At the end of February — the sleepy, dead days of winter when the 2022 midterms have shrunk in the rearview and 2024 still feels far off — Wisconsin will host a blockbuster primary for an open seat on the state Supreme Court, a race with significant national ramifications.
Already, outside groups and the candidates themselves are expected to spend $6 million — by the primary alone.
This may be in “oh my sweet country mouse” territory. If a GA senator was worth $400 mil… regardless, good article. What was spent on the GOP winning the NC supreme court in 2022?
It is Scott Walker and not Scott Brown, btw 
Too bad there are two liberal candidates
My sense is that one of the liberals will get through to the April general election. In my Madison neighborhood, I’m seeing signs for Janet Protasiewicz. But we’ll find out soon enough whether she or Everett Mitchell advances.
I listen on Devil’s Radio to Matt Flynn’s program. He has been pushing Protasiewicz exclusively, and has been highlighting that Mitchell has a lot of controversy in his private life (wife has accused him of rape/sexual harm, he says was consensual, she says she checked him into a mental health institution, he says he checked himself in). So, a bitter divorce and he is a minister. Until recently his comment on Gerrymandering was it was ‘troubling’.
I rarely, rarely watch network TV and never cable. The ads I see are from the free streaming platform Pluto…tv
I have seen only anti-Dorow ads and even more for Protasiewicz. She has some good, professional ads running frequently. No ads FOR any of the RWers yet.
Protasiewicz has said about Gerrymandering…‘somebody bring a case, and we’ll get fair maps’. She doesn’t have any family dramas and an impeccable and weighty resume. Mitchell looks much shakier and in a low, low turnout spring election, statewide, in a very white state…we need this win. Or it’s at least 10 more years of gerrymander.
Protasiewicz isn’t saying anything about the gerrymandered maps in any of her ads. Probably smart, to not stoke the Rs with any extra reasons to get out and vote. But I almost wonder if it wouldn’t be the strongest and widest-reaching campaign message. Do you want your State Supreme Court justices destroying our institutions, eviscerating public-health policies, and attempting to overturn the State’s presidential elections like this SC has done? Working hand-in-hand with a gerrymandered legislature which governs by what Chump wants over Reality every time? Who locks down the state politically, pumps the R governor full of powers and strips the D governor of those (and more) powers before he is even inaugurated? A state that is 60% Blue but is stuck with Ds at 1/3 of the Lege.
Protasiewicz’s ads are heavy on fairness and women’s health rights. Friendly and unthreatening. Professional. Let’s hope she advances and we get a similar result to the 2020 spring election that Rs tried so hard to fug with using the Pandemic as leverage.
Thanks for this; I’ve been learning towards voting for her in the primary and this is getting me to a solid yes for Janet
I added another paragraph!
She appears to be a great candidate…not just because she has a great resume and has tons more (and tougher) experience. But more, because she doesn’t appear to have any great liabilities with domestic drama or ‘she let a cop killer go free’ stories. She’s a white woman pushing hard on the abortion issue. That can be a winning candidate in a state wide race.
Thanks for the Heads Up. Many people do not know about Wisconsin people like Robert M. La Follette (“Battling Bob”) in the early 20th Century.
In addition, WI has a solid Progressive history…In point of fact, Progressive platforms during this era were called “The Wisconsin Idea”
Bob would cheer for this one.
There is at least one, possibly two, pro Dorrow (conservative) ads running. They tout her ability to keep the defendant and courtroom under control during the Waukesha Parade trial. She was convinced after that trial that she should run. Before that it was just Kelly, who was booted off the court in the last election,.
Back in January, MSNBC, Politico and others were focusing on this election.
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/01/16/wisconsin-state-supreme-court-race-abortion-00077958
So many Red states had Democrats as Senators…Idaho, Indiana, Montana, Iowa, West Virginia, Nebraska, Tennessee, Missouri, South Dakota…
Florida
The GOP outdid us in expanding their territory
and they did it all with the most oppressive, regressive, sadistic efforts I have ever seen in my lifetime
It’s not quiet in Wisconsin. The Progressive organizations have been working this since January or sooner.
I seem to recall a Snott Wanker
Yes, I’m getting multiple texts and emails each week from the Protasiewicz campaign.
Do you remember the signs from the local realtor named Scott Walker. In his “for sale” signs around town, during the protests, he added the phrase “not the governor”
“Dane County Judge Everett Mitchell — who is vying to be the first Black justice on Wisconsin’s highest court…”
That would be a surprise to Justice Louis Butler (2004 - 2008). Maybe she means first elected, since Butler was appointed by Gov Doyle. He was defeated in the 2008 election by none other than the notorious Michael Gableman, in a predictably racially-charged campaign.
But according to Wisconsin native son, Charlie Sykes, there may not be anywhere for that so-called juice to go …
While progressive dollars pour into the state, Republicans have launched a bitter, high-stakes, and often quite personal, civil war that seems designed to take out the candidate who may give them the best chance to hold onto control of the state’s high court.
What a shame …
https://morningshots.thebulwark.com/p/the-wisconsin-gops-high-court-crackup
I don’t seem much TV, but the one time I did see an anti-Dorrow ad followed by a pro-Kelly ad. Such a pleasure to see the right in a circular firing squad for once!
My money (and my vote, two separate things) are on Judge Janet. She’s got huge leads in fundraising and messaging. Great campaign operation behind her.
And they seemed like such nice people…