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Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 2018

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2018 election dates
Deadline to file candidacy
January 2, 2018
Primary election
February 20, 2018
General election
April 3, 2018
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Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Rebecca Dallet won the nonpartisan election for a 10-year term on the Wisconsin Supreme Court against Sauk County Circuit Judge Michael Screnock on April 3, 2018. Dallet won with 56 percent support. The seat was previously held by Justice Michael Gableman, a member of the court's 5-2 conservative majority at the time of the election, who did not seek re-election.

Although the election was officially nonpartisan, groups associated with the Democratic Party tended to support Dallet while groups associated with the Republican Party tended to support Screnock.

Dallet's victory narrowed the court's conservative majority from 5-2 to 4-3. In 2019, the seat of liberal-aligned Justice Shirley Abrahamson was up for election, followed in 2020 by conservative-aligned Justice Daniel Kelly. No additional elections are scheduled until 2023. This means that, barring any mid-term vacancies, Dallet's win places control of the court in the balance during the 2020 election. A Screnock victory would have meant that the earliest that control of the court could change is 2023.

Independent For more information about the nonpartisan primary in this election, click here.

Election results

Wisconsin Supreme Court, 2018
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.png Rebecca Dallet 55.72% 555,848
Michael Screnock 44.19% 440,808
Total Votes (3880/3880 precincts) 996,656
Source: Wisconsin Elections Commission

Voter turnout was measured at 22.2 percent, making this the highest spring election turnout in state history since 2011.[1]

Justices not on the ballot

Candidates

Justice Michael Gableman did not seek re-election.

Independent Rebecca Dallet

Rebecca Dallet.JPG

Dallet was first elected to the Milwaukee County Circuit Court in 2008 and won re-election in 2014. As of the 2018 election, she still held the seat. Dallet's previous experience includes 11 years as a prosecutor in the offices of the Milwaukee County District Attorney and the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin as well as three years teaching law at Marquette University.[2]

In her June 2017 announcement speech, Dallet pointed to her past experience: "I have the right experience to return independence and balance to what has become an increasingly partisan Supreme Court."[3] On her campaign website, Dallet says "I have spent my career, first as a prosecutor, and now as a judge, working to make our community safer." The website identifies the economy, crime, healthcare, and criminal justice law as areas of dissatisfaction.[4]

Dallet has received endorsements from Wisconsin Supreme Court Justices Shirley Abrahamson and Ann Walsh Bradley, former Justice Louis Butler, former Gov. Tony Earl (D), Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge Lisa Stark, and Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm (D).

Independent Michael Screnock

Michael Screnock.jpg

Screnock was first appointed to the Sauk County Circuit Court by Gov. Scott Walker (R) in 2015 and was elected to a full term in 2016. Screnock's previous experience includes time spent in private practice and, prior to earning his law degree, in municipal management.[5]

In his June 2017 announcement speech, Screnock referred to his stance on the role of the judiciary: "I share ... the belief that it is the role of a judge to say what the law is and not what it should be." Screnock added that "Judges must respect the different roles of the court and Legislature and should not legislate from the bench."[6] On his campaign website, Screnock says, "My experience as a judge adds to the experience I gained as a local government official and an attorney, and uniquely prepares me for service on our state’s highest court."[7] Screnock describes his judicial philosophy as a belief that "the role of a judge or justice is to interpret and apply the law, not rewrite the law" and that it is "important that the judicial branch serve as the stable branch of our government."[8]

Screnock has received endorsements from Wisconsin Supreme Court Justices Daniel Kelly, Michael Gableman, and Rebecca Bradley as well as former Justices David Prosser and Jon Wilcox.

Campaign themes and policy stances

Policy stances

Below are statements made by the candidates on issues of relevance to the election, taken from media appearances and the candidates' campaign websites.

Judicial philosophy

Independent Rebecca Dallet: "I made a decision early on in my career that I wanted to help people, work for those who need their voices heard and who need justice – and not work to represent the interests of corporate clients. That’s why I entered public service. I know what it’s like to work day in and day out in our courtrooms. I see the challenges our neighbors face: moms like me working two jobs, but still not able to make ends meet; families losing their homes when someone gets sick and the medical bills stack up; victims of violent crime, especially in our poorest neighborhoods, struggling to find a way as guns and drugs devastate their community. And I see neighbors trying to get their lives back on track, but stuck in a criminal justice system that needs reform. Over the years, I’ve admired Justice Ann Walsh Bradley's career on the Wisconsin Supreme Court and believe we share a commitment to eliminating special interests and partisan politics in our courtrooms. As the first woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor has always been a role model paving the way for women in our judicial system."[11]
Independent Michael Screnock: "I believe strongly in the rule of law. The role of a judge or justice is to interpret and apply the law, not rewrite the law. Our system of government has at its foundation three co-equal branches – legislative, executive, and judicial. When the constitutionality of a law is questioned, the judiciary serves an important role as a legal check on the actions of the other two branches, and appropriately declares when they have overstepped their lawful authority. When a court is asked to interpret a law, its role is to declare what the law is, based on what the legislative and executive branches have done, and not what the court thinks it should be. Following these principles, the judiciary should never serve as a political check on the actions of the other two branches. It is not the role of a court to veto, or rewrite, laws that it believes are unwise or imprudent.
It is also important that the judicial branch serve as the stable branch of our government. The legislative and executive branches are by their very nature subject to change based on current or popular thinking. The judicial branch provides the foundational stability our system of government requires. One way courts promote stability is by respecting prior judicial decisions – a doctrine called stare decisis – and changing course from settled law only on rare occasions. Another way is by exercising self-restraint and acting only when it is abundantly clear that the court has the lawful authority to do what it is being asked to do.
During my service as a judge I have worked hard to abide by these principles. I will do the same if afforded the privilege to serve on our state’s highest court."[12]

Importance of the election

Independent Rebecca Dallet: "We should all care about our Supreme Court because right now, our Supreme Court is broken and dysfunctional. For the past decade, millions of special-interest dollars have flooded into Wisconsin’s Supreme Court elections to buy influence on the court, and it worked. When our courts are bought and paid for by special interests, the people of Wisconsin don’t have a chance at a fair shake when they enter the courtroom. Special-interest dollars have soiled our courts and it’s time we do something about it. Since day one of my campaign, I have said that I will work to establish a stronger, clear recusal rule so this undue influence stops once and for all."[13]
Independent Michael Screnock: "Having an independent judiciary comprised of justices with an unwavering commitment to upholding the rule of law, to recognizing and respecting the separation of powers, and to interpreting the Constitution as it was intended is critical to preserving and maintaining our democracy and our republic. Far too often, we see a tendency from judges at all levels to rule with an activist bent, ultimately legislating from the bench by allowing their own personal biases to determine what is and isn’t good public policy. Our job as judges is to interpret and apply the law, based not on our personal or political beliefs, but by relying on statutes and the Constitution. Our job is to be arbiters of the law; not policy analysts or political activists. Citizens across the Badger State deserve the security and predictability of an independent judicial branch, and by electing me that’s exactly what they will get."[13]

John Doe investigations

Independent Rebecca Dallet: "What we need to do is fix our broken Wisconsin Supreme Court. Big-money special interests have taken over. Justices refuse to recuse themselves even when their donors — who’ve given massive amounts of money — want the court to rule a certain way. They’ve even closed administrative meetings so they can do more of their business out of the public’s view.
There’s no more clear example than when this court shut down the John Doe investigations of Gov. Scott Walker and his associates. The first John Doe investigation resulted in multiple convictions, but the second investigation was stopped in its tracks by this court, and they even ordered evidence destroyed. Instead of letting prosecutors do their job, they declared it a witch hunt and protected their political allies."[14]
Independent Michael Screnock: "It’s unfortunate that Judge Dallet has spent her time since June urging voters to believe that our court is doing anything other than following the law. She talks about the court being bought and paid for and simply doing the bidding of special interests, and she points to (rulings on) John Doe and Act 10 — two cases in 10 years and she ignores all the cases where those same interests have lost."[15]

