Political Landscape of the Nation | Domestic Politics
Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Bradley Announces Retirement, Opening Up Contested Seat
Justice Rebecca Bradley, a reliable conservative voice on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, has announced that she will not be seeking reelection, creating an open seat on the court that could significantly shift its balance.
Bradley's decision not to run for another term comes after a tumultuous tenure marked by high-profile decisions on contentious issues such as abortion, collective bargaining rights, congressional redistricting, and election rules.
In her statement, Bradley expressed concern about the court being controlled by "judicial activists" and the shift towards bitter partisanship, personal attacks, and political gamesmanship. She believes that the best path for her to fight for liberty is not as a minority member of the court.
As of now, there are no publicly announced candidates specifically listed for the 2023 Wisconsin Supreme Court election, nor is there confirmed information regarding additional conservative candidates on the ballot. However, conservative Maria Lazar, who is also a state appeals court judge, is seriously considering a run for the state Supreme Court.
The race for the open seat is for a full term on the court. Chris Taylor, a state appeals court judge and former Democratic state lawmaker, is the only announced candidate for the open seat. Taylor has raised over $1 million for the Supreme Court race.
If a liberal wins in the next year, their majority would increase to 5-2, solidifying their control over the court. This would be a significant shift, as the liberal majority on the court started in 2023, ending a 15-year run of conservative control.
Several key cases are expected to make their way to the Wisconsin Supreme Court in the coming months. A new challenge to the state's 1849 abortion law, which was found not to ban abortions in a July ruling, could be one of them. Another case, brought by Planned Parenthood that seeks to make abortion a constitutional right, has been accepted by the court, but a date for oral arguments has not been set.
The court's current control, 4-3 by liberals, was established in part by the liberal candidate's win in the April election, despite heavy spending by billionaire Elon Musk. This was the second consecutive election for the court that was lost by conservative candidates by double-digit margins, and both of those elections broke national spending records.
Before joining the Supreme Court, Bradley served three years as a Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge and a year as a state appeals court judge. She was appointed to the Supreme Court by then-Gov. Scott Walker in 2015 and won election to a full 10-year term in 2016. Bradley sided with the conservative majority in a ruling banning absentee ballot drop boxes that was later overturned by the liberal-controlled court. She also voted to uphold the Act 10 law that effectively ended collective bargaining rights for most state workers.
Bradley's decision not to run for reelection follows her vote with conservative justices in a case brought by President Donald Trump in a failed attempt to overturn his loss in Wisconsin that year. The Wisconsin Supreme Court has an open seat, and the upcoming election is expected to be a closely watched and hotly contested race.
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