State Supreme Court
Susan Crawford
- Dane County Circuit Judge
- Endorsed by Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin and five current or former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justices
- Supports protecting abortion rights
Susan Crawford serves as a circuit
Brad Schimel
- Waukesha County Circuit Judge
- Endorsed by leaders of Pro-Life Wisconsin and dozens of current or former Sheriffs
- Supports Wisconsin’s 1849 abortion ban law
Brad Schimel has been a Wisconsin
How does the court impact Abortion?
As the final authority in Wisconsin deciding whether new or existing laws are constitutional and may be enforced, the Wisconsin Supreme Court is currently deliberating on whether to uphold an abortion ban law from 1849 which, in the wake of the overturn of Roe v. Wade, has resulted in some abortion providers in Wisconsin opting to stop providing abortion procedures unless the health of the mother is at risk.
Susan Crawford
Susan Crawford supports abortion rights and previously worked as a lawyer for Planned Parenthood, successfully ensuring abortion access for Wisconsinites.
Brad Schimel
Schimel has said “there is not a constitutional right to abortion in our State Constitution” and has tried to ban abortions in Wisconsin. He has stated his support for an 1849 abortion ban, which does not allow exceptions for rape, incest, or the health of the mother.
How does the court impact Workers Rights?
As the final authority in Wisconsin deciding whether new or existing laws are constitutional and may be enforced, the Wisconsin Supreme Court is a key decision maker in the ongoing legal battle over Act 10, a 2011 law that removed collective bargaining rights away from teachers, healthcare workers, some police officers, and other state workers.
Susan Crawford
Regarding Act 10, a 2011 law that removed collective bargaining rights away from teachers, healthcare workers, some police officers, and other state workers, Susan Crawford has said, “I represented our public school teachers in a legal challenge to Act 10. I was in court fighting for their rights in the workplace after the government took them away.”
Brad Schimel
Regarding Act 10, a 2011 law that removed collective bargaining rights away from teachers, healthcare workers, some police officers, and other state workers, Schimel worked to maintain Act 10 to stop collective bargaining. Wisconsin Watch reports that “Schimel, when he was attorney general, said he would defend Act 10 and opposed having its restrictions applied to police and firefighter unions, which were exempt from the law.”
How does the court impact Voting Rights?
As the final authority in Wisconsin deciding whether new or existing laws are constitutional and may be enforced, the Wisconsin Supreme Court makes decisions regarding voting rights. In recent years, the Court has overturned Republican-drawn electoral maps and held that Wisconsin voters may use ballot boxes to turn in their ballots.
Susan Crawford
As a lawyer for the Wisconsin League of Women Voters, Susan Crawford fought against a Republican-drawn electoral map which was ruled unconstitutional by three federal judges.
Brad Schimel
As Attorney General, Brad Schimel defended a Republican-drawn electoral map that three federal judges ruled unconstitutional.
How does the court impact the Protection of Crime Victims?
As the final authority in Wisconsin deciding whether new or existing laws are constitutional and may be enforced, the Wisconsin Supreme Court makes decisions regarding the rights of crime victims and those accused of crimes. For example, in 2023 the court upheld a victims’ rights amendment which expanded victims’ rights to privacy and to collect restitution, among other rights.
Susan Crawford
Crawford served as an assistant attorney general in the Department of Justice and in leadership at the Department of Corrections. She started her career as a prosecutor where Crawford says she “took the toughest felony cases all the way to the Wisconsin Supreme Court” and “worked hard to hold violent criminals accountable.”
Brad Schimel
Schimel served as Attorney General during the Scott Walker administration. Schimel faced scrutiny for how long his office took to test a backlog of thousands of rape kits. His campaign website says that Schimel has “earned a reputation for being tough and relentless in his pursuit of justice” during his time as a prosecutor.
How does the court impact Healthcare?
As the final authority in Wisconsin deciding whether new or existing laws are constitutional and may be enforced, the Wisconsin Supreme Court makes decisions regarding laws that impact patient’s rights and Wisconsinites’ access to healthcare. For instance, in 2023 the Supreme Court ruled that Wisconsin hospitals could not charge patients fees for accessing electronic copies of their medical records.