Act 10

Independent Rebecca Dallet: "Act 10, I think the court got it wrong."[16]
Independent Michael Screnock: "I believe our Supreme Court got the original Act 10 challenge, Ozanne v. Fitzgerald, right. The circuit court acted to prohibit the Secretary of State from publishing Act 10 and declared that a legislative committee violated the open meetings law. Both of these rulings had significant separation-of-powers implications. By voiding the circuit court’s decision, the Supreme Court emphatically reaffirmed core Constitutional principles that the judicial branch does not have any role to play in reviewing laws until the lawmaking process is complete or in supervising the Legislature’s procedures."[13]

Voter ID

Independent Rebecca Dallet: "I can’t weigh in on whether something is 'good policy' or not, that is a question for the legislative and executive branches of government. The issue before our courts is whether or not a law violates constitutional rights. Federal courts have generally upheld these laws as constitutional, provided that voters have sufficient options for what type of ID they can use, and provided there is some sort of reasonable failsafe for those who cannot obtain an ID. However, there is likely to be additional litigation. I think it’s safe to say that I am very concerned about the suppressive effect of these laws and whether or not that results in an unconstitutional burden on an individual’s or a group’s ability to cast a ballot."[17]

Nonviolent drug offenders

Independent Rebecca Dallet: "I feel strongly that judges and courts can inform policymakers about our experience to help craft better policy, understanding that the policy decisions are ultimately taken by legislators and executives.
One important example that my county circuit court has led on is the drug court, which seeks to find alternatives to incarceration for offenders who face substance abuse issues. We also have a veterans court to help find services and support for those in need. Judges should speak up when we see the results of policies and help inform policy-makers about our experience."[17]
Independent Michael Screnock: "Way back society thought that these people needed to be punished and prison was the default mechanism...But of course we were finding this was not helping them...We needed to be addressing what’s driving them to commit these crimes."[18]

Satellite spending

See also: Satellite spending

Official reports

As of March 26, 2018, the following organizations had filed reports with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission indicating that they had conducted satellite spending in this race:

Satellite spending in the 2018 Wisconsin Supreme Court election
Organization Spending to support Dallet Spending to oppose Screnock Spending to support Screnock Spending to oppose Dallet Total spending
For Our Future $56,157.25 $22,863.60 -- -- $79,020.85
National Democratic Redistricting Committee $141,666.66 $23,333.34 -- -- $165,000
Center for Popular Democracy $8,560 -- -- -- $8,560
High Ground Action Fund $90,000 -- -- -- $90,000
Total spending $296,383.91 $46,196.94 $0 $0 $342,580.85

Click here for information on media reports of spending by groups that had not filed independent expenditure reports with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission.

For Our Future

As of March 26, 2018, For Our Future PAC has reported $79,020.85 in spending on the race, including $22,863.60 that was spent to oppose Michael Screnock and $56,157.25 that was spent to support Rebecca Dallet.[19] For Our Future PAC was established in May 2016 by Thomas Steyer's organization NextGen Climate and a group of labor unions including the AFL-CIO and the AFSCME. Its initial objective was voter mobilization in battleground states and achieving $50 million in fundraising to support Democratic candidates who were seeking election to the presidency and the U.S. Congress.[20] As of March 2018, the PAC's website described its mission as "to mobilize and empower people and community organizations collectively mobilizing issue and electoral campaigns to advance our shared agenda – this is community organizing to win." At that time, the PAC was active in seven states, including Wisconsin.[21]

National Democratic Redistricting Committee

See also: National Democratic Redistricting Committee

As of March 26, 2018, the National Democratic Redistricting Committee has reported $165,000 in spending on the race, including $23,333.34 that was spent to oppose Michael Screnock and $141,666.66 that was spent to support Rebecca Dallet.[19] The National Democratic Redistricting Committee was established in August 2016 by leaders of the Democratic Party. Its founding chairman was former Attorney General Eric Holder, while its founding president was former Democratic Governors Association Executive Director Elisabeth Pearson.[22] The organization's website describes its goal as "to ensure the next round of redistricting is fair and that maps reflect the will of the voters", referring to the drawing of new Congressional and legislative districts following the 2020 census. It references a four-part strategy which includes supporting the election of Democratic candidates to particular seats.[23] As of March 2018, Wisconsin was one of 12 states identified as a target by the NDRC.[24]

Center for Popular Democracy

See also: Center for Popular Democracy

As of March 26, 2018, the Center for Popular Democracy has reported spending $8,560 to support Rebecca Dallet.[19] The Center for Popular Democracy was established in 2012 and merged with the Leadership Center for the Common Good in 2014. As of March 2018, it had a direct presence in nine states and had affiliates in 33 states. The organization's website describes its mission as "to create equity, opportunity and a dynamic democracy in partnership with high-impact base-building organizations, organizing alliances, and progressive unions. CPD strengthens our collective capacity to envision and win an innovative pro-worker, pro-immigrant, racial and economic justice agenda."[25]

High Ground Action Fund

As of March 26, 2018, the High Ground Action Fund has reported spending $90,000 to support Rebecca Dallet.[19] Based out of Wisconsin, High Ground Action Fund describes its mission as "to employ the use of targeted messages and mass communication to support the progressive movement in winning shared policy and electoral victories by developing aligned messages, a common strategic framework, and innovative communications capacity to more effectively create long-term sustainable change in Wisconsin."[26]


Media reports

The following groups were identified by media reports as spending in the race, but did not have independent expenditures on record with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission.

Wisconsin Alliance for Reform

A Brennan Center analysis of satellite spending in the race reported that as of March 30, 2018, the Wisconsin Alliance for Reform had spent $105,760 on advertising.[27] The Wisconsin Alliance for Reform was established in October 2015 with the goal of "advocating state and federal policies that put taxpayers first." Among its founding staff members were former Republican Party of Wisconsin communications director Chris Martin and former state Sen. Leah Vukmir (R) chief of staff Luke Fuller.[28] The organization's website describes it as "a coalition of concerned citizens and community leaders committed to creating greater economic opportunities for Wisconsin families."[29]

Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce

See also: Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce

A Brennan Center analysis of satellite spending in the race reported that as of March 30, 2018, the Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce Issue Mobilization Committee had spent $953,523.51 on advertising.[27] Founded in 1911, Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce serves as a chamber of commerce, a business association, and a safety council. As of March 2018, it reported having over 3,800 members, including local chambers of commerce, manufacturers, and trade associations.[30]

Greater Wisconsin

See also: Greater Wisconsin Committee

A Brennan Center analysis of satellite spending in the race reported that as of March 30, 2018, the Greater Wisconsin Committee had spent $352,235 on advertising and the Greater Wisconsin Political Fund had spent $303,180.[27] Founded in 2004, the Greater Wisconsin Committee describes its mission as "to communicate with people across the state to define and advance the important issues facing our citizens."[31] The Greater Wisconsin Political Fund, a political organization associated with the Greater Wisconsin Committee, describes its goal as "to raise public awareness on the positions and actions of our public officials - all in support of its ongoing efforts to hold these public officials more accountable to the citizens of Wisconsin."[32]

