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The2023 Wisconsin Spring Election was held in theU.S. state ofWisconsin on April 4, 2023. The featured race at the top of the ticket was for an open seat on theWisconsin Supreme Court, which became the most expensive judicial election in history. Several other nonpartisan local and judicial offices were also decided on the April 4 ballot, including mayoral elections in some of Wisconsin's larger cities—Green Bay,Madison, andRacine. In addition, aspecial election was held in the8th State Senate district, concurrent with the Spring elections.[1] The2023 Wisconsin Spring Primary was held February 21, 2023.
TheDemocratic Party of Wisconsin was seen as broadly victorious across the state's Spring elections. In the Supreme Court race, the Democrats' preferred candidate,Janet Protasiewicz, defeated the Republicans' preferred candidate, flipping the ideological balance of the court in favor of the liberals. Incumbent Democratic mayors in Green Bay, Madison, and Racine were all re-elected. In addition, the incumbent chief judge of theWisconsin Court of Appeals was defeated by a Democratic-backed challenger.[2]
The one significant Republican bright spot was the special election forWisconsin's 8th State Senate district, where they narrowly defended their super-majority in theWisconsin Senate. Wisconsin voters also ratified a pair of Republican-backed amendments to the state constitution related to guidance to judges on questions of pre-trial release and bail conditions.[3] Because the winner of the special Senate election was an incumbent state representative, another special election was held on July 18, 2023, to fill the vacancy in the24th Assembly district, which was also won by the Republican candidate.
Aspecial election was held concurrent with the Spring general election to fill the8th State Senate seat vacated by the resignation ofAlberta Darling.[1][4] Republican state representativeDan Knodl narrowly defeated Democratic attorneyJodi Habush Sinykin in the special election on April 4, 2023, giving the Republicans a super-majority in the Wisconsin Senate.[5][6][7]
The primary for this election was held concurrent with the spring primary, February 21, 2023. Knodl prevailed in the Republican primary over state representativeJanel Brandtjen andThiensville village president Van Mobley.[8][9][10] Former state senatorRandy Hopper briefly entered the race, but then withdrew and endorsed Knodl.[11][12]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jodi Habush Sinykin | 17,670 | 99.90% | |
| Scattering | 17 | 0.10% | ||
| Total votes | 17,687 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dan Knodl | 13,996 | 56.82% | |
| Republican | Janel Brandtjen | 6,870 | 27.89% | |
| Republican | Van Mobley | 3,743 | 15.19% | |
| Scattering | 25 | 0.10% | ||
| Total votes | 24,634 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dan Knodl | 38,492 | 50.81% | −3.43% | |
| Democratic | Jodi Habush Sinykin | 37,200 | 49.11% | +3.40% | |
| N/a | Scattering | 59 | 0.08% | +0.02% | |
| Plurality | 1,292 | 1.71% | -6.83% | ||
| Total votes | 75,751 | 100.0% | -36.70% | ||
| Republicanhold | |||||
A special election was held inWisconsin's 24th Assembly district on July 18, 2023, to fill the vacancy caused by the election of Dan Knodl to the Wisconsin Senate in the Spring election. The Republican nominee, Ozaukee County supervisorPaul Melotik, defeated the Democratic nominee, Mequon businessman, Bob Tatterson.[17]
A special primary was held on June 20, 2023, but neither party had a contest for the nomination.[18][19] Perennial Wisconsin candidate Spencer Zimmerman also collected petitions to get on the ballot as a Republican, but did not meet the necessary threshold.[20]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Special Election, July 18, 2023 | |||||
| Republican | Paul Melotik | 6,455 | 53.68% | −7.47% | |
| Democratic | Bob Tatterson | 5,568 | 46.30% | +7.49% | |
| N/a | Scattering | 3 | 0.02% | ||
