Welcome to the Monday, December 16, Brew.
By: Lara Bonatesta
Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day:
- Partisan control of Wisconsin Supreme Court at stake in 2025
- Seven state legislators changed parties in 2024
- Two states enacted changes to SNAP work requirements in 2024
Partisan control of Wisconsin Supreme Court at stake in 2025
Both major parties will compete for control of Wisconsin’s Supreme Court in 2025. Susan Crawford and Brad Schimel are running for a 10-year term. Incumbent Justice Ann Walsh Bradley, one of the court’s liberal members, is retiring.
Wisconsin’s Supreme Court elections are officially nonpartisan, but candidates often take stances on specific issues and receive backing from the state’s major political parties during their campaigns. Crawford is endorsed by the state’s Democratic Party, and Schimel is the former Republican attorney general.
The court currently has a 4-3 liberal majority. In the April 2023 election, Judge Janet Protasiewicz won an open seat, shifting control of the court for the first time in 15 years. Before the 2023 election, the last time the partisan control of the court was at stake was in 2013.
The 2023 election was the most expensive judicial race in U.S. history, with candidates and satellite groups spending over $42 million. Marquette University professor Alan Ball said the 2025 race could be more expensive, saying, “One thing I am confident about for next April is that there is going to be even more money spent on that election than there was in the previous one.” Former justice Janine Geske said, “It just seems like the parties, the people with the political interests, want to control who gets on the court, and so I think that’s just going to bring in the money.”
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. In an interview with Democracy Docket’s Crystal Hill, 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.”
Crawford is a judge on the Dane County Circuit Court. She has 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, saying, “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 have also endorsed Crawford.
Schimel is a judge on the Waukesha County Circuit Court. He served as a Republican as 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 supports “Applying the Law as Written, Defending the Constitution, Upholding the Rule of Law, Backing the Badge Keeping Families Safe and Criminals Behind Bars.” 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 as a check on the court’s majority and says, “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 filing deadline is Jan. 7, 2025. The primary is on Feb. 18, 2025, and the general election is on April 1, 2025. The primary will be canceled if no other candidates file. Wisconsin has a divided government, with a Democratic governor and a Republican-controlled legislature. Wisconsin has a Democratic triplex, as the Governor, Attorney General, and Secretary of State are all Democrats.
Eight state legislators changed parties in 2024
As of December 2024, Ballotpedia tracked 186 state legislators who have switched parties since 1994. This includes 51 state senators and 135 state representatives.
Eighty-nine state lawmakers switched from Democrat to Republican, including 26 senators and 63 representatives. Twenty-four state lawmakers switched from Republican to Democrat, including eight senators and 16 representatives.
This year is tied with 2020 for the fewest changes we’ve counted since 2016. Since 1994, Ballotpedia counted the most party changes in 2010, with 28 state legislators changing their party affiliations that year.
Eight state legislators changed political parties in 2024.
Senators in three states — Florida, Nebraska, and California — changed their partisan affiliations from Democrat to Republican.
- In Nebraska, Mike McDonnell announced in April that he was leaving the Democratic Party and would register as a Republican based on his “religious-based, pro-life position.”
- In California, Marie Alvarado-Gil announced in August that she was leaving the Democratic Party and would register as a Republican, saying: “The status quo under a supermajority Democratic rule in the legislature is simply not working for this state.”
- In Florida, Susan Valdes announced in December that she was leaving the Democratic Party and would register as a Republican, saying: “Our Speaker, Rep. Daniel Perez, has laid out a vision for the House that focuses on empowering House members to work on real problems facing our communities. That’s what I want to be a part of.”
Two representatives in the New Hampshire House of Representatives and one in the Texas House also changed parties from Democrat to Republican. One representative in New Hampshire and one in Oregon announced they were leaving the Republican Party and registering as independents.
- In New Hampshire, Matt Coker announced in February that he would leave the Democratic Party and register as a Republican to better align his party affiliation with his core values and that his “proper place in this body is on the center right side of the aisle.” In June, Sherry Gould also announced that she was leaving the Democratic Party to register as a Republican. Aidan K. Ankarberg left the Republican Party and registered as an independent in 2024. In 2023, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. hired Ankaberg to work on his presidential campaign.
- In Texas, Shawn Thierry announced in August that she was leaving the Democratic Party and registering as a Republican because she believes the Democratic Party has “lost its way, lost its commitment to hard working families.”
- In Oregon, Charlie Conrad announced in June that he was leaving the Republican Party and changing his registration to the Independent Party of Oregon, saying, “I’m not going to fight for Trump. I’m not going to fight to adhere to that party.”
Two states enacted changes to SNAP work requirements in 2024
Two states enacted bills related to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in 2024. One was a Florida bill that increased the age to meet work requirements in the state, and the other was a Louisiana bill that limited the state’s ability to seek work requirement waivers.
- In Florida, House Bill 1267 raised the age at which individuals age out of the Able-Bodied Adult Without Dependents (ABAWD) SNAP work requirements. The ABAWD category is subject to different work requirements than other snap recipients. Last year, the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 expanded this category to include people ages 18 to 54. Florida’s new legislation further expanded the category to include people ages 53 to 59 in the state. Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed the bill on June 13.
- In Louisiana, Senate Bill 195 limited the Department of Children and Family Services’s ability to seek, apply for, accept, or renew any work requirements waivers unless expressly required by federal law. This refers to the ABAWD work requirement waivers that states can apply for when the unemployment rate is above 10% or there are otherwise insufficient jobs. Louisiana’s law, which went effective in May, prohibited the Department of Children and Family Services from exercising the state’s option to provide any exemptions from the work requirement.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture administers and develops federal SNAP program guidelines. State-level agencies administer their SNAP programs following federal requirements, including work requirements. Ballotpedia covers reform proposals related to SNAP work requirements at the federal and state levels. Click here to learn more about SNAP work requirements and their history.
Click here to find more information about the major arguments for and against work requirements for public assistance programs, as well as overviews of court cases, laws, and scholarly work related to the history of work requirements.