Endorsements

Wisconsin Supreme Court endorsements, 2018
Endorsement Date Dallet Screnock
Federal officials
Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ)[33] March 19, 2018 ✔
Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI)[34] March 14, 2018 ✔
Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI)[35] February 28, 2018 ✔
Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)[36] February 26, 2018 ✔
National figures
Former Vice President Joe Biden (D)[37] March 28, 2018 ✔
State figures
Former Gov. Jim Doyle (D)[38] March 12, 2018 ✔
Former Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI)[39] March 7, 2018 ✔
Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Shirley Abrahamson[40] March 4, 2018 ✔
Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Ann Walsh Bradley[41] March 2, 2018 ✔
Attorney and primary election candidate Tim Burns[42] February 22, 2018 ✔
Former Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI)[43] February 21, 2018 ✔
Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge Kitty Brennan[44] February 8, 2018 ✔
Former Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton[45] February 1, 2018 ✔
Former Rep. Dave Obey (D)[45] February 1, 2018 ✔
State Sen. Jennifer Shilling (D)[45] February 1, 2018 ✔
State Rep. Gordon Hintz (D)[45] February 1, 2018 ✔
Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge JoAnne Kloppenburg[45] February 1, 2018 ✔
State Sen. Leah Vukmir (R)[46] January 19, 2018 ✔
Former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Louis Butler[47] December 13, 2017 ✔
Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Bradley[48] September 28, 2017 ✔
Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman[48] September 28, 2017 ✔
Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge Mark Gundrum[48] September 28, 2017 ✔
Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge Brian Hagedorn[48] September 28, 2017 ✔
Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly[48] September 28, 2017 ✔
Former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice David Prosser[48] September 28, 2017 ✔
Former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Jon Wilcox[48] September 28, 2017 ✔
Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge Lisa Stark[49] August 5, 2017 ✔
Former Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge Richard Brown[50] Unknown ✔
Former Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge Neil Nettesheim[50] Unknown ✔
Former Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge Mark Mangerson[50] Unknown ✔
Former Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge David Deininger[50] Unknown ✔
Former Gov. Tony Earl (D)[50] Unknown ✔
State Rep. Steve Doyle (D)[50] Unknown ✔
State Rep. Evan Goyke (D)[50] Unknown ✔
State Rep. Tod Ohnstad (D)[50] Unknown ✔
State Rep. Christine Sinicki (D)[50] Unknown ✔
State Rep. Amanda Stuck (D)[50] Unknown ✔
State Rep. Lisa Subeck (D)[50] Unknown ✔
State Rep. Don Vruwink (D)[50] Unknown ✔
Former state Rep. Sandy Pasch (D)[50] Unknown ✔
Former state Rep. Jon Richards (D)[50] Unknown ✔
State Sen. Tim Carpenter (D)[50] Unknown ✔
State Sen. LaTonya Johnson (D)[50] Unknown ✔
State Sen. Chris Larson (D)[50] Unknown ✔
State Sen. Robert Wirch (D)[50] Unknown ✔
Former state Sen. Tim Cullen (D)[50] Unknown ✔
Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge Joan Kessler[50] Unknown ✔
Former Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge Charles Dykman[50] Unknown ✔
Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge Paul Higginbotham[50] Unknown ✔
Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge Gary Sherman[50] Unknown ✔
Former Rep. Steve Kagen (D)[50] Unknown ✔
Former Wisconsin Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager (D)[50] Unknown ✔
State Rep. Therese Berceau (D)[50] Unknown ✔
State Rep. Jonathan Brostoff (D)[50] Unknown ✔
State Rep. David Crowley (D)[50] Unknown ✔
State Rep. Eric Genrich (D)[50] Unknown ✔
State Rep. Fred Kessler (D)[50] Unknown ✔
State Rep. Melissa Sargent (D)[50] Unknown ✔
State Rep. Katrina Shankland (D)[50] Unknown ✔
State Rep. Mark Spreitzer (D)[50] Unknown ✔
State Sen. David Hansen (D)[50] Unknown ✔
State Sen. Patty Schachtner (D)[50] Unknown ✔
State Sen. Chris Taylor (D)[50] Unknown ✔
Local figures
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett (D)[51] March 5, 2018 ✔
Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson[45] February 1, 2018 ✔
Former Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk[45] February 1, 2018 ✔
Oak Creek Mayor Dan Bukiewicz[52] October 17, 2017 ✔
Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm[52] October 17, 2017 ✔
West Allis Mayor Dan Devine[52] October 17, 2017 ✔
Greenfield Mayor Michael Neitzke[52] October 17, 2017 ✔
Former La Crosse Mayor Tim Kabat[50] Unknown ✔
Organizations
Volunteers for Agriculture Committee[53] March 30, 2018 ✔
NARAL Pro-Choice America[54] March 29, 2018 ✔
Giffords[55] March 29, 2018 ✔
Wisconsin Restaurant Association[56] March 23, 2018 ✔
Wisconsin Family Action PAC[57] March 22, 2018 ✔
Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin[58] March 16, 2018 ✔
Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin[59] March 16, 2018 ✔
Wisconsin Dairy Business Association[60] March 15, 2018 ✔
Working Families Party of Wisconsin[61] March 14, 2018 ✔
Fraternal Order of Police[62] March 13, 2018 ✔
AFSCME Council 32[63] March 9, 2018 ✔
IBEW Local 494[63] March 9, 2018 ✔
SEIU Wisconsin State Council[63] March 9, 2018 ✔
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District 10[63] March 9, 2018 ✔
Wisconsin Education Association Council[63] March 9, 2018 ✔
United Auto Workers Wisconsin[63] March 9, 2018 ✔
Teamsters Joint Council 39[63] March 9, 2018 ✔
Plumbers Local 75[63] March 9, 2018 ✔
United Steelworkers District 2[63] March 9, 2018 ✔
Madison Teachers, Inc.[63] March 9, 2018 ✔
Wisconsin AFL-CIO[64] March 1, 2018 ✔
Pro-Life Wisconsin PAC[65] February 15, 2018 ✔
National Rifle Association[66] February 13, 2018 ✔
Shepherd Express[67] February 13, 2018 ✔
Wisconsin Right to Life PAC[68] February 1, 2018 ✔
Wisconsin Realtors Association[69] January 26, 2018 ✔
Organizing for Action Wisconsin[50] Unknown ✔
Citizen Action of Wisconsin[50] Unknown ✔
Fair Wisconsin[50] Unknown ✔
Office & Professional Employees International Union[50] Unknown ✔
American Federation of Teachers[50] Unknown ✔
Laborers' International Union of North America[50] Unknown ✔
Clean Wisconsin Action Fund[50] Unknown ✔

Debates and forums

March 30 debate

Rebecca Dallet and Michael Screnock met for a debate hosted by Wisconsin Public Television and Wisconsin Public Radio.[70]

March 26 debate

Rebecca Dallet and Michael Screnock met for a debate in Milwaukee on March 26, 2018.[71]

March 2 debate

Rebecca Dallet and Michael Screnock met for a debate at Marquette University Law School on March 2, 2018. The two discussed their backgrounds and judicial philosophy. In her closing statement, Dallet said that "it's time to bring back Wisconsin values of independence and fairness."[72] Screnock said that "it’s critically important that the next justice of our Supreme Court actually does just follow the law, abides the laws they confide in and not as what they wish it to be."[73]

Campaign finance

Following is campaign finance information obtained from the Wisconsin Campaign Finance Information System detailing contributions to and expenditures by the Dallet and Screnock campaigns as of March 19, 2018.