| Plurality | 887 | 7.38% | -14.96% | ||
| Total votes | 12,026 | 100.0% | -62.09% | ||
| Republicanhold | |||||
A regularly scheduled Wisconsin Supreme Court election was held on April 4, 2023. The incumbent judge,Patience D. Roggensack, did not run for re-election, retiring after 20 years on the court.[23]Milwaukee County circuit judgeJanet Protasiewicz defeated former Wisconsin Supreme Court justiceDaniel Kelly in the April 4 general election, flipping the ideological majority on the court.[24]
Circuit judgesJennifer Dorow of Waukesha County and Everett Mitchell of Dane County were eliminated in the February primary.[25][26][27] Kelly and Dorow were considered conservatives, while Mitchell and Protasiewicz were considered liberals.[28][29]
The 2023 Wisconsin Supreme Court election was described as the most important election of the year. In 2020, allies of former presidentDonald Trump attempted to challenge the result of the U.S. general election in Wisconsin; the Wisconsin Supreme Court rejected the attempt by a one-vote margin.[30] A Republican victory could have led to a Supreme Court which might in similar circumstances disrupt a democratically decided election. The parties both knew what was at stake, and between them by 20 March 2023 had jointly spentUS$27m on their campaigns—making it the most expensive judicial race in American history.[30]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Election, February 21, 2023 | |||||
| Nonpartisan | Janet Protasiewicz | 446,403 | 46.42% | ||
| Nonpartisan | Daniel Kelly | 232,751 | 24.20% | −25.84% | |
| Nonpartisan | Jennifer Dorow | 210,100 | 21.85% | ||
| Nonpartisan | Everett Mitchell | 71,895 | 7.48% | ||
| Write-in | 516 | 0.05% | -0.13% | ||
| Total votes | 961,665 | 100.0% | +36.38% | ||
| General Election, April 4, 2023[32] | |||||
| Nonpartisan | Janet Protasiewicz | 1,021,822 | 55.43% | ||
| Nonpartisan | Daniel Kelly | 818,391 | 44.39% | −0.33% | |
| Write-in | 3,267 | 0.18% | +0.11% | ||
| Plurality | 202,652 | 11.04% | +0.48% | ||
| Total votes | 1,843,480 | 100.0% | +18.93% | ||
Two seats on theWisconsin Court of Appeals were up for election on April 4, 2023.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, April 4, 2023 | |||||
| Nonpartisan | Sara Geenen | 130,030 | 68.18% | ||
| Nonpartisan | William W. Brash III (incumbent) | 59,587 | 31.25% | ||
| Scattering | 1,088 | 0.57% | |||
| Plurality | 70,443 | 36.94% | |||
| Total votes | 190,705 | 100.0% | |||
Forty nine of the state's 261circuit court seats were up for election in April 2023. That included four new seats that were created in 2023 due to a 2020 act of the Legislature.[35] Only 11 seats were contested, only four incumbent judges were facing a challenger, two were defeated.[4][36]
| Circuit | Branch | Incumbent | Elected | Defeated | Defeated in Primary | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Votes | % | Name | Votes | % | Name(s) | |||
| Burnett | Melissia R. Mogen | Melissia R. Mogen | 4,143 | 100.0% | --Unopposed-- | ||||
| Clark | 2 | --New Seat-- | William Bratcher | 4,194 | 51.20% | Jake Brunette | 3,982 | 48.61% | |
| Columbia | 2 | W. Andrew Voigt | W. Andrew Voigt | 14,159 | 98.95% | --Unopposed-- | |||
| Dodge | 2 | Martin J. De Vries | Martin J. De Vries | 18,530 | 100.0% | ||||
| Door | 2 | David L. Weber | David L. Weber | 8,710 | 98.91% | ||||
| Grant | 1 | Robert P.Van De Hey | Lisa A. Riniker | 6,873 | 53.08% | Jennifer Day | 6,035 | 46.61% | Jeffrey W. Erickson |
| Green Lake | Mark Slate | Mark Slate | 4,746 | 99.37% | --Unopposed-- | ||||
| Jefferson | 4 | Bennett J. Brantmeier | Bennett J. Brantmeier | 18,953 | 98.96% | ||||
| Kenosha | 4 | Anthony Milisauskas | Anthony Milisauskas | 29,760 | 98.47% | ||||
| 7 | Jodi L. Meier | Jodi L. Meier | 30,137 | 98.58% | |||||
| Manitowoc | 3 | Robert Dewane | Robert Dewane | 18,762 | 99.24% | ||||
| 4 | --New Seat-- | Anthony A. Lambrecht | 18,017 | 99.34% | |||||
| Marathon | 4 | Gregory J. Strasser | Gregory J. Strasser | 31,616 | 99.18% | ||||
