MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Conservative state appeals court Judge Brian Hagedorn, the former chief legal counsel for Republican Gov. Scott Walker, launched his candidacy for Wisconsin Supreme Court on Thursday, setting up a contest with liberal-backed chief Appeals Court Judge Lisa Neubauer.
Hagedorn is looking to increase conservative control of the court, which currently sits at 4-3. The election in April is to replace retiring liberal Justice Shirley Abrahamson.
Hagedorn, who had been weighing a run for months, serves on the same 2nd District appeals court as Neubauer. Walker appointed Hagedorn to the bench in 2015. Neubauer was appointed by then-Gov. Jim Doyle in 2007.
Hagedorn, in a statement announcing his candidacy, said voters want a justice who will “defend the rule of law, uphold the constitution, and protect the public.” He said that “personal political values” have no place on the Supreme Court.
Races for the court have become increasingly partisan over the last decade, including the race this year won by Rebecca Dallet, who ran a campaign ad criticizing President Donald Trump. Another liberal candidate in that primary, Tim Burns, took stands on partisan issues, pushing the boundaries of what’s acceptable in a judicial race even further.
Hagedorn, 40, of Oconomowoc, said he’s been endorsed by current Supreme Court Justices Rebecca Bradley and Dan Kelly, both conservatives, as well as recently retired Justice Michael Gableman. Hagedorn applied to Walker for a vacancy on the Supreme Court in 2016 but Walker appointed Kelly instead.
Neubauer raised more than $100,000 in June and loaned her campaign $250,000 of her own money. As of June 30, Hagedorn had just $500 cash on hand.
Others who have said they are considering a run are Democratic Jefferson County District Attorney Susan Happ and conservative Waukesha County Judge Maria Lazar, who formally worked for Republican Attorneys General J.B. Van Hollen and Brad Schimel.
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