Top donors: Rebecca Dallet

The top ten contributors to Rebecca Dallet were:[74][75][76]
1. John C. Miller - $20,000
~. Mark Bakken - $20,000
3. Madison Teachers, Inc. Voters (Voice of Teachers) - $18,000
~. Wisconsin Education Association Council PAC - $18,000
5. Marianne Lubar - $10,250
6. Mark L. Thomsen - $10,000
~. Lynde B. Uihlein - $10,000
8. Bonnie Bockl Joseph - $6,440
9. Dennis Klein - $6,000
10. David Stanosz - $5,500

Top donors: Michael Screnock

The top ten contributors to Michael Screnock were:[77][78][79]
1. Republican Party of Wisconsin - $278,006.68
2. Diane Hendricks - $20,000
~. Kim Hendricks - $20,000
~. Fred M. Young - $20,000
5. Joseph Screnock III - $19,050
6. Thea Buholzer - $10,000
~. Barbara Michels - $10,000
~. Kevin Michels - $10,000
~. Patrick Michels - $10,000
~. Timothy Michels - $10,000
~. Richard Uihlein - $10,000
~. REALTORS Political Action Committee Wisconsin - $10,000

Media reactions to election outcome

This section provides an overview of media reactions to the election's result from Wisconsin and across the country.[80]

Potential Democratic wave election

  • Craig Gilbert, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (April 4, 2018):
"Does the court race point to a Democratic rebound this fall in Wisconsin?
There are at least three big caveats in comparing what happened Tuesday with past races for president and governor, or projecting the Supreme Court results onto the November mid-terms.
One is that Tuesday’s electorate was much smaller than a fall electorate...The second caveat is that as politicized as this judicial race was, it was still a nonpartisan race, where the candidates had no “R” or “D” next to their name on the ballot...The third caveat is there is no way of knowing based solely on Tuesday’s returns how much of Dallet’s victory is explained by Democrats turning out at higher rates than Republicans, and how much is explained by voters shifting in their preferences — voting Republican (or “conservative” for the court) in past years but for the liberal candidate this time. Both explanations bode well for Democrats this fall, but they have different implications for the mid-terms.
With all those cautions, what happened in Wisconsin on Tuesday is worrisome for Republicans and encouraging for Democrats. And what happened in Dane County is an especially clear signal that progressives are very motivated, part of a pattern we have seen in special elections for Congress, Senate and state legislatures around the country since 2016."[81]
  • Emily Jashinsky, Washington Examiner (April 4, 2018):
"Though the legislature, governorship, and high court are all controlled by Republicans, President Trump was the first GOP presidential candidate to win Wisconsin since President Ronald Reagan. Walker has been elected governor three times in under ten years, Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., has won twice. But Dallet's victory, the first open seat win for a liberal justice since 1995, is a reminder that Wisconsin is still a purple state.
Even more, the results will be seen as another sign that an emergent enthusiasm gap is going to plague Republicans this midterm cycle. Early indications suggest high turnout in Democratic strongholds like Milwaukee and Dane Counties was not balanced out by high turnout in conservative counties like Waukesha."[82]


Redistricting

  • Daniel Bice, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (April 4, 2018):
"One top Democrat had this to say Tuesday night: "The full extent of the weight Holder laid down here isn't totally understood." Behind the scenes, the former Obama attorney general and the National Democratic Redistricting Committee pumped $500,000 into local groups for organizing, advertising and getting other groups, especially unions, to help Dallet.
Beyond that, Holder's outfit successfully sued Walker over his decision not to hold special elections after two GOP lawmakers stepped down to join his administration. The court fight meant two weeks of bad publicity for the governor."[83]


Comparison to past elections

  • Scott Bauer, The Associated Press (April 4, 2018):
"Turnout was 22.2 percent — the highest for a spring election since 2011 when it was 34 percent. The Supreme Court race that year came in the middle of massive protests against Gov. Scott Walker’s collective bargaining restrictions.
Turnout in the three most recent Supreme Court elections was 20 percent in 2013, 18 percent in 2015 and 16 percent in 2017. The average of all spring elections since 2000 was 19 percent."[84]


Past elections

Overview

Wisconsin Supreme Court elections (2005-2017)
Year Winning candidate Ideological lean Percent share of vote Losing candidate Ideological lean Percent share of vote Margin of victory Majority on court Turnout Other statewide elections on ballot
2018* Rebecca Dallet Democratic Party Liberal 55.8% Michael Screnock Republican Party Conservative 44.2% 11.6% 4-3 22% None
2017 Annette Ziegler
(incumbent)		 Republican Party Conservative 97.2% Write-in -- 2.8% 94.4% 5-2 ~16% State Superintendent of Public Instruction
2016 Rebecca Bradley
(incumbent)		 Republican Party Conservative 52.4% JoAnne Kloppenburg Democratic Party Liberal 47.5% 4.9% 5-2 47.4% Primary election - U.S. President
2015 Ann Walsh Bradley
(incumbent)		 Democratic Party Liberal 58.1% James Daley Republican Party Conservative 41.9% 16.2% 4-3 18.3% None
2013 Patience Roggensack
(incumbent)		 Republican Party Conservative 57.5% Ed Fallone Democratic Party Liberal 42.5% 15% 4-3 20.5% State Superintendent of Public Instruction
2011 David T. Prosser
(incumbent)		 Republican Party Conservative 50.2% JoAnne Kloppenburg Democratic Party Liberal 49.7% 0.5% 4-3 34.3% None
2009 Shirley Abrahamson
(incumbent)		 Democratic Party Liberal 59.6% Randy Koschnick Republican Party Conservative 40.2% 19.4% 4-3 18.2% None
2008 Michael Gableman Republican Party Conservative 51.1% Louis Butler
(incumbent)		 Democratic Party Liberal 48.5% 2.6% 4-3 19.3% None
2007 Annette Ziegler Republican Party Conservative 58.6% Linda M. Clifford Democratic Party Liberal 41.1% 17.5% 4-3 19.4% None
2006 N. Patrick Crooks
(incumbent)		 Democratic Party Liberal 99.4% Write-in -- 0.6% 98.8% 4-3 11.8% None
2005 Ann Walsh Bradley
(incumbent)		 Democratic Party Liberal 99.6% Write-in -- 0.4% 99.2% 4-3 17.1% State Superintendent of Public Instruction

2017

See also: Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 2017

Candidates

■ Annette Ziegler (Incumbent/Unopposed)Green check mark transparent.png
One seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court was up for election in 2017. Justice Annette Ziegler was elected to the court in 2007 for a 10-year term and needed to stand for re-election in 2017 in order to serve another term. She ran unopposed.[85] Because she was unopposed, the seat did not appear on the ballot in Wisconsin's February primary election but instead appeared only on the ballot for the April 4 general election.

2016

See also: Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 2016
Wisconsin Supreme Court, Rebecca Bradley's Seat, 2016
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.png Rebecca Bradley Incumbent 52.35% 1,024,892
JoAnne Kloppenburg 47.47% 929,377
Write-in votes 0.19% 3,678
Total Votes (100% Reporting) 1,957,947
Source: Wisconsin Government Accountability Board Official Results

One seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court was up for election in 2016. Following the death of Justice N. Patrick Crooks on September 21, 2015, Rebecca Bradley was appointed to the Wisconsin Supreme Court by Governor Scott Walker (R) on October 9, 2015. Earlier in September, Crooks had announced his plans to retire at the end of his term.[86] Bradley had already announced a run for Crooks' seat before his death.[87]

Bradley and opponent JoAnne Kloppenburg received the highest number of votes for Bradley's seat in the primary on February 16, 2016, knocking Joe Donald out of the race. Bradley and Kloppenburg then faced each other in the sharply contested April general election. Bradley won. The race had the highest voter turnout for a supreme court race in Wisconsin state history, with over 1,900,000 votes cast.[88][89]

2015

See also: Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 2015
See also: Wisconsin judicial elections, 2015


 

General election, 2015
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.png Ann Walsh Bradley Incumbent 58.1% 471,866
James Daley 41.9% 340,632
Total Votes 813,200

[90][91]

One seat was open for election on the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2015. Incumbent Justice Ann Walsh Bradley defeated Rock County Circuit Court Judge James Daley in the general election on April 7, 2015. Although the election was nonpartisan, Bradley is considered to be part of the liberal minority on the court. If Daley won, conservatives would have held a five-member majority on the seven-member court.[92]

Justice Bradley was elected to the court in 1995 and re-elected in 2005. She previously served as a circuit court judge for 10 years in Marathon County. Judge Daley joined the Rock County Circuit Court since 1989.[93][94]

2013

See also: Wisconsin judicial elections, 2013
CandidateIncumbencyPositionPrimary VoteElection Vote
RoggensackPatience Roggensack    
FalloneEd Fallone No29.8%ApprovedA42.47%   DefeatedA
MegnaVince Megna No6.3% 

One seat was open for election on the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2013. Incumbent Justice Patience Roggensack defeated law professor Ed Fallone in the general election on April 2, 2013. Although the election was nonpartisan, Roggensack is considered to be a member of the court's conservative majority. If Fallone had won, control of the court would have gone to the liberal wing.