| 5 | Michael K. Moran | Michael K. Moran | 31,329 | 99.19% | |||||
| Milwaukee | 4 | Michael J. Hanrahan | Michael J. Hanrahan | 140,875 | 98.25% | ||||
| 9 | Paul R. Van Grunsven | Paul R. Van Grunsven | 140,262 | 98.44% | |||||
| 10 | Michelle A. Havas | Michelle A. Havas | 140,678 | 98.51% | |||||
| 13 | Mary Triggiano | Ana Berrios-Schroeder | 141,833 | 98.79% | |||||
| 18 | Pedro Colón | Pedro Colón | 143,733 | 98.71% | |||||
| 21 | Cynthia M. Davis | Cynthia M. Davis | 141,995 | 98.79% | |||||
| 33 | Carl Ashley | Carl Ashley | 141,787 | 98.85% | |||||
| 35 | Frederick C. Rosa | Frederick C. Rosa | 140,392 | 98.87% | |||||
| 47 | Kristy Yang | Kristy Yang | 141,930 | 98.90% | |||||
| Oconto | 1 | Michael T. Judge | Michael T. Judge | 10,332 | 99.40% | ||||
| Oneida | 1 | Mary Burns | Michael W. Schiek | 6,634 | 53.74% | Mary Burns | 5,697 | 46.15% | Mike Fugle |
| Outagamie | 1 | Mark J. McGinnis | Mark J. McGinnis | 38,221 | 100.0% | --Unopposed-- | |||
| Polk | 1 | Daniel J. Tolan | Daniel J. Tolan | 10,451 | 100.0% | ||||
| 2 | Jeffrey L. Anderson | Jeffrey L. Anderson | 10,433 | 100.0% | |||||
| Portage | 1 | Michael Zell | Michael Zell | 15,990 | 99.24% | ||||
| Richland | Lisa A. McDougal | Lisa A. McDougal | 3,659 | 99.27% | |||||
| Rock | 4 | Ashley Morse | Ashley Morse | 30,048 | 98.85% | ||||
| 6 | John M. Wood | John M. Wood | 29,430 | 98.79% | |||||
| Sawyer | 2 | --New Seat-- | Monica M. Isham | 4,161 | 96.50% | ||||
| Sheboygan | 2 | Kent Hoffman | Natasha L. Torry | 17,516 | 52.47% | James A. Haasch | 15,808 | 47.35% | |
| 3 | Angela Sutkiewicz | Angela Sutkiewicz | 25,874 | 96.50% | --Unopposed-- | ||||
| 5 | Daniel J. Borowski | George Limbeck | 16,284 | 51.24% | Cassandra Van Gompel | 15,417 | 48.51% | ||
| Trempealeau | Rian W. Radtke | Rian W. Radtke | 6,248 | 99.43% | --Unopposed-- | ||||
| Vernon | Darcy Rood | Timothy J. Gaskell | 4,785 | 50.90% | Angela Palmer-Fisher | 4,605 | 48.98% | ||
| Washington | 1 | Ryan J. Hetzel | Ryan J. Hetzel | 27,512 | 59.34% | Russ Jones | 18,850 | 40.66% | |
| 3 | Michael S. Kenitz | Michael S. Kenitz | 36,713 | 100.0% | --Unopposed-- | ||||
| Waukesha | 3 | Ralph M. Ramirez | Ralph M. Ramirez | 103,459 | 98.93% | ||||
| 4 | Lloyd V. Carter | Lloyd V. Carter | 100,408 | 98.94% | |||||
| 7 | Fred Strampe | Cody Horlacher | 71,228 | 55.20% | Fred Strampe | 57,239 | 44.36% | ||
| 11 | William J. Domina | William J. Domina | 99,727 | 99.06% | --Unopposed-- | ||||
| Waupaca | 1 | Troy L. Nielsen | Troy L. Nielsen | 11,834 | 98.84% | ||||
| Waushara | 1 | Guy Dutcher | Guy Dutcher | 6,438 | 100.0% | ||||
| Winnebago | 2 | Scott C. Woldt | Scott C. Woldt | 23,463 | 51.40% | LaKeisha D. Haase | 22,104 | 48.42% | |
| 6 | Daniel J. Bissett | Daniel J. Bissett | 33,567 | 98.47% | --Unopposed-- | ||||
| Wood | 4 | --New Seat-- | Timothy Gebert | 12,722 | 58.33% | Craig Lambert | 9,031 | 41.41% | |
There were two amendments to theConstitution of Wisconsin on the ballot for the Spring general election. The proposed amendments were structured as two questions to voters for consideration of separate changes to Section 8 of Article I of the Wisconsin Constitution, dealing with conditions forpre-trial release of those accused of crimes.[48] Both amendments were ratified by voters.[3] There was also a non-binding advisory question on the ballot for the Spring general election regarding welfare, which was also approved.[3][49][50][51]
A lawsuit alleged that the Republican legislature had missed the deadline for these questions to appear on the April ballot, but the questions were allowed to proceed.[52][53]
| |||||||||||||
| Results | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||
 Yes: 70–80% 60–70% 50–60% | |||||||||||||
For Question 1, a "yes" vote would raise the conditions necessary for release, removing the word "bodily" from the phrase "All persons, before conviction, shall be eligible for release under reasonable conditions designed to ... protect members of the community from serious bodily harm".
