Liberals just won a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court by a huge margin
Source: Vox
Liberal candidate Rebecca Dallet has won election to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, according to Decision Desk. Dallet defeated her conservative opponent for the open seat, Michael Screnock easily, and her victory will cut the conservative majority on the court from 5-2 to just 4-3.
Dallets win is yet another example of liberal voter enthusiasm in state and local elections held during the age of Trump. And in Wisconsin specifically, its a rare victory for a Democratic Party thats been beaten again and again in recent years. (The race was technically nonpartisan, but Dallet was the Democrat-backed candidate, and Screnock the conservative-backed one.)
However, the court will remain in conservative hands for the near future. The next conservative-held seat wont be up for election until 2020, and before that, liberals will have to defend one of their own seats next year.
Once elected, Wisconsin Supreme Court justices serve out 10-year terms. However, if a seat should become vacant in the middle of a term, the governor can appoint a replacement justice. A new election is then scheduled for that seat in the first year when theres no other supreme court election on the ballot (that is, two seats cant go up for election in the same year). Tuesdays election is for an open seat held by a conservative justice who chose to retire.
Read more: https://www.vox.com/2018/4/3/17195062/wisconsin-supreme-court-election-results
Live updates:
https://decisiondeskhq.com/news/wisconsin-supreme-court-election/
Here's the start of Madison.com's story Rebecca Dallet wins 10-year term on Wisconsin Supreme Court
Voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly picked Milwaukee County Judge Rebecca Dallet to serve on the Wisconsin Supreme Court for the next 10 years.
Dallet crushed Sauk County Judge Michael Screnock 57 percent to 42 percent and is the first candidate backed by liberals to win an open seat on the state's highest court since 1995.
She replaces Justice Michael Gableman, whose decision in 2015 to not step away from a case involving the Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, which had spent millions to help elect Gableman, was a big reason Dallet decided to seek a seat on the court.
Dallet, a judge for the last 10 years, campaigned largely on changing the rules that govern when judges and Supreme Court justices should recuse themselves from cases involving top campaign donors and repeatedly criticized Gableman and the court controlled by conservatives for "doing bidding" for special interests.
With Dallet's election, the court remains controlled by conservative justices but by a smaller margin.
snacker
(3,619 posts)msongs
(67,462 posts)Liberalhammer
(576 posts)But thanks. We needed a win.
TheRealNorth
(9,500 posts)When you see the Republicans only pulling 65% in Waukesha County (typically 70-75% and their largest source of votes), you know they are in trouble.
Julian Englis
(2,309 posts)Still In Wisconsin
(4,450 posts)You know, the one on which she "found" 14,000 votes for David Prosser in 2011.
3catwoman3
(24,072 posts)...here in Illinois remembers that very well. It was infuriating.
MyOwnPeace
(16,940 posts)we don't have people in government that care about these kinds of things, you know, like stolen elections (see history: Bush v. Gore, Clinton v. Tru..... sorry, can't even spell out the name of this evil pile of s**t!!!!).
TheRealNorth
(9,500 posts)It was 2 days after the election that they "found" those votes.
gopiscrap
(23,765 posts)herding cats
(19,568 posts)Finally people are fed up with the RW destroying everything they touch.
Heartstrings
(7,349 posts)🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊
Kashkakat v.2.0
(1,752 posts)bias, values and beliefs BUT my job as judge is to rule based on letter of the law. She cited cases where she as circuit judge did exactly that.
Of course Repubs tried to spin that admission of as "liberal activist judge".
She also used the word "corruption" and kept hammering at the fact that her opponent was funded largely by corporate donors and that he would not, like her, vow to recuse himself if a case came up involving his donors. In other words she has vowed to not even give the APPEARANCE of being bought. How refreshing is THAT?
Other things I noticed - her ads were on local radio including the RW talk channel and very numerous the last few days, and in them she explicitly stated that her opponents ads LIED in their attempting to smear her.
