Keep your eyes glued to Valuetainment for your election crystal ball. Yesterday I predicted a win for Janet Protasiewicz in the Wisconsin Supreme Court case. I said she’d get 53%, she ended up getting 55%, with her opponent, Daniel Kelley, finished with 45%.
Abortion hung in the balance. There’s an 1840 abortion ban already on the books in Wisconsin, which can now be triggered since Roe V. Wade was overturned. The state legislature is GOP controlled, and the state Supreme Court has a 4 to 3 majority for the GOP. Had former State Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelley won, he would have almost certainly supported the state house’s efforts to enact an abortion ban. He was a member of the conservative judicial think tank The Federalist Society and was appointed by conservative governor Scott Walker, before losing re-election.
Protasiewicz was an assistant district attorney and current family court judge. She has had a history of liberal rulings and was endorsed by Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin. She’ll clearly try to block the legislature from implementing an abortion ban, and should be successful in doing so. A deadlocked court means a deadlocked bill.
In her victory speech, Protasiewicz pledged to set aside partisanship where her work would be based on law, and not on a political agenda. She talked about her roots on the south side of Milwaukee, pretty standard stuff for an acceptance speech.
But Kelley’s concession speech was about as fiery as it could be. He did quickly concede however, but in doing so said that “The people of Wisconsin have chosen the rule of Janet. I respect that decision because it is theirs to make.”
He opened saying, “I wish that in a circumstance like this, I would be able to concede to a worthy opponent. But I do not have a worthy opponent to which I can concede.”
He added, “My opponent is a serial liar. She’s disregarded judicial ethics; she’s demeaned the judiciary with her behavior. This is the future that we have to look forward to in Wisconsin.”
He said he wished Wisconsin luck, and that they’re going to need it. Guess that all depends on where you stand on the abortion issue. But for now, the progressives nab the victory here.
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