OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The turn of the calendar means we are now two months away from voters deciding who will win a 10-year term on Wisconsin’s Supreme Court.
There is no primary and the two candidates were both in Oshkosh Saturday morning speaking in front of supporters.
The race between Dane County Circuit Court Judge Susan Crawford and Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Brad Schimel will decide which way Wisconsin’s Supreme Court will lean.
It’s currently a 4-3 liberal majority after record breaking spending two years ago gave Democrats their first edge on the bench in 15 years.
“I don’t think it’s the healthiest thing the amount of money that goes into court races,” said Schimel. “I wish it could be kind of old school and there would be fair and balanced newspaper articles that people could read to find out about the candidates and their positions.”
“Money plays an outsized role in these races,” said Crawford. “I’d like to see reforms of the system to have it be less impacted by the millions and millions of dollars that got spent.”
Both candidates admit they’ll still raise as much money as they can given the current legal parameters.
Old school face to face campaigning also a tool being put to use.
Crawford told Winnebago County Democrats Schimel is the most extreme candidate to ever run for the job.
“In my court room, everybody gets treated the same,” said Crawford. “Everybody gets a fair shake.”
In front of Winnebago County Republicans, Schimel, a former Republican Attorney General, says his opponent has just as much political baggage as she was an advisor to former Governor Jim Doyle and an attorney for Madison’s teachers union.
“I’m running to restore integrity and humility, respect for the limits on the power that this court has,” said Schimel. “If we don’t restore that, we will not recognize our state in three years.”
Election Day is April 1st.
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