Contentious Supreme Court Election Anticipated in Wisconsin

A contentious and likely expensive supreme court campaign is expected in April 2013, with Justice Patience Roggensack seeking reelection and at least three candidates expressing interest in challenging her. The outcome of the race has the potential to alter the ideological balance on the seven-mamber court, as Justice Roggensack is part of the court’s four-member conservative majority. Ideology could come into play with respect to at least two issues that may come before the court in 2013—restrictions on public unions and voter ID requirements. Wisconsin’s nonpartisan judicial elections are held each year in the spring, and only one supreme court justice and one court of appeals judge per district may be chosen in a single year.