Justice Roggensack was first elected to the court in 2003. She previously served for seven years on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals and for 16 years as an attorney in private practice.

2011

See also: Wisconsin judicial elections, 2011
CandidateIncumbencyPositionPrimary VoteElection Vote
KloppenburgJoAnne Kloppenburg    NoDistrict IV49.70%   DefeatedA
ProsserDavid T. Prosser   ApprovedAYes50.192%   ApprovedA
WinnigJoel Winnig    No 
StephensMarla J. Stephens    No 

One seat was open for election on the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2011. Incumbent Justice David T. Prosser defeated Assistant Attorney General JoAnne Kloppenburg in the general election on April 5, 2011. Although the election was nonpartisan, Prosser is considered to be a member of the court's conservative majority. If Kloppenburg had won, control of the court would have gone to the liberal wing.

Justice Prosser was first appointed to the court in 1998 by Gov. Tommy Thompson (R) and was elected to a full term in 2001. He had previously served on the Wisconsin Tax Appeals Commission and in the Wisconsin State Assembly.

Campaign tactics and strategies

Campaign advertisements

Independent Rebecca Dallet

Support
"We Need Better" - Dallet campaign ad, released February 28, 2018

Independent Michael Screnock

Support
"Tuba" - Screnock campaign ad, released March 21, 2018
Oppose
"Never" - Dallet campaign ad, released March 18, 2018

Online presence

April 2, 2018

The following social media statistics were compiled on April 2, 2018.

Facebook Twitter
Candidate Followers Likes Comments on last 10 posts Followers Following Tweets
Independent Dallet 5,152 5,049 50 5,108 4,569 751
Independent Screnock 2,232 2,172 253 2,188 77 245

February 25, 2018

The following social media statistics were compiled on February 25, 2018.

Facebook Twitter
Candidate Followers Likes Comments on last 10 posts Followers Following Tweets
Independent Dallet 3,356 3,284 211 1,343 1,841 603
Independent Screnock 1,693 1,649 229 1,798 70 135

Noteworthy events

Eric Holder campaign appearances

On March 13, 2018, former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder (D) announced that he would make three campaign appearances in Milwaukee and Madison on behalf of Rebecca Dallet. The announcement was made the week after the Holder-led National Democratic Redistricting Committee launched a $140,000 digital ad buy on Dallet's behalf. Several weeks previously, a group associated with the National Democratic Redistricting Committee had launched a lawsuit against Gov. Scott Walker (R) over the scheduling of special elections. Holder said that his campaign visit was tied to the NDRC's recent efforts in the state: "I’m going to be focused on engaging with activists and voters, particularly African-Americans and young people, about the stakes of the upcoming state Supreme Court race and elections that will happen this fall."[95]

Primary election

See also: Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 2018 (February 20 nonpartisan primary)

During the primary election, attorney Tim Burns' campaign strategy was described by the Associated Press as "embracing his partisan Democratic background and commenting on political issues that judicial candidates typically run away from."[96] He argued that "a non-partisan judiciary is a fairy tale, and it always has been."[97] An article in the Baraboo News-Republic argued that "the primary race could determine which is valued more by Democratic and liberal-leaning voters: judicial credentials, touted by Dallet, or ideology, where Burns may have an edge", citing University of Wisconsin-Madison professor Ryan Owens.[98]

Primary election results

Tim Burns, Rebecca Dallet, and Michael Screnock registered for the nonpartisan primary for the Wisconsin Supreme Court.[99] Dallet and Screnock advanced to the general election, while Burns was defeated in the primary.[100]

Wisconsin Supreme Court, Nonpartisan Primary, 2018
Candidate Vote % Votes
Tim Burns 17.87% 95,422
Rebecca Dallet 35.79% 191,155
Michael Screnock 46.34% 247,480
Total Votes (3480/3480) 534,057
Source: Associated Press

Turnout

According to the Associated Press, 11.7 percent of the voting population participated in the election. The average turnout in the preceding 20 years for Wisconsin spring primaries where the only statewide race was for a seat on the Supreme Court was 7.3 percent, according to the Wisconsin State Elections Commission.[101][102] The 2017 spring primary, in which three candidates challenged sitting state Superintendent Tony Evers, saw turnout of 9.8 percent.

Media reactions to election outcome

This section provides an overview of media reactions to the election's result. Selected articles are presented as a jumping-off point for deeper exploration of media coverage and as an overview of narratives that emerged surrounding the election.

  • Patrick Marley and Bill Glauber, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (February 20, 2018)
"Burns said he was surprised by the results because people had responded so well when he talked to them about his liberal viewpoint. He said he would spend a couple of days deciding whether to endorse Dallet or stay out of the general election campaign. He said there was no way he would back Screnock."[103]
  • Daniel Bice, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (February 21, 2018)
"Madison attorney Tim Burns took the unprecedented approach of advertising himself as a liberal Democrat and announcing that he would rule as a progressive from the bench.
Perhaps that is what it will all come to with the often nakedly partisan bickering on the state Supreme Court, where conservatives are in control by a 5-2 split. Burns said he was taking an "honest" approach to the campaign. But Democrats apparently aren't ready to support someone who ditches any pretense that our courts should be nonpartisan arbiters of justice."[104]

About the Wisconsin Supreme Court

See also: Wisconsin Supreme Court

The Wisconsin Supreme Court is the highest appellate court in the state of Wisconsin. Seven justices, selected in nonpartisan elections for 10-year terms, sit on the state's court of last resort. The court has jurisdiction over all other Wisconsin courts and can also hear original actions.[105]

Political composition

This is the political compoisition of the supreme court heading into the 2018 election. Justices are selected in nonpartisan elections. In the case of a mid-term vacancy, the governor appoints a replacement.

■ Shirley Abrahamson Appointed by Patrick Lucey (D) in 1976, elected in 1979, 1989, 1999, and 2009
■ Ann Walsh Bradley Elected in 1995, 2005, and 2015
■ Patience Roggensack Elected in 2003 and 2013
■ Annette Ziegler Elected in 2007 and 2017
■ Michael Gableman Elected in 2008
■ Rebecca Bradley Appointed by Scott Walker (R) in 2015, elected 2016
■ Daniel Kelly Appointed by Scott Walker (R) in 2016

Selection

See also: Nonpartisan election of judges

The seven justices of the Wisconsin Supreme Court are elected in nonpartisan elections. Justices serve 10-year terms.[106][107] In the event of a midterm vacancy, the governor appoints a replacement. If the vacancy occurs after that year's spring election and on or before December 1 of the same year, the appointee must stand for election in the next succeeding spring election in which no other justice is to be elected. If the vacancy occurs after December 1 but before the following spring's election, the appointee must stand for election in the next spring election—beginning with the second spring election from the time of the appointment—in which no other justice is to be elected.[106][107]

The governor solicits recommendations from an Advisory Council on Judicial Selection in making his or her appointments, but is not required to choose one of the suggested appointees.[106][108]

Qualifications

To serve on the supreme court, a justice must be:

  • a qualified elector in the state; and
  • licensed to practice law in the state for at least five years immediately prior to appointment or election to the court.[106]

Selection of the chief judge

The chief justice of the supreme court is elected by a majority of the justices serving on the Court to serve a two-year term.


