Wisconsin high court justice’s retirement may threaten liberal majority 

Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Ann Walsh Bradley is not seeking re-election to the bench next spring, a move that could threaten the state’s high court’s small liberal majority.

“My decision was not made lightly. It was made after much thought and reflection. I know I can do the job and I will do it well. I know I can get re-elected if I run. But , now is the time to pass the torch and bring a new perspective to the courtroom.” Bradley said in her statement.

She said she would retire at the end of her third 10-year term on July 31, 2025.Former Wisconsin Republican Attorney General Brad Schimmel announced last year That he would run for Bradley’s seat.

In his announcement, he noted that in the state Supreme Court’s 177-year history, only four other justices have served longer than Bradley before she retires. When she was first elected in 1995, she became the first woman to be elected to the bench rather than appointed.

The state’s highest court has attracted national attention in recent years. The court came close to overturning President Biden’s victory in the 2020 election, one vote short of a majority, after former President Trump challenged the state’s election.

“The Wisconsin Supreme Court has been making important decisions on women’s reproductive rights, and for nearly 30 years, Justice Ann Walsh Bradley have defended these freedoms.” “With her decision not to seek re-election, the future of reproductive rights in Wisconsin is once again in flux,” she said.

The statement continued, “As Donald Trump brags about overturning Roe and enabling abortion bans in extreme states across the country, the surest way for voters to protect abortion rights in Wisconsin is to vote 11 times this year. “It’s clear that the goal is to re-elect President Joe Biden in March.”

The Wisconsin Supreme Court will have a liberal majority for the first time in 15 years in 2023 with the swearing-in of current Justice Janet Protasiewicz. He replaced former conservative Justice Patience Roggensack on the court, which led to a 4-3 liberal majority.

The court threw out the Republican-drawn congressional map in December, ruling that the current map violates the state constitution’s contiguity requirements. Protašević had previously criticized maps drawn by Republicans during his campaign, calling them “unfair” and “rigged.”

Updated at 6:48pm EST.