Wisconsin’s race for the state Supreme Court is the most expensive in U.S. history, and the conservative candidate says it’s all because of politics.
Former Justice Dan Kelly has long accused liberal Judge Janet Protasiewicz of focusing on her politics, and not the role of a Supreme Court justice, during the campaign. Monday, Kelly told News Talk 113- WISN’s Jay Weber that Protasiewicz is focusing on her politics, because national Democrats have made the race all about politics.
“This is a political drive for them. My opponent goes around the state talking nothing but her politics,” Kelly said. “All she talks about are the politics she’ll bring to the court.”
Protasiewicz has consistently said that she talks about her “values,” and insists those are different from her “politics.”
WisPolitics last week said the race between Kelly and Protasiewicz has cost $45 million. Most of that money has come from outside groups, and in Protasiewicz’s case, most of her donations have come from donors outside the state of Wisconsin.
“This race is being watched so closely around the country because this is the first judicial race, to my knowledge in the country’s history, in which one of the candidates comes out and says she will put herself above the law. She will place her thumb on the scale of justice.”
That’s a reference to a Protasiewicz comment to a Madison TV station back in January where she talked about abortion
“What I will tell you is that the [for] bulk of issues there’s no thumb on the scale, but I will also tell you that I’ll call them as I see them and I’ll tell you what my values are in regards to [the abortion] issue, because this issue is so critically important,” Protasiewicz said at the time.
Protasiewicz’s campaign has stayed mostly silent in the last few weeks of the campaign and has not responded to Kelly’s accusations.
Kelly said voters in Wisconsin will have to decide who they want on the court.
“[Wisconsin voters] still love our Constitution. We still love our liberties that are protected by that Constitution,” Kelly explained. “And I don’t think that she can spend enough money to get [voters] to give that up.
Voters will make their decision between Kelly and Protasiewicz on Tuesday.