State overview

Partisan control

This section details the partisan control of federal and state positions in Wisconsin heading into the 2018 elections.

Congressional delegation

State executives

  • Republicans held six of 11 state executive positions, while one position was held by a Democrat and four were held by nonpartisan officials.
  • The governor of Wisconsin was Republican Scott Walker.

State legislature

Trifecta status

2018 elections

See also: Wisconsin elections, 2018

Wisconsin held elections for the following positions in 2018:

Demographics

Demographic data for Wisconsin
 WisconsinU.S.
Total population:5,767,891316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):54,1583,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:86.5%73.6%
Black/African American:6.3%12.6%
Asian:2.5%5.1%
Native American:0.9%0.8%
Pacific Islander:0%0.2%
Two or more:2.1%3%
Hispanic/Latino:6.3%17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:91%86.7%
College graduation rate:27.8%29.8%
Income
Median household income:$53,357$53,889
Persons below poverty level:15%11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Wisconsin.
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

As of July 2017, Wisconsin had a population of approximately 5,800,000 people, with its three largest cities being Milwaukee (pop. est. 600,000), Madison (pop. est. 250,000), and Green Bay (pop. est. 110,000).[109][110]

State election history

This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in Wisconsin from 2000 to 2016. All data comes from the Wisconsin Elections Commission.

Historical elections

Presidential elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of the presidential election in Wisconsin every year from 2000 to 2016.

Election results (President of the United States), Wisconsin 2000-2016
Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
2016 Republican Party Donald Trump 47.8% Democratic Party Hillary Clinton 46.3% 1.5%
2012 Democratic Party Barack Obama 52.8% Republican Party Mitt Romney 45.9% 6.9%
2008 Democratic Party Barack Obama 56.2% Republican Party John McCain 42.3% 13.9%
2004 Democratic Party John Kerry 49.7% Republican Party George W. Bush 49.3% 0.4%
2000 Democratic Party Al Gore 47.8% Republican Party George W. Bush 47.6% 0.2%

U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of U.S. Senate races in Wisconsin from 2000 to 2016. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the seats are staggered so that roughly one-third of the seats are up every two years.

Election results (U.S. Senator), Wisconsin 2000-2016
Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
2016 Republican Party Ron Johnson 50.2% Democratic Party Russ Feingold 46.8% 3.4%
2012 Democratic Party Tammy Baldwin 51.4% Republican Party Tommy Thompson 45.9% 5.5%
2010 Republican Party Ron Johnson 51.9% Democratic Party Russ Feingold 47.0% 4.9%
2006 Democratic Party Herb Kohl 67.3% Republican Party Robert Lorge 29.5% 37.8%
2004 Democratic Party Russ Feingold 55.3% Republican Party Tim Michels 44.1% 11.2%
2000 Democratic Party Herb Kohl 61.5% Republican Party John Gillespie 37.0% 24.5%

Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of the four gubernatorial elections held between 2000 and 2016. Gubernatorial elections are held every four years in Wisconsin.

Election results (Governor), Wisconsin 2000-2016
Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
2014 Republican Party Scott Walker 52.3% Democratic Party Mary Burke 46.6% 5.7%
2010 Republican Party Scott Walker 52.3% Democratic Party Tom Barrett 46.5% 5.8%
2006 Democratic Party Jim Doyle 52.7% Republican Party Mark Green 45.3% 7.4%
2002 Democratic Party Jim Doyle 45.1% Republican Party Scott McCallum 41.4% 3.7%

Congressional delegation, 2000-2016

This chart shows the number of Democrats and Republicans who were elected to represent Wisconsin in the U.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.

Congressional delegation, Wisconsin 2000-2016
Year Republicans Republicans (%) Democrats Democrats (%) Balance of power
2016 Republican Party 5 62.5% Democratic Party 3 37.5% R+2
2014 Republican Party 5 62.5% Democratic Party 3 37.5% R+2
2012 Republican Party 5 62.5% Democratic Party 3 37.5% R+2
2010 Republican Party 5 62.5% Democratic Party 3 37.5% R+2
2008 Republican Party 3 37.5% Democratic Party 5 62.5% D+2
2006 Republican Party 3 37.5% Democratic Party 5 62.5% D+2
2004 Republican Party 4 50% Democratic Party 4 50% -
2002 Republican Party 4 50% Democratic Party 4 50% -
2000 Republican Party 4 44.4% Democratic Party 5 55.6% D+1

Trifectas, 1992-2017

A state government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.

Wisconsin Party Control: 1992-2025
Two years of Democratic trifectas  •  Ten years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Governor R R R R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D
Senate D R R R D D R D D D D R R R R D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
House D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R


Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties by state

Twenty-three of 72 Wisconsin counties—32 percent—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008
County Trump margin of victory in 2016 Obama margin of victory in 2012 Obama margin of victory in 2008
Adams County, Wisconsin 21.92% 8.73% 18.35%
Buffalo County, Wisconsin 21.82% 2.93% 14.66%
Columbia County, Wisconsin 2.14% 13.58% 15.26%
Crawford County, Wisconsin 5.40% 19.98% 27.03%
Door County, Wisconsin 3.22% 6.99% 17.33%
Dunn County, Wisconsin 11.09% 4.97% 14.95%
Forest County, Wisconsin 26.58% 5.44% 15.16%
Grant County, Wisconsin 9.43% 13.77% 23.88%
Jackson County, Wisconsin 11.74% 15.01% 21.84%
Juneau County, Wisconsin 26.05% 7.03% 9.00%
Kenosha County, Wisconsin 0.31% 12.23% 18.06%
Lafayette County, Wisconsin 8.99% 15.37% 22.32%
Lincoln County, Wisconsin 20.60% 0.71% 12.48%
Marquette County, Wisconsin 24.09% 0.27% 5.28%
Pepin County, Wisconsin 23.08% 2.22% 12.89%
Price County, Wisconsin 25.00% 0.04% 13.40%
Racine County, Wisconsin 4.28% 3.54% 7.41%
Richland County, Wisconsin 5.50% 16.13% 20.63%
Sauk County, Wisconsin 0.35% 18.47% 23.04%
Sawyer County, Wisconsin 18.41% 0.49% 6.23%
Trempealeau County, Wisconsin 12.64% 14.08% 26.39%
Vernon County, Wisconsin 4.43% 14.73% 22.00%
Winnebago County, Wisconsin 7.34% 3.73% 11.66%

In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Wisconsin with 47.2 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 46.5 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, Wisconsin cast votes for the winning presidential candidate 76.7 percent of the time. In that same time frame, Wisconsin supported Republicans slightly more than Democratic candidates, 50.0 to 46.7 percent. The state, however, favored Democrats in every presidential election from 2000 to 2012 before voting for Trump in 2016.

Presidential results by legislative district

The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state Assembly districts in Wisconsin. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[111][112]

In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 43 out of 99 state Assembly districts in Wisconsin with an average margin of victory of 34.1 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 36 out of 99 state Assembly districts in Wisconsin with an average margin of victory of 34.6 points. Clinton won three districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections.
In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 56 out of 99 state Assembly districts in Wisconsin with an average margin of victory of 12.1 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 63 out of 99 state Assembly districts in Wisconsin with an average margin of victory of 19.4 points. Trump won two districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections.

