Get ready for another nasty Supreme Court race

It wasn’t long ago that Supreme Court races in Wisconsin didn’t attract much attention. Boy, has that changed. As recently as 2003, outside groups spent just over $27,000 trying to influence the outcome of the election. There were few ads, and even fewer attack ads. Now the campaign ads for Supreme Court candidates are as nasty as they come. And the spending keeps increasing. By 2007 spending by outside interest groups in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race topped $3 million. By 2020, that rose to more than $5 million. Conservative and liberal causes poured money into the campaigns of their favorite candidates, even though a seat on the Supreme Court is officially non-partisan. Even though they don’t have a “D” or an “R” next to their name on the ballot, it is no secret which side of the political aisle the candidates are on. Conservatives hold a 4-3 majority on the court, and increasingly the partisanship is showing. In the high court’s last session, more than half, 54%, were 4-3 decisions. The justices remained in lockstep with their party. Four candidates, two Republicans and two Democrats are now lined up to try to secure a seat on the Supreme Court in the April election. That means the ads will start soon, they will be prevalent, and likely increasingly foul.