| |||||||||||||
| Results | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||
 Yes: 70–80% 60–70% 50–60% | |||||||||||||
For Question 2, a "yes" vote would insert an additional paragraph allowing judges wider latitude for when to apply cash bail for people accused of violent crimes. The current language of the constitution allows imposition of cash bail only in situations where it is believed "necessary to assure appearance in court." The amendment would allow judges to impose cash bail (on those accused of a violent crime) based on the "totality of the circumstances".
| |||||||||||||
| Results | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||
 Yes: >90% 80–90% 70–80% 60–70% | |||||||||||||
The legislature poses the question "Shall able-bodied, childless adults be required to look for work in order to receive taxpayer-funded welfare benefits?" The results of the referendum had no legal effect, and Wisconsin law already has work requirements for all welfare programs in the state.[54] Voters approved this advisory referendum.
A regularly scheduled mayoral election was held inGreen Bay, Wisconsin, concurrent with the Spring general election. First-term incumbent DemocratEric Genrich defeated a challenge from Republican former state representativeChad Weininger to win a second four-year term.[55][56][57]
A regularly scheduled election for village president was held inHoward, Wisconsin, concurrent with the Spring general election. Incumbent Burt McIntyre defeated IT professional J. D. Kopp in the April general election.[57][58]
A regularly scheduled mayoral election was held inFitchburg, Wisconsin, concurrent with the Spring general election. Incumbent mayor Aaron Richardson declined to seek re-election to a third term afterunsuccessfully running for State Treasurer.[59] Only two candidates filed to run for the office, removing the need for a primary.[60][61] District 2 Alderperson Julia Arata-Fratta defeated fellow Alderperson and Common Council presidentRandy Udell by 4 points in the general election.[62]
A regularly scheduled mayoral election was held inMadison, Wisconsin, concurrent with the Spring general election. First-term incumbent mayorSatya Rhodes-Conway defeated former deputy mayor and Madison Metropolitan School District School Board President Gloria Reyes in the general election to win a second four-year term.[63][64] Scott Kerr, a career city employee of the city of Madison, was eliminated in the primary. Daniel Howell, a recent University of Wisconsin graduate, missed the filing deadline and ran an unsuccessful write-in campaign in the primary.[65][66]
A regularly scheduled mayoral election was held inMiddleton, Wisconsin, concurrent with the Spring general election. Incumbent mayor Gurdip Brar did not run for a third term.[67] City councilmember Emily Kuhn defeated fellow city councilmember Kathy Olson in the April general election.[68]
A regularly scheduled county executive election was held inOutagamie County, Wisconsin, concurrent with the Spring general election. Three-term incumbent DemocratTom Nelson defeated former county board member Kevin Sturn in the general election to win a fourth four-year term.[69] County board member Justin Krueger was eliminated in the primary.[70]
A regularly scheduled mayoral election was held inRacine, Wisconsin, concurrent with the Spring general election. Incumbent mayorCory Mason defeated city councilmember Henry Perez in the general election to win a second four-year term.[71] Retirement financial advisor Jim DeMatthew was eliminated in the February primary.[72][73]
A regularly scheduled village board election was held inMount Pleasant concurrent with the Spring general election. Incumbent village president Dave DeGroot and his allies on the village board defeated a challenge from a slate of village residents opposed to theFoxconn project, and the handling of that issue by the village government.[71][74] Incumbent president Dave DeGroot defeated activist Kelly Gallaher. Trustee Nancy Washburn defeated Kim Mahoney, who was a long-time holdout against relocating from the Foxconn site. Trustee John Hewitt defeated Travis Yanke, a project manager at AbbVie. Trustee Ram Bhatia defeated accountant Eric Martinez.
A regularly scheduled mayoral election was held inOshkosh, Wisconsin, concurrent with the Spring general election. Incumbent mayorLori Palmeri did not run for re-election, after being elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2022. Deputy mayor Matt Mugerauer defeated fellow city councilmember Aaron Wojciechowski in the general election.[46]