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Wisconsin judicial election' OR 'Wisconsin court election' OR 'Wisconsin election 2018'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 2018 - Google News

See also

Wisconsin Judicial Selection More Courts
Seal of Wisconsin.png
Judicialselectionlogo.png
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Courts in Wisconsin
Wisconsin Court of Appeals
Wisconsin Supreme Court
Elections: 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017
Gubernatorial appointments
Judicial selection in Wisconsin
Federal courts
State courts
Local courts

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ The Seattle Times, "Dallet advantage in Democratic counties fuels win," April 4, 2018
  2. ↑ LinkedIn, "Rebecca Dallet," accessed January 23, 2018
  3. ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Judge Rebecca Dallet to challenge Justice Michael Gableman in Wisconsin Supreme Court race," June 1, 2017
  4. ↑ Dallet for Justice, "About Judge Rebecca Dallet," accessed January 23, 2017
  5. ↑ Judge Screnock, "About Michael Screnock," accessed January 23, 2018
  6. ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Sauk County judge with ties to Gov. Scott Walker running for Wisconsin Supreme Court," June 16, 2017
  7. ↑ Judge Screnock, "Why I'm Running," accessed January 23, 2018
  8. ↑ Judge Screnock, "My Judicial Philosophy," accessed January 23, 2018
  9. ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Madison lawyer Tim Burns announces Wisconsin Supreme Court run for Michael Gableman's seat," May 1, 2017
  10. ↑ Burns for Wisconsin, "Home," accessed January 23, 2018
  11. ↑ Wisconsin Justice Initiative, "Burns v. Dallet v. Screnock - two candidates weigh in," January 17, 2018
  12. ↑ Judge Screnock, "My Judicial Philosophy," accessed March 27, 2018
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Wisconsin State Journal, "Q&A: Get to know Wisconsin Supreme Court candidates Rebecca Dallet and Michael Screnock," March 25, 2018
  14. ↑ The Cap Times, "Judge Rebecca Dallet: We need to fix our broken Wisconsin Supreme Court," February 13, 2018
  15. ↑ Wisconsin State Journal, "Supreme Court candidate Michael Screnock split on stepping away from high-profile issues he helped defend," March 6, 2018
  16. ↑ Media Trackers, "Dallet’s Moderate Positioning in Supreme Court Race Falls Flat," February 6, 2018
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 American Civil Liberties Union, "ACLU questionnaire for Wisconsin Supreme Court candidates," accessed March 27, 2018
  18. ↑ The Sauk Prairie Eagle, "Sauk County Drug Court makes a difference," January 10, 2017
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 Wisconsin Campaign Finance Information System, "View Filed Reports," accessed March 26, 2018
  20. ↑ USA Today, "Labor unions launch $50 million super PAC," May 12, 2016
  21. ↑ For Our Future PAC, "Home," accessed March 26, 2018
  22. ↑ The Washington Post, "Obama’s post-presidency political focus: Redistricting," October 17, 2016
  23. ↑ National Democratic Redistricting Committee, "About Us," accessed March 26, 2018
  24. ↑ National Democratic Redistricting Committee, "NDRC 2018 Electoral Targets," accessed March 26, 2018
  25. ↑ The Center for Popular Democracy, "About Us," accessed March 26, 2018
  26. ↑ High Ground Action Fund, "About," accessed March 26, 2018
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 Brennan Center for Justice, "Buying Time 2018—Wisconsin," accessed March 30, 2018
  28. ↑ Wisconsin State Journal, "GOP staffers head to new nonprofit in advance of 2016 elections," October 7, 2015
  29. ↑ Wisconsin Alliance for Reform, "Home," accessed March 30, 2018
  30. ↑ Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, "About Us," accessed March 30, 2018
  31. ↑ The Greater Wisconsin Committee, "Home," accessed March 30, 2018
  32. ↑ Greater Wisconsin Political Fund, "Home," accessed March 30, 2018
  33. ↑ Urban Milwaukee, "Senator Cory Booker Endorses Rebecca Dallet for Wisconsin Supreme Court," March 19, 2018
  34. ↑ Urban Milwaukee, "Congressman Mark Pocan Endorses Rebecca Dallet for Wisconsin Supreme Court," March 14, 2018
  35. ↑ The Wheeler Report, "Congresswoman Gwen Moore Endorses Rebecca Dallet for Wisconsin Supreme Court," February 28, 2018
  36. ↑ Dallet for Justice, "Senator Tammy Baldwin Endorses Rebecca Dallet for Wisconsin Supreme Court," February 26, 2018
  37. ↑ Journal Sentinel, "Joe Biden backs Dallet as Supreme Court candidates bicker over role of special interests," March 28, 2018
  38. ↑ Urban Milwaukee, "Former Governor Jim Doyle Endorses Rebecca Dallet for Wisconsin Supreme Court," March 12, 2018
  39. ↑ Urban Milwaukee, "Former Senator Herb Kohl Endorses Rebecca Dallet for Wisconsin Supreme Court," March 7, 2018
  40. ↑ Urban Milwaukee, "Justice Shirley Abrahamson Endorses Rebecca Dallet for Wisconsin Supreme Court," March 4, 2018
  41. ↑ WisPolitics, "Dallet Campaign: Justice Ann Walsh Bradley endorses Rebecca Dallet for Wisconsin Supreme Court," March 2, 2018
  42. ↑ Associated Press, "Losing candidate Burns endorses Dallet for Supreme Court," February 22, 2018
  43. ↑ Facebook, "Russ Feingold," February 21, 2018
  44. ↑ Urban Milwaukee, "Wisconsin Judges Back Rebecca Dallet for Supreme Court Bid," February 8, 2018
  45. ↑ 45.0 45.1 45.2 45.3 45.4 45.5 45.6 Urban Milwaukee, "Dallet for Justice Earns New Endorsements from Across Wisconsin," February 1, 2018
  46. ↑ Urban Milwaukee, "Leah Vukmir endorses Michael Screnock for State Supreme Court," January 19, 2018
  47. ↑ The Wheeler Report, "Former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Louis Butler announces support for Judge Rebecca Dallet," December 13, 2017
  48. ↑ 48.0 48.1 48.2 48.3 48.4 48.5 48.6 Journal Sentinel, "Michael Screnock gets endorsements from conservatives in Wisconsin Supreme Court bid," September 28, 2017
  49. ↑ Urban Milwaukee, "Rebecca Dallet earns support from 89 judges in Wisconsin Supreme Court bid," August 5, 2017
  50. ↑ 50.00 50.01 50.02 50.03 50.04 50.05 50.06 50.07 50.08 50.09 50.10 50.11 50.12 50.13 50.14 50.15 50.16 50.17 50.18 50.19 50.20 50.21 50.22 50.23 50.24 50.25 50.26 50.27 50.28 50.29 50.30 50.31 50.32 50.33 50.34 50.35 50.36 50.37 50.38 50.39 50.40 50.41 50.42 50.43 Dallet for Justice, "Endorsements," accessed January 28, 2018
  51. ↑ WisPolitics, "Dallet campaign: Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett endorses Rebecca Dallet for Wisconsin Supreme Court," March 5, 2018
  52. ↑ 52.0 52.1 52.2 52.3 Urban Milwaukee, "Judge Rebecca Dallet clear choice of Milwaukee County leaders," October 17, 2017
  53. ↑ Wisconsin Ag Connection, "Farm Bureau PAC is Backing Screnock for Supreme Court," March 30, 2018
  54. ↑ NARAL Pro-Choice America, "NARAL Pro-Choice America Endorses Rebecca Dallet for Wisconsin Supreme Court," March 29, 2018
  55. ↑ Giffords, "Giffords endorses Rebecca Dallet for Wisconsin Supreme Court against gun lobby backed candidate," March 29, 2018
  56. ↑ WisPolitics, "Wisconsin Restaurant Association: Endorses Screnock for state Supreme Court," March 23, 2018
