Wisconsin’s next Supreme Court race could be even more contentious and even more expensive than the last one.
Liberal Justice Ann Walsh Bradley surprised the state on Thursday when she announced she would not run for re-election next year.
“My decision has not come lightly. It is made after careful consideration and reflection. I know I can do the job and do it well. I know I can win re-election, should I run. But it’s just time to pass the torch, bring fresh perspectives to the court,” Walsh Bradley said in a statement.
She is one of Wisconsin’s longest-serving justices, serving her third 10-year term on the court.
She wrote, “In the 177-year history of the court, only four justices have served longer than my length of service.”
Walsh Bradley’s decision means the next election will be open.
Former Republican attorney general, and current Waukesha County judge, Brad Schimel has already jumped into the race. There aren’t any declared Democrats yet.
Schimel on Thursday said Walsh Bradley’s decision isn’t changing anything for him.
“From the beginning of my campaign, I made it clear that I’m not just running against one person, I’m running against this Court’s leftist majority,” Schimel said. “I wish Justice Ann Walsh Bradley well in retirement after decades of public service. I look forward to continuing the fight to bring integrity and respect for the Constitution back to the Supreme Court of Wisconsin.”
Wisconsin’s last race for the supreme court, in April of 2023, set records for spending. The race between Justice Janet Protasiewicz and former Justice Dan Kelly cost more than $56 million. That makes the 2023 Wisconsin race the most expensive judicial race in American history. Many court observers and politicos in Wisconsin say the 2025 race could be just as expensive, or even more expensive.
Protasiewicz’s victory flipped the Wisconsin Supreme Court to a 4-3 liberal majority for the first time in 15 years.
