Wisconsin Supreme Court election will steer state policies on abortion and labor rights
Susan Crawford and Brad Schimel are running for a seat on the court in the election that will take place on April 1.

On April 1, Wisconsin voters will select a new justice to serve on the state Supreme Court. The vote could determine how the state handles an array of major issues including democracy, reproductive rights, and labor protections.
Here are some things to know about Wisconsin’s highest court.
Who are the justices on the court?
Wisconsin’s Supreme Court is made up of seven justices elected by voters to staggered 10-year terms. The races are technically nonpartisan, but four current justices won with the backing of progressive groups and make up a more liberal bloc: Rebecca Dallet, Jill Karofsky, Janet Protasiewicz, and Ann Walsh Bradley. Justices Annette Ziegler, Brian Hagedorn, and Rebecca Bradley were backed by conservative groups and tend to vote as a right-wing bloc.
What does the court do?
The Wisconsin Supreme Court has three major roles, according to the Wisconsin Court System: deciding cases, administering the state court system, and regulating the legal profession in the state. It considers appeals of cases from lower state and municipal courts, but also can choose to hear new cases directly.
The court has the final say on how to interpret the Wisconsin Constitution, though its decisions on federal constitutional issues can be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
What is its history?
The court was first established in 1853 as a three-member elected body. The number of justices was raised to seven in 1903 by means of a constitutional amendment.
Conservatives held a majority on the court from 2008 to 2023, frequently siding with state Republican leaders in their efforts to expand their power. In May 2023, that majority flipped with the election of Protasiewicz to an open seat.
Since Protasiewicz’s election, the justices have issued rulings in cases that include a 4-3 decision overturning the Republican-drawn legislative maps for the state Senate and Assembly as unconstitutional; a 4-3 decision allowing municipal clerks to use ballot drop boxes in elections; and a 6-1 decision overturning an effort by the GOP-led Legislature to block land conservation spending after the funds had already been budgeted.
What are the stakes of the April 1 election?
Ann Walsh Bradley announced last April that she would not seek reelection in 2025. With only conservative Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Brad Schimel and progressive Dane County Circuit Court Judge Susan Crawford running, no primary will be held before the April 1 general election. Schimel, a Republican, served as Wisconsin attorney general from 2015 to 2019.
The election will likely determine which bloc will hold the majority until at least 2026, when Rebecca Bradley’s current term ends.
The court is currently considering whether an 1849 law still on the books bans abortion in Wisconsin and whether the state’s Department of Natural Resources has the power to address hazardous spills and forever chemicals.
It will likely also soon take up a case challenging the constitutionality of former Republican Gov. Scott Walker’s law prohibiting most public sector employees from engaging in collective bargaining.