The Wisconsin Court System Code of Conduct declares: “… judges… must respect and honor the judicial office as a public trust and strive to enhance and maintain confidence in our legal system. The judge is an arbiter of facts and law … and a highly visible symbol of government under the rule of law.” Conservatives and liberals are projected to spend a combined $20 to $40 million to secure Wisconsin’s open Supreme Court seat in our ostensibly nonpartisan race. That’s a lot money. What gives?
An interview with online site Politico by chair of the Wisconsin Democratic Party sheds light. “The election is the hinge on which Wisconsin’s political future will swing. And Wisconsin is the hinge on which national politics swings.” In Wisconsin that means abortion rights and potentially redrawing gerrymandered maps. Nationally, if the 2024 presidential election is contested, our court might decide the next president. The conservative candidate decried the liberal for broadcasting her values. The liberal noted that the conservative forgot to mention $120,000 he earned working to overturn the 2020 election and his work with anti-abortion groups. Oops.
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Of course, once elected, we have no guarantee how a candidate, elected to a ten year term, will vote. But forthrightness during the election process speaks volumes. As you cast your vote remember, you are deciding our future for the coming decade.
Linda Duczman O'Connell, Racine