2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court election explained

Election Name:	2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court election
Country:	Wisconsin
Type:	presidential
Ongoing:	yes
Previous Election:	2023 Wisconsin Supreme Court election
Previous Year:	2023
Next Election:	2026 Wisconsin Supreme Court election
Next Year:	2026
Election Date:	April 1, 2025
Justice
Before Election:	Ann Walsh Bradley
Outgoing Members:	2015

The 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court election will be held on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, to elect a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court for a ten-year term. The incumbent justice, Ann Walsh Bradley, is retiring after 30 years on the court. Although the Wisconsin Supreme Court justices are considered nonpartisan, Bradley has identified as a liberal and has voted with the liberal 4–3 majority on the court, meaning the outcome of this election will decide the ideological majority of the court for at least the next year.^[1]

If more than two candidates file to run for this seat, a nonpartisan primary election will be held February 18, 2025, with the top two vote-getters advancing to the April 1 general election. The filing deadline to appear on the ballot in the 2025 election is January 1, 2025.

Candidates

Declared

• Susan Crawford, Dane County Circuit Court judge (2018–present)^[2]
• Brad Schimel, Waukesha County Circuit Court judge (2019–present) and former Republican Wisconsin Attorney General (2015–2019)^[3]

Publicly expressed interest

• Maria Lazar, Wisconsin Court of Appeals judge (2022–present)^[4]

Withdrawn

• Ann Walsh Bradley, incumbent Supreme Court justice (1995–present) (endorsed Crawford)

Declined

• Pedro Colón, Wisconsin Court of Appeals judge (2023–present) and former Democratic state representative (1999–2011)^[5] (endorsed Crawford)^[6]
• Dan Kelly, former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice (2016–2020)^[7]
• Chris Taylor, Wisconsin Court of Appeals judge (2023–present) and former Democratic state representative (2011–2019)^[8] (endorsed Crawford)

Primary election

Endorsements

External links

• Susan Crawford for Supreme Court
• Brad Schimel for Supreme Court

Notes and References

1. News: Justice Ann Walsh Bradley won't seek reelection in '25, when liberal majority will be on the line. April 11, 2024 . . April 11, 2024 .
2. News: Dane County judge Susan Crawford launches Wisconsin Supreme Court bid . Jessie . Opoien . . June 10, 2024 . June 10, 2024 .
3. News: Schimel launches '25 bid for state Supreme Court . . November 30, 2023 . November 30, 2023 .
4. News: . April 12, 2024 . Bahl, Andrew . April 11, 2024 . Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Ann Walsh Bradley won't run again .
5. Web site: FRI REPORT: Colón decides against state Supreme Court bid . . 29 April 2024 . 26 April 2024.
6. Web site: McCullum . Jason . 2024-06-24 . Crawford campaign: More than 100 judges and court commissioners endorse Judge Susan Crawford for Wisconsin Supreme Court . 2024-06-26 . WisPolitics . en-US.
7. News: . Daily Kos Elections Live Digest: 4/12 . April 12, 2024 . April 12, 2024 . Nir, David . Former Supreme Court Justice Dan Kelly...informs WisPolitics he has 'absolutely no intention of running whatsoever.' .
8. News: April 18, 2024 . . Judge Chris Taylor opts not to run to replace outgoing Justice Walsh Bradley . April 18, 2024 . Jones, Kyle.