Susan Crawford (Wisconsin)
2025 - Present
2035
0
Susan Crawford is a judge of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. She assumed office on August 1, 2025. Her current term ends on July 31, 2035.
Crawford ran for election for judge of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. She won in the general election on April 1, 2025.
Biography
Education
Crawford earned a bachelor's degree from Lawrence University, a master's degree from Indiana University, and a law degree from the University of Iowa College of Law.[1]
Career
Crawford's professional experience includes working as a civil litigator in private practice, chief legal counsel to Gov. Jim Doyle (D), an assistant attorney general at the Iowa Attorney General's Office, and director of the criminal appeals unit at the Wisconsin Department of Justice.[1]
Elections
2025
See also: Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 2025
General election
General election for Wisconsin Supreme Court
Susan Crawford defeated Brad Schimel in the general election for Wisconsin Supreme Court on April 1, 2025.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Susan Crawford (Nonpartisan) | 55.0 | 1,301,137 |
 | Brad Schimel (Nonpartisan) | 44.9 | 1,062,330 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 1,420 | ||
| Total votes: 2,364,887 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Nonpartisan primary election
The primary election was canceled. Susan Crawford and Brad Schimel advanced from the primary for Wisconsin Supreme Court.
Campaign finance
Endorsements
Crawford received the following endorsements.
- U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D)
- U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (Independent)
- Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Ann Walsh Bradley (Nonpartisan)
- Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Dallet (Nonpartisan)
- Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Jill Karofsky (Nonpartisan)
- Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Janet Claire Protasiewicz (Nonpartisan)
- Frmr. Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Louis Butler (Nonpartisan)
- Frmr. President Barack Obama (D)
- Wisconsin Education Association Council
- AFL-CIO Wisconsin
- EMILY's List
- Grassroots North Shore
- Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin
2024
See also: Municipal elections in Dane County, Wisconsin (2024)
General election
General election for Dane County Circuit Court Branch 1
Incumbent Susan Crawford won election in the general election for Dane County Circuit Court Branch 1 on April 2, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Susan Crawford (Nonpartisan) | 99.1 | 89,390 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.9 | 850 | ||
| Total votes: 90,240 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
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Nonpartisan primary election
The primary election was canceled. Incumbent Susan Crawford advanced from the primary for Dane County Circuit Court Branch 1.
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Crawford in this election.
2018
General election
General election for Dane County Circuit Court Branch 1
Susan Crawford defeated Marilyn Townsend in the general election for Dane County Circuit Court Branch 1 on April 3, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Susan Crawford (Nonpartisan) | 51.4 | 59,048 |
 | Marilyn Townsend (Nonpartisan) | 48.1 | 55,234 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.5 | 593 | ||
| Total votes: 114,875 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
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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.[2]
The chief judge of each circuit court is chosen by the state supreme court to serve a two-year term.[2]
Qualifications
To serve on the circuit courts, a judge must be:[2]
- 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.
Campaign themes
2025
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Susan Crawford did not complete Ballotpedia's 2025 Candidate Connection survey.
2024
Susan Crawford did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign finance summary
Campaign finance information for this candidate is not yet available from OpenSecrets. That information will be published here once it is available.
State supreme court judicial selection in Wisconsin
- See also: Judicial selection in Wisconsin
The seven justices of the Wisconsin Supreme Court are elected in statewide nonpartisan elections. Judges serve ten-year terms, and to remain on the court, they must run for re-election after their term expires. Only one seat may be elected in any year, and more than two candidates for each seat must file to have a primary.[3][4]
Qualifications
To serve on the supreme court, a judge must be:
- licensed to practice law in Wisconsin for a minimum of five years immediately prior to election or appointment
- under the age of 70.[5]
Chief justice
The chief justice of the court is selected by peer vote for a term of two years.
Vacancies
In the event of a vacancy on the court, the governor has the power and duty to appoint an individual to the vacancy. The governor screens judicial applicants using an advisory council on judicial selection. The council recommends three to five candidates to the governor, although the governor is not bound by their recommendations. The appointed justice must then stand for election in the first subsequent year in which no other justice's term expires.[4][3][6]
The map below highlights how vacancies are filled in state supreme courts across the country.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Wisconsin Court System, "Justice Susan Crawford," accessed August 4, 2025
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Wisconsin," archived October 3, 2014
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection," accessed August 12, 2021
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Wisconsin State Legislature, "Wisconsin Constitution," accessed September 19, 2014 (Article VII, Section 4: pg.10) Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "section4" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ Wisconsin State Legislature, "Wisconsin Constitution," accessed September 19, 2014 (Article VII, Section 24: pg.11)
- ↑ Wisconsin State Legislature, "8.50 - Special elections," accessed April 19, 2023
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
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