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2020 Wisconsin Supreme Court election

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2020 Wisconsin Supreme Court election

The 2020 Wisconsin Supreme Court election was held on April 7, 2020, to elect a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court for a ten-year term. Dane County circuit judge Jill Karofsky defeated incumbent justice Daniel Kelly, shifting the ideology of the court toward liberals. As more than two candidates filed to run, a nonpartisan primary was held on February 18, 2020. In the primary, university professor Edward A. Fallone was eliminated. The general election took place during the initial surge of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, and state Republicans' controversially opposed postponing the spring elections (a move largely seen as having designs of benefitting Kelly through depressed turnout). Karofsky's sizable win was only the second instance since the 1960s in which an incumbent justice of the court was defeated. While the election was formally nonpartisan, its general election result was viewed as a win for the Democratic Party, while Kelly was a conservative backed by the Republican Party (and who had been endorsed by incumbent U.S. President Donald Trump, a Republican).

Infobox

Candidate
Jill Karofsky
Popular vote
855,573
Percentage
55.21%

Tables

2020 Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate forums · Primary election › Forums
Key: .mw- .mw- W Withdrawn
Key: .mw- .mw- W Withdrawn
No.
Key: .mw- .mw- W Withdrawn
Daniel Kelly
Daniel Kelly
No.
Daniel Kelly
Date
Ed Fallone
Host
Jill Karofsky
1
1
No.
1
Date
November 19, 2019
Host
American Constitution Society
Moderator
Michael Wagner
Link
WisEye
Candidates
P
Candidates
P
Candidates
P
2
2
No.
2
Date
January 30, 2020
Host
Milwaukee Bar Association
Moderator
Steve Walters
Link
WisEye
Candidates
P
Candidates
P
Candidates
P
3
3
No.
3
Date
February 4, 2020
Host
Grassroots North Shore
Moderator
Keith Schmitz
Link
YouTube
Candidates
N
Candidates
P
Candidates
P
No.
Date
Host
Moderator
Link
Candidates
Key: .mw- W Withdrawn
Daniel Kelly
Ed Fallone
Jill Karofsky
1
November 19, 2019
American Constitution Society
Michael Wagner
WisEye
P
P
P
2
January 30, 2020
Milwaukee Bar Association
Steve Walters
WisEye
P
P
P
3
February 4, 2020
Grassroots North Shore
Keith Schmitz
YouTube
N
P
P
2020 Wisconsin Supreme Court primary election[32] · Primary election › Primary results
Daniel Kelly (incumbent)
Daniel Kelly (incumbent)
Candidate
Daniel Kelly (incumbent)
Candidate
352,876
Votes
50.04%
Jill Karofsky
Jill Karofsky
Candidate
Jill Karofsky
Candidate
261,783
Votes
37.13%
Edward A. Fallone
Edward A. Fallone
Candidate
Edward A. Fallone
Candidate
89,184
Votes
12.65%
Write-in
Write-in
Candidate
Write-in
Candidate
1,295
Votes
0.18%
Total votes
Total votes
Candidate
Total votes
Candidate
705,138
Votes
100.0%
Candidate
Votes
%
Daniel Kelly (incumbent)
352,876
50.04%
Jill Karofsky
261,783
37.13%
Edward A. Fallone
89,184
12.65%
Write-in
1,295
0.18%
Total votes
705,138
100.0%
2020 Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate forum (post-primary) · General election › Forum
Key: P  Participant   A  Absent   N  Not invited   I  Invited  W  Withdrawn
Key: P  Participant   A  Absent   N  Not invited   I  Invited  W  Withdrawn
No.
Key: P  Participant   A  Absent   N  Not invited   I  Invited  W  Withdrawn
Daniel Kelly
Daniel Kelly
No.
Daniel Kelly
Date
Jill Karofsky
1
1
No.
1
Date
March 12, 2020
Host
Milwaukee Bar Association
Moderator
Steve Walters
Link
WisEye
Candidates
P
Candidates
P
No.
Date
Host
Moderator
Link
Candidates
Key: P Participant A Absent N Not invited I Invited W Withdrawn
Daniel Kelly
Jill Karofsky
1
March 12, 2020
Milwaukee Bar Association
Steve Walters
WisEye
P
P
· General election › Polling
Hodas & Associates (R)
Hodas & Associates (R)
Poll source
Hodas & Associates (R)
Date(s)administered
March 17–19, 2020
Samplesize
600 (RV)
Marginof error
DanielKelly
36%
JillKarofsky
29%
Poll source
Date(s)administered
Samplesize
Marginof error
DanielKelly
JillKarofsky
Hodas & Associates (R)
March 17–19, 2020
600 (RV)
36%
29%
2020 Wisconsin Supreme Court election[71] · General election › Results
Jill Karofsky
Jill Karofsky
Candidate
Jill Karofsky
Candidate
855,573
Votes
55.21%
Daniel Kelly (incumbent)
Daniel Kelly (incumbent)
Candidate
Daniel Kelly (incumbent)
Candidate
693,134
Votes
44.73%
Write-in
Write-in
Candidate
Write-in
Candidate
990
Votes
0.06%
Total votes
Total votes
Candidate
Total votes
Candidate
1,549,697
Votes
100.0%
Candidate
Votes
%
Jill Karofsky
855,573
55.21%
Daniel Kelly (incumbent)
693,134
44.73%
Write-in
990
0.06%
Total votes
1,549,697
100.0%

References

  1. Key:A – all adultsRV – registered votersLV – likely votersV – unclear
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    https://ballotpedia.org/Wisconsin_Question_2,_Unified_Court_System_Amendment_(April_1977)
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  8. Wisconsin Democracy Campaign
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  10. Wisconsin Public Radio
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  11. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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  22. Urban Milwaukee
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  23. Urban Milwaukee
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  26. wispolitics.com
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  27. NRA-PVF
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  28. ProLife WI
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  30. "Justice Daniel Kelly's Campaign Announces Endorsement of Wisconsin Realtors Association"
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  31. wispolitics.com
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  33. The Post-Crescent
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  34. "2020 Spring Primary Results"
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  35. Reuters
    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-election-wisconsin-idUSKBN21M0VX
  36. The Guardian
    https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/apr/14/wisconsin-election-coronavirus-republicans-supreme-court
  37. The Guardian
    https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/apr/14/wisconsin-election-coronavirus-republicans-supreme-court
  38. CNBC
    https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/24/coronavirus-update-states-that-have-postponed-2020-primaries.html
  39. AP
    https://apnews.com/8a89da046f4d9ea1211fbf8030f033d7
  40. TheHill
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  42. electionlawblog.org
    https://electionlawblog.org/wp-content/uploads/19A1016.pdf
  43. "URGENT – Wisconsin Supreme Court Orders Election Day to Continue and U.S. Supreme Court Alters Ballot Receipt Deadline; Tallying and Reporting Results Still Prohibited Until April 13 – COVID-19"
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