  57. ↑ Wisconsin Family Action PAC, "WFA PAC Endorses Michael Screnock for WI Supreme Court Justice," March 22, 2018
  58. ↑ Urban Milwaukee, "Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin Endorses Judge Rebecca Dallet for Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice," March 16, 2018
  59. ↑ Urban Milwaukee, "Professional Firefighters of Wisconsin Endorse Rebecca Dallet for Wisconsin Supreme Court," March 16, 2018
  60. ↑ WisPolitics, "Dairy Business Association: Endorses Michael Screnock for Wisconsin Supreme Court," March 15, 2018
  61. ↑ Urban Milwaukee, "Wisconsin Working Families Party Endorses Rebecca Dallet for Wisconsin Supreme Court," March 14, 2018
  62. ↑ WisPolitics, "Screnock campaign: Endorsed by Wisconsin Fraternal Order of Police," March 13, 2018
  63. ↑ 63.0 63.1 63.2 63.3 63.4 63.5 63.6 63.7 63.8 63.9 The Wheeler Report, "Working Wisconsinites Endorse Dallet for Justice," March 9, 2018
  64. ↑ Wisconsin Gazette, "Wisconsin AFL-CIO endorses Rebecca Dallet for Wisconsin Supreme Court justice," March 1, 2018
  65. ↑ Pro-Life Wisconsin, "Pro-Life Wisconsin PAC Endorses Judge Michael Screnock for Wisconsin Supreme Court," February 15, 2018
  66. ↑ NRA-ILA, "NRA Endorses Screnock for State Supreme Court," February 13, 2018
  67. ↑ Shepherd Express, "Shepherd Express Proudly Endorses both Tim Burns and Rebecca Dallet," February 13, 2018
  68. ↑ Wisconsin Right to Life PAC, "Wisconsin Right to Life PAC Endorses Judge Michael Screnock," February 1, 2018
  69. ↑ The Wheeler Report, "Screnock Campaign: Endorsed by Wisconsin REALTORS Association," January 26, 2018
  70. ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Rebecca Dallet and Michael Screnock meet for final debate as race grows more rancorous," March 30, 2018
  71. ↑ CBS 58 Newsroom, "Dallet and Screnock face off in Supreme Court Candidate Forum," March 26, 2018
  72. ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Michael Screnock, Rebecca Dallet skirmish in Wisconsin Supreme Court debate," March 2, 2018
  73. ↑ Marquette Wire, "Law School hosts Wisconsin Supreme Court Debate," March 3, 2018
  74. ↑ Wisconsin Campaign Finance Information System, "Campaign Finance Report - January Continuing 2018, Dallet for Justice," January 11, 2018
  75. ↑ Wisconsin Campaign Finance Information System, "Campaign Finance Report - Spring Pre-Primary 2018, Dallet for Justice," February 9, 2018
  76. ↑ Wisconsin Campaign Finance Information System, "Campaign Finance Report - Spring Pre-Election 2018, Dallet for Justice," March 26, 2018
  77. ↑ Wisconsin Campaign Finance Information System, "Campaign Finance Report - January Continuing 2018, Michael Screnock for Justice," January 12, 2018
  78. ↑ Wisconsin Campaign Finance Information System, "Campaign Finance Report - Spring Pre-Primary 2018, Michael Screnock for Justice," February 12, 2018
  79. ↑ Wisconsin Campaign Finance Information System, "Campaign Finance Report - Spring Pre-Election 2018, Michael Screnock for Justice," March 26, 2018
  80. ↑ In selecting articles for inclusion in this section, Ballotpedia has drawn from a variety of sources and viewpoints to identify articles that are representative of broader trends in media coverage. Selected articles are presented as a jumping-off point for deeper exploration of media coverage and as an overview of narratives that emerged surrounding the election.
  81. ↑ Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, "Liberal Supreme Court victory boosted by fired-up Democratic base, Dane County landslide," April 4, 2018
  82. ↑ Washington Examiner, "Liberal win in Wisconsin supreme court race suggests powerful enthusiasm gap," April 4, 2018
  83. ↑ Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, "Bice: Gov. Scott Walker a big loser among 5 takeaways from Wisconsin's spring election," April 4, 2018
  84. ↑ The Seattle Times, "Dallet advantage in Democratic counties fuels win," April 4, 2018
  85. ↑ Wisconsin Elections Commission, "Candidate Tracking by Office, 2017 Spring Election - 4/4/2017," accessed January 5, 2017
  86. ↑ WEAU.com, "Walker appoints Appeals Judge Bradley to WI High Court," October 9, 2015
  87. ↑ Wisconsin State Journal, "Scott Walker appoints Rebecca Bradley to Supreme Court," October 10, 2015
  88. ↑ AP, "Wisconsin Summary Vote Results," accessed April 6, 2016
  89. ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "Election Results," accessed April 6, 2016
  90. ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "Candidates Registered 2015 Spring Election," January 8, 2015
  91. ↑ Wisconsin Election Commission, "2015 Spring Election Results," accessed September 19, 2019
  92. ↑ Fox 6 News, Ann Walsh Bradley elected to a third term on Wisconsin Supreme Court, defeating James Daley," April 7, 2015
  93. ↑ Wisconsin Court System, "Justice Ann Walsh Bradley," accessed February 13, 2015
  94. ↑ Wisconsin Court System, "Wisconsin Supreme Court selects chief judges," June 28, 2013
  95. ↑ Politico, "Holder to Wisconsin to pump judge race," March 13, 2018
  96. ↑ U.S. News, "Burns Takes Unusual Approach in Wisconsin Supreme Court Race," January 2, 2018
  97. ↑ Media Trackers, "How Left is Left in High Court Race?" January 15, 2018
  98. ↑ Baraboo News-Republic, "With candidate field set, state Supreme Court race ramps up," January 3, 2018
  99. ↑ Wisconsin Elections Commission, "Candidates Tracking By Office (as of 5pm deadline 1.2.18)," accessed January 3, 2017
  100. ↑ Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, "Election results: Wisconsin and Milwaukee-area spring primary," accessed February 20, 2018
  101. ↑ Wisconsin State Journal, "Wisconsin sees bump in spring primary turnout despite weather," February 21, 2018
  102. ↑ CBS 58, "Turnout nears 12 percent for spring primary," February 21, 2018
  103. ↑ Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, "Wisconsin Supreme Court primary: Michael Screnock, Rebecca Dallet advance to April 3 general election," February 20, 2018
  104. ↑ Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, "Bice: Five takeaways from Wisconsin's primary election," February 21, 2018
  105. ↑ Wisconsin Court System, "Supreme Court," accessed September 18, 2014
  106. ↑ 106.0 106.1 106.2 106.3 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Wisconsin," archived October 3, 2014
  107. ↑ 107.0 107.1 Wisconsin State Legislature, "Statutes, Chapter 8.50(4)(f)," accessed December 16 2016
  108. ↑ Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, "Walker's approach to the judiciary," September 21, 2013
  109. ↑ United States Census Bureau, "Quick Facts - Wisconsin," accessed January 15, 2018
  110. ↑ Wisconsin Demographics, "Wisconsin Cities by Population," accessed January 15, 2018
  111. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
  112. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
v • e
2018 State Judicial Elections
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Intermediate appellate court elections by state


Wisconsin courts

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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