Early Voting Begins in Wisconsin Supreme Court Election

One of the more consequential elections in this off year will take place in Wisconsin. Early voting began yesterday for the April 1 state Supreme Court election. It will continue through March 30.

Incumbent Ann Walsh Bradley is retiring. Bradley is the most senior justice on the Court, having been elected in 1995. The election features two Circuit Court judges: Susan Crawford (Dane County) and Brad Schimel (Waukesha County). The winner will serve a ten-year term.

While the justices - and the election - are nonpartisan, the ideological balance of the court is very much on the ballot. Absent Bradley, who is liberal, the court is split 3-3. A Crawford win would retain the court's liberal lean, while a win by the more conservative Schimel would tip the Court to the right.

Before the Court are numerous cases covering issues that run down the political fault lines. These include abortion, voting rules, congressional district boundaries, and unions.

As a result, the election has drawn national attention. Elon Musk's super PAC has spent more than $6.5 million in support of Schimel. Overall spending may reach $100 million, which would shatter the previous record of $51 million, set in the Supreme Court election here in 2023.

Upcoming Scheduled Elections

• April 1
  • Omaha Mayor Primary
    • General Election May 13
  • Wisconsin Supreme Court
• April 8
  • St. Louis Mayor
• May 3
  • Texas Mayors: San Antonio, Forth Worth, Plano, Garland 
• May 6
  • Ohio Mayors (Primary): Cincinnati and Toledo
• May 20
  • Pittsburgh Mayor (Primary)
• June 10
  • New Jersey Gubernatorial Primary
• June 17
  • Virginia Gubernatorial Primary
• June 24
  • New York City Mayor Primary

Upcoming Special Elections

• March 25
  • Mississippi State House Districts 23 and 82
    • Runoff (if needed) April 22
  • Pennsylvania State Senate District 36 and State House District 35
  • South Carolina State House District 113
• April 1
  • Florida Congressional Districts 1 and 6
  • Florida State Senate District 19 and State House Districts 3 and 32 (Primaries)
    • General Election June 10
  • Oklahoma State House Districts 71 and 74
    • Runoff (if needed) May 13; General Election June 10
  • South Carolina State House District 50 (Primary)
    • Runoff (if needed) April 15; General Election June 3
• April 15
  • Massachusetts State House District 6th Essex (Primary)
    • General Election May 13
  • Mississippi State Senate District 18
  • Oakland Mayor
• May 3
  • Louisiana State House District 67 (Primary)
    • Top-Two General Election June 7 (if needed)
• May 6
  • New Hampshire State House District Strafford 12 (Primary)
    • General Election June 24
• May 13
  • Alabama State House District 11
    • Runoff (if needed) June 10; General Election August 26
  • Massachusetts State House District 3rd Bristol (Primary)
  • Oklahoma State Senate District 8