Susan Crawford and Brad Schimel are running for a 10-year term on the Wisconsin Supreme Court on April 1, 2025. Incumbent Justice Ann Walsh Bradley, one of the court’s liberal members, is retiring. The filing deadline was Jan. 7, 2025. The primary scheduled for February 18, 2025, was canceled after only two candidates filed to run.
In the April 2023 election, Judge Janet Protasiewicz won an open seat, defeating Daniel Kelly 55.4% to 44.4% and creating a 4-3 liberal majority, shifting ideological control of the court for the first time in 15 years. According to Wisconsin Watch’s Jack Kelly, “The April 1 race has two possible outcomes: a guaranteed liberal majority until 2028 or a 3-3 split with Justice Brian Hagedorn, a conservative-leaning swing vote, again wielding outsized influence.”
Wisconsin’s Supreme Court elections are officially nonpartisan, but candidates often take stances on specific issues and receive backing from the state’s political parties during their campaigns. The state’s Democratic Party endorsed Crawford and Schimel is the former Republican attorney general.
Crawford is a judge on the Dane County Circuit Court. She previously worked as an attorney for the state attorney general’s office and as legal counsel to former Gov. James Doyle (D). Crawford said she is running to “protect the basic rights and freedoms of Wisconsinites under our constitution.” She says she will focus on safety when making decisions: “I believe people in Wisconsin deserve to feel safe as they go about their lives…My top priority in making decisions is always to make our communities safer.” Crawford has campaigned on keeping the current balance on the court intact, saying, “For the first time in years, we have a majority on the court focused on…following the law, and protecting our constitutional rights…We can’t risk having that progress reversed.” In addition to the state Democratic Party, the court’s four liberal justices also endorsed Crawford.
Schimel is a judge on the Waukesha County Circuit Court and was the state’s attorney general from 2015 to 2019. Schimel says he is running to “restore confidence in the people of Wisconsin that the justice system will be fair and impartial…I will be honest about my principles, but will never prejudge a case.” Schimel’s website says he “has dedicated his career to defending victims, supporting law enforcement, and ensuring that criminals are held accountable.”
Schimel has criticized the court for “impos[ing] on the people of this state their will, rather than impartial judgment based on the law.” He is campaigning to change the balance of the court: “There is no check on this new liberal Supreme Court majority…The only check on them is to take back the majority by winning in 2025.” Schimel has received the endorsement of the Milwaukee Police Association.
The 2023 election was the most expensive judicial race in U.S. history, with candidates and satellite groups spending over $42 million. According to the Associated Press‘ Scott Bauer, Crawford had raised $2.8 million from individual donors as of January 8, 2025, and Schimel had raised $2.2 million—more than Protasiewicz and Kelly had raised as of the same point in 2023.
The outcome of this race could affect rulings on issues such as the state’s abortion laws, union rules, and redistricting process, which are cases currently before the court or could appear later. University of Wisconsin-Madison professor Barry Burden said, “I think the Supreme Court races have become as important as any other race in the state. It’s become the one election that really decides the direction of the state.”