Wisconsin Supreme Court race in the spotlight in Feb. 18 primary
MADISON — Control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court may not be up for grabs in this spring’s election, but the three candidates vying for a 10-year term on the court argue their election could drive it in a different direction.
Incumbent Justice Daniel Kelly, who is backed by conservatives, and Dane County Circuit Judge Jill Karofsky and Marquette Law School professor Ed Fallone, both backed by liberals, are competing in a Feb. 18 primary that will determine which two advance to the April 7 election.
The court currently includes a 5-2 conservative majority, meaning a win by a liberal-supported candidate this year would leave conservatives with a 4-3 edge.
But for Kelly, Karofsky and Fallone, the stakes are more than that.
Kelly, who was appointed to the court in 2016 by then-Republican Gov. Scott Walker to replace retiring Justice David Prosser Jr., said serving a full term would help him ensure the court remains faithful to the state and U.S. Constitutions. Karofsky said a victory for her would mean steering the court away from what she views as corruption by Kelly. And Fallone argues he would bring intellectual diversity to the court and would help mend the scars caused by its increased partisanship.
Kelly, who is facing voters for the first time this year, said his judicial philosophy makes him best qualified for the court.
“For me, it’s a very straightforward issue,” Kelly told the Wisconsin State Journal. “This is about being faithful to the Constitution, the Constitution as it is actually written, not as we might wish it to be written, but as it was actually adopted and maintained by the people of Wisconsin.”
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