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2023 Wisconsin elections

The 2023 Wisconsin Spring Election was held in the U.S. state of Wisconsin on April 4, 2023. The featured race at the top of the ticket was for an open seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which became the most expensive judicial election in history. Several other nonpartisan local and judicial offices were also decided on the April 4 ballot, including mayoral elections in some of Wisconsin's larger cities—Green Bay, Madison, and Racine. In addition, a special election was held in the 8th State Senate district, concurrent with the Spring elections.[1] The 2023 Wisconsin Spring Primary was held February 21, 2023.

The Democratic Party of Wisconsin was seen as broadly victorious across the state's Spring elections. In the Supreme Court race, the Democrats' preferred candidate, Janet Protasiewicz, defeated the Republicans' preferred candidate, flipping the ideological balance of the court in favor of the liberals. Incumbent Democratic mayors in Green Bay, Madison, and Racine were all re-elected. In addition, the incumbent chief judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals was defeated by a Democratic-backed challenger.[2]

The one significant Republican bright spot was the special election for Wisconsin's 8th State Senate district, where they narrowly defended their super-majority in the Wisconsin Senate. Wisconsin voters also ratified a pair of Republican-backed amendments to the state constitution related to guidance to judges on questions of pre-trial release and bail conditions.[3] Because the winner of the special Senate election was an incumbent state representative, another special election was held on July 18, 2023, to fill the vacancy in the 24th Assembly district, which was also won by the Republican candidate.

State elections

Legislature

State Senate 8th district special election

A special election was held concurrent with the Spring general election to fill the 8th State Senate seat vacated by the resignation of Alberta Darling.[1][4] Republican state representative Dan Knodl narrowly defeated Democratic attorney Jodi Habush Sinykin in the special election on April 4, 2023, giving the Republicans a super-majority in the Wisconsin Senate.[5][6][7]

The primary for this election was held concurrent with the spring primary, February 21, 2023. Knodl prevailed in the Republican primary over state representative Janel Brandtjen and Thiensville village president Van Mobley.[8][9][10] Former state senator Randy Hopper briefly entered the race, but then withdrew and endorsed Knodl.[11][12]

State Assembly 24th district special election

A special election was held in Wisconsin's 24th Assembly district on July 18, 2023, to fill the vacancy caused by the election of Dan Knodl to the Wisconsin Senate in the Spring election. The Republican nominee, Ozaukee County supervisor Paul Melotik, defeated the Democratic nominee, Mequon businessman, Bob Tatterson.[17]

A special primary was held on June 20, 2023, but neither party had a contest for the nomination.[18][19] Perennial Wisconsin candidate Spencer Zimmerman also collected petitions to get on the ballot as a Republican, but did not meet the necessary threshold.[20]

Judicial

State Supreme Court

A regularly scheduled Wisconsin Supreme Court election was held on April 4, 2023. The incumbent judge, Patience D. Roggensack, did not run for re-election, retiring after 20 years on the court.[23] Milwaukee County circuit judge Janet Protasiewicz defeated former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice Daniel Kelly in the April 4 general election, flipping the ideological majority on the court.[24]

Circuit judges Jennifer Dorow of Waukesha County and Everett Mitchell of Dane County were eliminated in the February primary.[25][26][27][28] Kelly and Dorow were considered conservatives, while Mitchell and Protasiewicz were considered liberals.[29][30]

The 2023 Wisconsin Supreme Court election was described as the most important election of the year. In 2020, allies of former president Donald Trump attempted to challenge the result of the U.S. general election in Wisconsin; the Wisconsin Supreme Court rejected the attempt by a one-vote margin.[31] A Republican victory could have led to a Supreme Court which might in similar circumstances disrupt a democratically decided election. The parties both knew what was at stake, and between them by 20 March 2023 had jointly spent US$27m on their campaigns—making it the most expensive judicial race in American history.[31]

State Court of Appeals

Two seats on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals were up for election on April 4, 2023.

State Circuit Courts

Forty nine of the state's 261 circuit court seats were up for election in April 2023. That included four new seats that were created in 2023 due to a 2020 act of the Legislature.[36] Only 11 seats were contested, only four incumbent judges were facing a challenger, two were defeated.[4][37]

Ballot measures

There were two amendments to the Constitution of Wisconsin on the ballot for the Spring general election. The proposed amendments were structured as two questions to voters for consideration of separate changes to Section 8 of Article I of the Wisconsin Constitution, dealing with conditions for pre-trial release of those accused of crimes.[49] Both amendments were ratified by voters.[3] There was also a non-binding advisory question on the ballot for the Spring general election regarding welfare, which was also approved.[3][50][51][52]

A lawsuit alleged that the Republican legislature had missed the deadline for these questions to appear on the April ballot, but the questions were allowed to proceed.[53][54]

Question 1

For Question 1, a "yes" vote would raise the conditions necessary for release, removing the word "bodily" from the phrase "All persons, before conviction, shall be eligible for release under reasonable conditions designed to ... protect members of the community from serious bodily harm".

Question 2

For Question 2, a "yes" vote would insert an additional paragraph allowing judges wider latitude for when to apply cash bail for people accused of violent crimes. The current language of the constitution allows imposition of cash bail only in situations where it is believed "necessary to assure appearance in court." The amendment would allow judges to impose cash bail (on those accused of a violent crime) based on the "totality of the circumstances".

Question 3

The legislature poses the question "Shall able-bodied, childless adults be required to look for work in order to receive taxpayer-funded welfare benefits?" The results of the referendum had no legal effect, and Wisconsin law already has work requirements for all welfare programs in the state.[55] Voters approved this advisory referendum.

Local elections

Brown County

Green Bay mayor

Howard village president

Dane County

Madison mayor

Middleton mayor

Outagamie County

Outagamie County executive

Racine County

Racine mayor

Mount Pleasant village board

Winnebago County

Oshkosh mayor

References

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  2. ^ a b Dawson, Drew (April 4, 2023). "Sara Geenen elected to the Court of Appeals, defeating District 1 incumbent Bill Brash". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c Danbeck, Jackson; Jordan, Ben (April 4, 2023). "Wisconsin votes for referendum on cash bail and violent crimes". WTMJ-TV. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  4. ^ a b Candidate Tracking by Office - 2023 Spring Election - 4/4/2023 (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. December 14, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
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