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2019 Wisconsin Supreme Court election
Judicial election in the U.S. state of Wisconsin From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The 2019 Wisconsin Supreme Court election was held on Tuesday, April 2, 2019, to elect a justice to the Wisconsin Supreme Court for a ten-year term. The Incumbent justice, Shirley Abrahamson, retired after 43 years on the court, the longest in the history of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.[1] Although the Wisconsin Supreme Court justices are considered nonpartisan, Abrahamson identified as a liberal and voted with the liberal 3–4 minority on the court. Wisconsin Court of Appeals judge Brian Hagedorn narrowly defeated Chief Judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals Lisa Neubauer, shifting the ideology of the court towards conservatives.
This is the most recent election in which a conservative candidate has won election to the court. It is also the only contested supreme court election election held since 2016 that did not see a liberal candidate win with approximately 55% of the vote against a conservative candidate (as has been the outcomes of the 2018, 2020, 2023, and 2025 elections).[2]
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Background
![[icon]](#/media/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (July 2025) |
The 2018 and 2019 elections are the fifth instance in the court's history in which two consecutive elections were for open seats (without an incumbent running).[a]
There was no primary held, because only two candidates ran. Had a third candidate qualified for the ballot, a primary would have been held. It is rare for contested Wisconsin Supreme Court races to be held without the need for a primary, with this being the first such instance since 1978, and the last until 2025.[3]
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Candidates
There was no Supreme Court primary in 2019, as only two candidates ran for the seat.
Declared
- Brian Hagedorn, Wisconsin Court of Appeals judge[4]
- Lisa Neubauer, Chief Judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals[5]
Declined
- Shirley Abrahamson, incumbent Supreme Court justice[6]
- Susan Happ, Jefferson County District Attorney, Democratic nominee for Wisconsin Attorney General in 2014[7]
- Maria Lazar, judge of the Waukesha County Circuit Court (endorsed Hagedorn)[8][9]
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General election
Summarize
Perspective
Endorsements
Brian Hagedorn
Judicial officials
- Rebecca Bradley, Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court[10]
- Michael Gableman, former Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court (2008–2018)[10]
- Daniel Kelly, Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court[10]
- David Prosser, former justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court (1998–2016)[11]
- Jon Wilcox, former justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court (1992–2007)[11]
Organizations
- National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund[12]
- Pro-Life Wisconsin Victory Fund PAC[13]
Wisconsin Realtors Association[14]- Wisconsin Right to Life PAC[15]
Labor unions
Political parties
Lisa Neubauer
Judicial officials
- 19 current and former Wisconsin Court of Appeals judges[18]
Labor unions
Organizations
- Citizen Action Wisconsin[22]
- Human Rights Campaign[23]
- National Democratic Redistricting Committee[24]
- Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin[25]
Political parties
Newspapers and other media
Debates
Polling
| This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (March 2025) |
Results
By congressional district
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Notes
See also
References
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