Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Anne Walsh Bradley announced Thursday that she will not seek another term, setting off a high-stakes battle for control of the battleground state’s highest court.
Mr. Bradley, a member of the court’s 4-3 liberal majority, said he was confident he could win a fourth 10-year term, but said it was time to “pass the torch.” His term ends on July 31, 2025.
Longest serving Wisconsin state senator to retire
Elections for open seats will be held in April next year. Former Republican Attorney General Brad Schimmel announced plans to run in November.
FILE – Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Ann Walsh Bradley appears at a hearing on September 7, 2023 in Madison, Wisconsin. Bradley announced on Thursday, April 11, 2024, that he would not seek re-election, setting up a high-stakes gamble. Battle for control of the Supreme Court in battleground states. (AP Photo/Molly Gash, File)
The race was already expected to be heated, but with Bradley’s withdrawal, it became an open race.
“My decision was not made lightly,” Bradley said in a statement. It is created after much thought and reflection.
The Liberals have a majority thanks to Janet Protasiewicz’s 2023 victory over former judge Dan Kelly.
The court has issued several important decisions since liberals took power, including a December ruling overturning the state’s congressional district maps drawn by Republicans.
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Abortion was also a centerpiece of Mr. Protasiewicz’s campaign, and the court was later asked to consider two challenges to decades-old state laws that conservatives have interpreted as banning abortion. There is.