This was very different from Feingold and the Dem gov candidates who took in all this money, but seemed oddly missing in action throughout their campaigns - I did not hear ANY ads from them on our local radio .... and I listen to a lot of radio.
AllyCat
(16,236 posts)It was the banner ad from the end of February through yesterday. Hard to miss.
Kashkakat v.2.0
(1,752 posts)over the internet - INCLUDING DEMOCRATIC UNDERGROUND I MIGHT ADD!!!!!!!!!!!!
But where was Russ? No sign of a Russ Feingold ad - anywhere.
I think having an effective ad presence is more essential than some might want to admit. Of course it shouldnt have to be that way, but that's the reality at this moment in time.
AllyCat
(16,236 posts)Angry Dragon
(36,693 posts)elocs
(22,614 posts)But when voters on the Left choose not to vote, like in 2010 when the state flipped from Democratic control to Republican control, electing Walker and defeating Feingold, bad things happen. What is not sane is abdicating our duty to vote and leaving it to the Republicans who will eagerly fill that void.
We win when we vote! Because there are more of us on the blue team than there are in the red team. Do NOT sit out ANY Election Day.
FakeNoose
(32,823 posts)Somehow that gets lost and people disappear for 4 years. The voters need to pay attention always, and never sit out an election. For Democrats there are no "off" years. I think those lazy occasional voters have had their eyes opened after 2016.
old guy
(3,284 posts)riversedge
(70,350 posts)🌊🌊🌊 #FlipItBlue #BlueWave2018
https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2018/04/03/rebecca-dallet-beats-michael-screnock-race-wisconsin-supreme-court/477978002/
Rebecca Dallet beats Michael Screnock in race for Wisconsin Supreme Court
Patrick Marley, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Published 9:01 p.m. CT April 3, 2018 | Updated 9:20 p.m. CT April 3, 2018
MJS-supreme04_DalletBuy Photo
(Photo: Rick Wood / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
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MADISON - Rebecca Dallet trounced Michael Screnock Tuesday for a seat on the state Supreme Court, shrinking the court's conservative majority and giving Democrats a jolt of energy heading into the fall election.
It marked the first time in 23 years that a liberal candidate who wasn't an incumbent won a seat on the high court.
I attribute it to Wisconsin voters standing up to special interests," said Dallet, a Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge. "I think they're ready to have fair and independent courts.
"Im the candidate with the most experience, really standing up for the rights of Wisconsinites every day and I think people saw that and spoke out today and Im quite excited by it, by the results.
Dallet won big in Dane and Milwaukee counties. Screnock, a Sauk County judge who campaigned with the backing of the state Republican Party, did well in Waukesha County and other GOP strongholds but did not get enough votes elsewhere to offset Dallet's massive success in metropolitan areas.
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The election swung conservative control of the court from a comfortable 5-2 to a narrow 4-3. Dallet to be seated in August for a 10-year term will replace conservative Justice Michael Gableman, who did not seek re-election.
BlueWI
(1,736 posts)We are winning across Eau Claire County too. Young progressive candidates are winning big!! So excited for blue voters across the state. Scott Walker is next. Congrats to everyone who worked for this win!!
calimary
(81,527 posts)PLEEEEEEEZE send Scott Walker to the unemployment line! He's a member of their "bench strength" - who flatters himself, thinking he's worthy of the Presidency. He wants to run for the big job, and badly, I suspect.
BlueWI
(1,736 posts)Walker is vulnerable, and 8 years is more than enough. What a glorious day awaits us in November!!
Hassin Bin Sober
(26,347 posts)Last Supreme Court election I remember following, the Democrats really made a push and we came up short. Wasn't that around the time of the attempted recall of Walker??
This is a really good sign!!
aeromanKC
(3,328 posts)And yes, it is a BFD!!
riversedge
(70,350 posts)Great news from Former Trump Country!! 🌊🌊🌊 #FlipItBlue #BlueWave2018
https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2018/04/03/rebecca-dallet-beats-michael-screnock-race-wisconsin-supreme-court/477978002/
Rebecca Dallet [Progressive] beats Gov Walker lacky Michael Screnock in race for Wisconsin Supreme Court Suck on it #Trump!!