Susan Crawford
- Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin
- Reproductive Freedom for All
- 5 Current and Former Supreme Court Justices
- Senator Tammy Baldwin
- Sheriff Kalvin Barrett
- Sheriff Dave Mahoney (Retired)
- Police Chief Sue Riseling (Retired)
- 50+ current or former Wisconsin law enforcement leaders and judges
- Wisconsin Conservation Voters
- Wisconsin AFL-CIO
- Wisconsin Laborers’ District Council
- Wisconsin Education Association Council
Brad Schimel
- Pro-Life Wisconsin
- Milwaukee Police Association
- Milwaukee Professional Firefighters Association
- Chippewa County Sheriff Travis Hakes
- Juneau County Sheriff Andrew Zobal
- Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling
- Americans for Prosperity-Wisconsin
- Senator Ron Johnson
- US Rep. Bryan Steil
- US Rep. Derrick Van Orden
- US Rep. Glenn Grothman
- US Rep. Tom Tiffany
Superintendent of Public Instruction
Jill Underly
- Elected Wisconsin Superintendent in 2021
- Experience working at all levels of education, including as a teacher; has a lifetime license to teach in WI schools
- Touts that Wisconsin schools have the highest graduation rates in state history under her leadership
- Opposes using public taxpayer dollars to fund private school voucher programs
- Endorsed by American Federation of Teachers and Wisconsin AFL-CIO
Jill Underly has worked as a middle and high school teacher, an elementary school principal, and a school district superintendent in rural Wisconsin.
Brittany Kinser
- Education consultant
- Former California charter school assistant principal and teacher in Japan and Chicago; does not currently hold a WI teaching license
- Advocates for more rigorous academic standards and supports using public taxpayer dollars to fund private school voucher programs and charter schools
- Endorsed by CFC Action Fund and Scarlett Johnson, WI Moms for Liberty activist
Brittany Kinser has worked as an education consultant for an alternative school network, an assistant principal at a California charter school, and a teacher in Chicago and Japan.
Jill Underly
- American Federation of Teachers- Wisconsin
- Wisconsin AFL-CIO
- Citizen Action of WI
Brittany Kinser
- CFC Action Fund
- Scarlett Johnson, WI Moms for Liberty activist
Question 1
Placed on the ballot by the Wisconsin legislature, Question 1 will not change current law but it will lock into our state constitution certain types of photo identification requirements for voting. Once a law is added to the Wisconsin Constitution, it cannot be changed or updated without a vote of the people. Read the text here.
Results of a Yes Vote: A Yes vote would amend Wisconsin’s state constitution, adding our existing voter ID law to the state constitution. This amendment could not be changed without amending the constitution again.
Results of a No Vote: A No vote would keep our constitution and election laws the same. Voters would continue to be required to present valid photo ID in order to cast a ballot, per existing state laws. The language in our state constitution would not change.
Supporters
- State Sen. Van Wanggaard
- State Rep. David Armstrong
- State Rep. Rob Kreibich
- State Rep. Patrick Snyder
Opponents
- League of Women Voters of Wisconsin
- Disability Rights Wisconsin
- Wisconsin Conservation Voters
- Wisconsin Democracy Campaign
Supporters:
- “This verification process helps maintain public confidence in our electoral outcomes, reinforcing the principle of one vote, one person.” – Rep. Dave Maxey, R-New Berlin
- “If we wait on something like this, then (the court) could rule that the photo ID is unconstitutional, and then it would be a harder time” – Rep Patrick Snyder, Schofield
Opponents:
- “While voter ID has long been debated in Wisconsin, this amendment does nothing to address the real challenges facing our elections. It fails to improve voter access, enhance security, or tackle pressing issues like… increasing civic engagement..” – Joint letter from 23 advocacy groups, including the League of Women Voters
How to Vote
Ready to cast your ballot? In Wisconsin, you have several options to make your voice heard. No matter what method you choose, be sure to check your voter registration first. If you are not yet registered to vote, it takes just a few minutes.
I Want To . . .
Wisconsin Decides
This guide has been sourced from news coverage, the candidates’ websites, endorsement questionnaires, and other publicly available information. The sources we used to compile the guide are available upon request. We encourage you to also do your own research to determine each candidate’s qualifications for office.
- Endorsed by Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin
- Supports protecting abortion rights
- Dane County Circuit Judge
- Endorsed by leaders of Pro-Life Wisconsin
- Supports Wisconsin’s 1849 abortion ban
- Waukesha County Circuit Judge