Madison, Wis. (AP) — The fate of abortion access in the state of Wisconsin likely rests with Tuesday’s events the nation was on fire to the state supreme court, with the future of the state’s legislative boards drawn up, voting rights and years of other political politicking also hanging in the balance.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court has been under conservative control for 15 years, as the final word on a broad range of Republican policies enacted by the GOP-controlled Legislature. The court came within one vote of defeating President Joe Biden in 2020.
Popular-backed the Acta Apostolicae Sedis candidate will face Protasiewicz Republican-backed Dan Kelly in the race, which is the most expensive court race in US history, nearly tripled the previous $15 million record set in Illinois in 2004.
Democrats hope to swing the race to conservative government for at least the next two years, including the run-up to and after the 2024 presidential election. Four of the past six presidential elections in Wisconsin have been decided by less than a percentage point, and Trump returned to the courts in 2020 in his failed bid to overthrow nearly 21,000 voters.
Protasiewicz, Milwaukee County Judge, at large race focused around abortion, saying it supports abortion rights, but stopped short of saying how it will prevail in a lawsuit challenging Wisconsin’s 174-year-old ban, which was enacted a year after the state. He called Kelly an “extreme partisan” and claimed that if he wins, Kelly will maintain the state ban. Kelly did not say how he would rule.
Kelly has expressed opposition to abortion in the past, including in a 2012 blog post in which she said the Democratic Party and the National Organization for Women were believed to be taking away the organization of human life. Kelly has also done legal work for Wisconsin Right to Life.
Kelly is a former justice who previously worked for Republicans and advised them of a fake GOP voter turnout plan to send votes to Trump following the 2020 election even if he lost. he is protected by the top three anti-abortion groups in the statewhile Protasiewicz is supported by paternity and abortion rights advocates.
In a sign of how kind of person she has become, Protasiewicz was supported by a fellow Milwaukee County judge who is also the daughter of retiring conservative Justice Pat Roggensack. Judge Ellen Bostrom wrote in her opinion one week before the election that Kelly was “unfit” to serve because of her involvement in voter fraud.
Protasiewicz called Kelly “a real threat to our democracy” because of that work.
Kelly was confirmed by Trump in 2020 in an unsuccessful run for the court after serving four years on the court after the constitution. This year we are not testing Trumpet. Protasiewicz wrote to Hillary Clinton.
Kelly has tried to distance Republicans from his work, saying it is “unnecessary” for how justice works. Kelly tried to make a campaign of Judge Protasiewicz’s testimony, arguing that she was soft on crime. He said he was “bought and bought” by the Democrat.
The Wisconsin Democratic Party gave Protasiewicz more than $8 million to his campaign, leading him to promise that he would recuse himself from any case brought by a Democrat. Kelly refused to promise to avoid any incident brought by his supporters, who were included in the public relations chamber.
In addition to abortion, Protasiewicz moved into Wisconsin’s gerrymandered legislative boards, calling them “armed.” Kelly accused her of prejudice, abortion and others who could come before the trial.
The winner will serve a 10-year term starting in August.
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