Still In Wisconsin
(4,450 posts)how different this feels from the night seven years ago when David "the Supreme Court Strangler" Prosser was re-elected.
elocs
(22,614 posts)with the Wisconsin presidential primary. It's too bad the Liberal candidate could not have won then because we would now have liberal control of our supreme court here. That was a primary election easily won by Bernie Sanders, but it was found afterwards that 12% of the Sanders voters were so excited about voting for him that they didn't even bother to vote in the state supreme court justice race even though the ballot was right in front of them.
Voting is the secret power of the Left that is feared by Republicans, otherwise they would not be so desperate to try and limit it. But like so many Republicans, we need to learn to treat voting as our duty with the understanding up front that we will seldom have the perfect and exciting candidates but that we should vote whether we are motivated or not. Because by and large the Republicans will show up.
AllyCat
(16,236 posts)All my progressive friends won their City Alder races and Mayor in my town. I have won another 3 year term on School Board. Its a great night!
And we defeated an amendment to get rid of the State Treasurer position!!
Next stop: Defeating Walker!!
calimary
(81,527 posts)CONGRATULATIONS!!!
It's great that voters have starting getting interested in local and state races. THAT'S where it all starts, and where power bases are built for future advancement. We've ignored that part of it for way too long.
One of the biggest villains of the 70s and 80s was the "Christian Coalition's" babyfaced ruthless schemer Ralph Reed. He did a lot of damage in his heyday and was a darling of the evangelicals and the Reagan hoards, as well as Reagan himself. One of his signature efforts was pushing the idea of CONservatives running for the local school board. Mainly because from there, you could climb higher, building a power base and lots of valuable connections and maybe then trying for City Council. Or County Supervisor. Or the State Senate or Assembly. And from there, you could well rise up to Congress, the Senate, the governor's mansion, or higher. But for him, it all started with the local school board.
Glad YOU are there instead of one of his little flying monkeys!
AllyCat
(16,236 posts)I dont know if I would run for other offices, but not ruling anything out. Im so thrilled about Dallet and the thwarting of Walkers plan to get rid of our Democratic Treasurer I could shout in the snowy streets right now.
Tatiana
(14,167 posts)Thanks for doing your part to help make Wisconsin great again. Walker's time is running out.
AllyCat
(16,236 posts)ismnotwasm
(42,020 posts)Sam McGee
(347 posts). . . in recalling that Eric Holder and President Obama supported her? I think Holder went to Wisconsin at least once to campaign for her.
truthisfreedom
(23,159 posts)Blue blue blue!
BobTheSubgenius
(11,572 posts)Call me crazy, but all these state and local races being won by Democrats might be the silver lining to this dark, dark cloud that envelops DC.
Still In Wisconsin
(4,450 posts)Nothing would make me happier. I only wish the coming Blue Wave would have swept Russ Feingold back into office... alas he was running in 2016 when our state collectively shit the bed.
slumcamper
(1,606 posts)riversedge
(70,350 posts)iluvtennis
(19,882 posts)workinclasszero
(28,270 posts)Way to GOTV y'all!!! We are coming for you republiKLANs!!!!!
AllyCat
(16,236 posts)workinclasszero
(28,270 posts)bucolic_frolic
(43,364 posts)I've heard of Heinz 57, how about Dems 57?
cannabis_flower
(3,768 posts)is the Governor up for election? If Democrats can take the Governor's office and a conservative seat becomes open and then we would be able to appointment a liberal.
mercuryblues
(14,547 posts)TheRealNorth
(9,500 posts)If a Dem gets elected governor in November, they should be able to get fairer State Senate and Assembly districts drawn after the 2020 census (unless the US Supreme Court forces them to be redrawn sooner)
Jimbo S
(2,960 posts)It's been a rough eight years here. I'm happy to get a victory like this. Hopefully, more to come.