by Judge JoAnne Kloppenburg
Candidate, Wisconsin Supreme Court
This campaign is about the future of our Supreme Court, what kind of Court it ought to be and what kind of Justices we should be electing to that Court.
The choice could not be clearer. Voters can count on me to bring independence and integrity, and superior experience to the Court.
Scott Walker appointed Rebecca Bradley three times to three judgeships in three years. We’ve known that it was politics, not qualifications, fueling her fast-track rise.
Rebecca Bradley’s judicial record is very thin. But her partisan background, the disturbing views she wrote and published, her continued association with an organization that promotes extremely conservative judges throughout the judiciary, and the fact the Republican Party is helping pay for her campaign staff and activities in what is supposed to be a non-partisan campaign, help flesh out a fuller picture.
The more we know about Rebecca Bradley, the higher the stakes in this race become.
For more than 26 years, I’ve been standing up for all the people of Wisconsin, as a judge on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals and as an assistant attorney general at the Wisconsin Department of Justice.
Before going to law school, I served in the Peace Corps in Botswana. Back in the states, I started the federal nutrition program for women, infants and children in two rural counties in upstate New York.
In 2012, I was elected by the voters to the Wisconsin Court of Appeals District 4, where I serve as the presiding judge. I have issued more than 750 written decisions that show me to be an independent, fair and principled appellate court judge.
I am honored to be endorsed by civil rights pioneer Vel Phillips, Judge Joe Donald, and Congresswoman Gwen Moore along with thousands of community leaders, attorneys, and Wisconsin residents who come from every county in the State. I am endorsed by more Judges than my opponent, including twice as many judges from Milwaukee County who know her work best.
Now, I ask for your vote for Wisconsin Supreme Court. Like you, I am unwilling to surrender our Court to the partisan politics and special interests that threaten to undermine the independence and integrity of our Court.
Those unregulated special interests are running deceitful, misleading ads attacking me. But I’ve been standing up to special interests and partisan politics my entire career. I’m not going to stop now.
The judiciary takes its power from the trust and confidence of the people. As I’ve traveled Wisconsin, I am struck by people’s shared hopes for the Court. Wisconsinites want it to be a place where everyone gets a fair shake, where Justices approach each case with an open mind, where the outcome of any case is not a foregone conclusion, where it serves as an independent check and balance on the other branches of government.
I share their hopes and that’s what my campaign is based on.
Let’s come together for independence and integrity on our Court. That’s what I’ve shown my entire career.
Let’s come together for a justice who is qualified to serve on the court. I’ve issued hundreds of decisions showing I’m an independent, fair and principled judge.
Let’s come together for a Wisconsin Supreme Court that works as it should, to decide cases without fear or favor.
I ask for your vote on April 5 so I can stand up for all of us on OUR Supreme Court.
