State Supreme Court Candidates Face Off In Debate

Voter ID requirements, abortion rights and the role of public sector unions were among the hot-button issues that were in the spotlight and sparked some spirited exchanges during Wednesday night’s debate between the two candidates vying for a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

With only three weeks before the election, Wednesday night’s faceoff at Marquette University in Milwaukee is the only scheduled debate between Dane County Circuit Court Judge Susan Crawford and Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Brad Schimel. Both contenders took the debate as an opportunity to clarify their own positions and raise concerns about their opponent. 

At stake is the ideological balance of the state Supreme Court – currently split 4-3 with a liberal majority. The court’s leaning is important as it’s slated to offer rulings on a number of impactful cases in the coming months. 

The hour-long debate saw the candidates burnishing their own experience and positions while trading accusations targeting their opponent. The exchanges were sometimes heated. At one point, Schimel interjected that Crawford was lying when she accused him of being someone who has “blamed victims,” citing such an alleged instance during a child sexual assault case. Later, Crawford disputed Schimel’s allegation that 50% of her donors come from outside the state and she countered that she thought Schimel has a “very active imagination.” 

The candidates opposed each other on a thorough range of issues, including the state’s congressional district maps; past handling of sexual assault cases; and questions about the testing of rape kits from when Schimel was Wisconsin’s attorney general (which has been a key focus of attack ads).  

One of the key disputes between Schimel and Crawford was the future of abortion rights in Wisconsin. After the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade in 2022, an 1849 state law came back into effect that essentially bans all abortions in Wisconsin. The state Supreme Court is expected to take up a legal challenge to the 1849 law. 

Schimel said he expected the Supreme Court to issue a decision on the law before the new justice joins the court. However, he also said he doesn’t think the Supreme Court should render decisions on abortion rights and advocated voters should ultimately determine what to do.

Speaking of the 1849 law, he said, “I don’t believe it reflects the will of the people of Wisconsin today.”

Crawford declined to take a position on the upcoming abortion case, but said she had supported abortions rights in other cases she was involved in, including two connected to Planned Parenthood. She said she thought abortion rights is an important public concern.

“This is a critical issue in this race. My opponent has said he believes the 1849 law in Wisconsin is valid law and he’s trying to backpedal from that position now,” she said.

Both candidates were asked about Wisconsin’s voter ID law, which could be enshrined in the state constitution if a majority back the proposed amendment in the April election. While Schimel said he plans to vote for the measure, Crawford declined to say if she would vote for it.

Both candidates also took shots at the other for their financial backers. While billionaire Elon Musk has been supporting Schimel, fellow billionaire George Soros has been donating to Crawford. Each candidate labeled their rival’s benefactor as “dangerous” and sought to emphasize their support among Wisconsin voters. This comes amid widespread recognition that the statewide race has drawn national attention and support from conservatives and liberals.

While officially nonpartisan, both candidates have the backing of the state’s main parties. Crawford is supported by Democrats while Schimel, who was previously the state attorney general, is promoted by Republicans. 

The debate was hosted by WISN-TV in Milwaukee.

The two candidates will face off in the April 1 election.