Milwaukee County Judge Janet Protasiewicz | Wikimedia Commons/Channel 3000
Milwaukee County Judge Janet Protasiewicz | Wikimedia Commons/Channel 3000
The debate over abortion is a key issue in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race between former Justice Dan Kelly and Milwaukee County Judge Janet Protasiewicz, whose detractors say would push the pro-choice agenda if appointed to the state's highest court.
Protasiewicz has been endorsed by several pro-choice groups, who have called Kelly and his views "extremist." Pro-life groups, meanwhile, assert that Protasiewicz would try to remove every existing restriction on abortion if she is elected.
“If elected to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, it is abundantly clear what Janet Protasiewicz and a liberal court majority will do: Strike down all of Wisconsin’s pro-life limits and instead mandate abortion on-demand up until birth, even painful late-term abortions," Marjorie Dannenfelser of Women Speak Out PAC told The Sconi. "Every one of Wisconsin’s current limits will be in the crosshairs of the court, even its parental involvement law protecting young girls from secret abortions. It’s no wonder Janet is backed by the extreme abortion lobby, who is pouring hundreds of thousands of dollars into the race. For Wisconsin voters who oppose brutal late-term abortions and support parental rights, the choice couldn’t be more abundantly clear: vote against Janet Protasiewicz.”
The abortion issue is expected to be a key component in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, according to AP News. Millions are expected to be spent on the race from both sides, and both candidates.
"The candidates, particularly Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Janet Protasiewicz, have also been more outspoken than usual for a judicial race in stating their positions on issues that could come before the court," AP News said.
Protasiewicz has been endorsed by top pro-abortion groups NARAL Pro-Choice America and Emily's List. NARAL opposes bans on abortion, including the 15- and 20-week bans that many states had in place or have enacted since the Dobbs vs. Jackson Women's Health decision, which effectively overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.
Kelly spokesman Jim Dick criticized Protasiewicz for inserting her personal beliefs into the exercise of the law.
“Her promise to put her thumb on the scale of justice to achieve her preferred outcomes is offensive to the very idea of a written constitution, and it breaks faith with the people of Wisconsin who insist that their justices apply the law, not their personal preferences,” Dick told AP News.