Nonpartisan Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Trish Baker |
32.98% | 2,700 |
| Robert Shannon Incumbent |
31.40% | 2,571 |
| David Knaapen | 27.09% | 2,218 |
| Jared Redfield | 8.41% | 689 |
| Write-in votes | 0.12% | 10 |
| Total Votes | 8,188 | |
| Source: Portage County, Wisconsin, "Portage County Election Results," accessed February 16, 2016 | ||
| Portage County Circuit Court (Branch 2), General Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Robert Shannon Incumbent |
55.00% | 11,903 |
| Trish Baker | 44.62% | 9,655 |
| Write-in votes | 0.38% | 82 |
| Total Votes | 21,640 | |
| Source: Portage County, "Election Results April 5, 2016," accessed April 5, 2016 | ||
Selection method
- See also: Nonpartisan election of judges
The 241 judges of the Wisconsin Circuit Courts are elected in nonpartisan elections to six-year terms. All judges must run for re-election if they wish to continue serving after their term expires.[10]
The chief judge of each circuit court is chosen by the state supreme court to serve a two-year term.[10]
Qualifications
To serve on the circuit courts, a judge must be:[10]
- a qualified elector in the state;
- a qualified elector of his or her circuit (for circuit judges); and
- licensed to practice law in the state for at least five years.
Endorsements
The following list is a sampling of public endorsements for Baker's campaign:[11]
- Former Marathon County Judge Dorothy Bain
- Marathon County Judge Michael Moran
- Dodge County District Attorney Kurt Klomberg
- Chris Scott, Stevens Point Area School District Board of Education Member
- Stevens Point Alderman Shaun Morrow
2014
Four at-large board incumbents were up for re-election. Incumbents Christina Scott, Jeff Presley, Robert Larson and Terry Rothmann were all eligible to run for re-election, but Rothmann did not run in the election. While Scott and Larson were seeking regular re-election, Presley was seeking election after being appointed to the board in May 2013 to complete the remainder of John Zellmer's unexpired term. Presley had previously served on the board.[12] The three incumbents were joined by newcomers Alex Kochanowski, Patricia Baker, Terri A. Fink and Samuel L. Levin on the general election ballot. The winners, in order of most votes received, were Kochanowski, Baker, Scott and Presley. The top three winners were elected to full, three-year terms, while fourth place winner Presley was elected to the remainder of the unexpired term he was originally appointed to which expired April 2015.[13]
Results
Note: The top three winners of the 2014 general election were elected to regular, three-year terms. The fourth-place finisher was elected to an unexpired one-year term. This special term was needed to fill a vacancy due to the resignation of John Zellmer.
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Alex Kochanowski (3-year) |
21.7% | 3,410 | |
| Nonpartisan | Patricia Baker (3-year) |
19.4% | 3,048 | |
| Nonpartisan | Christina Scott (3-year) Incumbent |
12.4% | 1,945 | |
| Nonpartisan | Jeff Presley (1-year) Incumbent |
11.3% | 1,777 | |
| Nonpartisan | Patricia Hetzel | 10.1% | 1,585 | |
| Nonpartisan | Terri A. Fink | 9.7% | 1,519 | |
| Nonpartisan | Robert Larson Incumbent | 8.5% | 1,329 | |
| Nonpartisan | Samuel Levin | 6.8% | 1,068 | |
| Total Votes | 15,681 | |||
| Source: Stevens Point Area Public School District, "Election Information: Spring Election, April 1, 2014, Official Results," accessed September 23, 2014 | ||||
Campaign themes
2016
Baker listed the following themes on her campaign website:
| “ |
Our form of government doesn’t just happen – it takes people.
The day that people stop using our courts to resolve their disputes will bring a dangerous future for all of us.
|
” |
| —Trish Baker (2016), [15] | ||
2014
Baker posted the following statement on her LinkedIn profile:
| “ | The most important thing that we, as a community, can do is educate our young people. There really is nothing that addresses the future well-being of our community, our businesses, our families, and our children - then ensure that we have a strong public education system.
I decided to run for the Stevens Point Area Public School District Board, to make a positive difference in my community, to promote my value of education, and to do what I can to "pay it forward" for future generations. Portage County is a wonderful place that offers world class education. I want to do my part in ensuring it remains that way and improves for future generations.[14] |
” |
| —Patricia Baker's LinkedIn profile (2014)[16] | ||
See also
- Stevens Point Area Public School District, Wisconsin
- Stevens Point Area Public School District elections (2017)
- Stevens Point Area Public School District elections (2014)
- Portage County Circuit Court
- Courts in Wisconsin
- Local trial court judicial elections, 2016
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Tony Evers Office of the Governor | State of Wisconsin, "Gov. Evers Appoints Patricia Baker to the Portage County Circuit Court," accessed July 27, 2022
- ↑ Portage County, "Spring Nonpartisan Election Results," accessed July 27, 2022
- ↑ LinkedIn, "Patricia Baker," accessed January 23, 2017
- ↑ Tiffany Rouse, "Email correspondence with Stevens Point Area Public School District's Administrative Assistant to the Director of Business Services Karlyn Krautkramer," January 11, 2016
- ↑ Portage County Board, "Portage County 4-4-17 Spring Nonpartisan Election," accessed April 4, 2017 These election results are unofficial and will be updated after official vote totals are made available.
- ↑ Wisconsin State Legislature, "11.0104 Reporting exemptions: limited activity," accessed December 15, 2016
- ↑ Wisconsin Ethics Commission, "Filing Deadlines and Reporting Periods," accessed December 15, 2016
- ↑ Wisconsin Ethics Commission, "Campaign Finance Checklist," accessed December 16, 2016
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "Candidates Registered by Office," accessed January 12, 2016
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Wisconsin," archived October 3, 2014
- ↑ Trish Baker for Judge, "Endorsements," accessed February 10, 2016
- ↑ WDEZ, "Stevens Point appoints school board member & officers Monday," May 14, 2013
- ↑ Stevens Point Area Public School District, "Election Information: Spring Election, April 1, 2014, Official Results," accessed September 23, 2014
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Trish Baker for Judge, "Why I'm Running," accessed February 10, 2016
- ↑ LinkedIn, "Patricia Baker profile," accessed September 23, 2014
| Stevens Point Area Public School District elections in 2017 | |
| Portage County, Wisconsin | |
| Election date: | April 4, 2017 |
| Candidates: | At-large: Incumbent, Amy Dailey • Incumbent, Patricia Baker • Incumbent, Jennifer Pothast • Incumbent, Christina Scott |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Additional elections on the ballot • Key deadlines |
Federal courts:
Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Wisconsin, Western District of Wisconsin • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Wisconsin, Western District of Wisconsin
State courts:
Wisconsin Supreme Court • Wisconsin Court of Appeals • Wisconsin Circuit Courts • Wisconsin Municipal Courts
State resources:
Courts in Wisconsin • Wisconsin judicial elections • Judicial selection in Wisconsin
| 2014 Stevens Point Area Public School District Elections | |
| Portage County, Wisconsin | |
| Election date: | April 1, 2014 |
| Candidates: | At-large: • Incumbent, Robert Larson • Incumbent, Jeff Presley • Incumbent, Christina Scott • Alex Kochanowski • Patricia Baker • Terri A. Fink • Patricia Hetzel • Samuel L. Levin |
| Important information: | Key deadlines |
