Protasiewicz had made protecting abortion rights in the state the central issue of her campaign.
Topline
Liberal-leaning Judge Janet Protasiewicz beat conservative Dan Kelly in Wisconsin’s Supreme Court race Tuesday, giving the court a liberal majority for the first time in more than a decade, which is expected to have wide-reaching implications on abortion and elections in the battleground state.Key Facts
Protasiewicz, a judge in Milwaukee County and former prosecutor, was ahead of Kelly with 55.5% of the vote to Kelly’s 44.5%, as of 5 a.m. Eastern time Wednesday, with more than 95% of the votes in.
Kelly, a former Supreme Court justice who lost reelection in 2020, railed against Protasiewicz in his concession speech, calling his opponent’s campaign the most “deeply deceitful, dishonorable, despicable campaign I have ever seen run for the courts” and “truly beneath contempt.”
The outcome is expected to have a significant impact on abortion rights in Wisconsin, where abortion is now banned under a 19th century-era law, which is being challenged in court by Democratic state leaders and is expected to reach the state Supreme Court.
Protasiewicz had made abortion the central issue of her campaign and suggested she would rule in favor of striking down the abortion ban, sparking criticisms from Kelly and his supporters that she was being overly political and saying in advance how she would rule on cases.
