Liberal, Conservative Set to Square Off in Wisconsin's Supreme Court Election

A conservative and a liberal have advanced to the general election for a 10-year seat on Wisconsin's Supreme Court. 

The Details: The race between liberal Judge Janet Protasiewicz and conservative Judge Daniel Kelly will determine the balance of power in the state's top court. The winner will succeed conservative Justice Patience Roggensack, who is retiring after 20 years.

Key Quote: “This seat is crucial to the balance of the court, and the court is crucial to the balance of the state,” said Barry Burden, a political scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and director of its Elections Research Center.

For Context: If liberal Judge Protasiewicz wins, it would help liberals redraw state legislative maps that currently favor Republicans. It could also mean overturning one of the more restrictive abortion bans in the United States. Millions of dollars have been spent to determine the outcome of the race, and it may become the most expensive judicial race in Wisconsin history.

How the Media Covered it: The primary election results in Wisconsin were covered by sources across the political spectrum, with all indicating the political significance of the Wisconsin Supreme Court race and Wisconsin's key role as a swing state in national elections.