Candidates advance in Wisconsin high court race pivotal for abortion

Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Janet Protasiewicz and former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Dan Kelly on Tuesday were the two top vote-getters among four candidates running in the primary. Protasiewicz says she hopes to support women’s ability to access abortion. Kelly has been described as conservative, and pro-life groups in the state are backing him.

Why does this election matter? The victorious candidate in this race will likely hold the decisive vote in a case that would determine whether near-total protection for unborn babies remains a law or not. The Wisconsin Department of Justice last summer filed a lawsuit challenging an 1849 law protecting unborn babies, and the case is expected to make its way to the state Supreme Court. Conservatives currently hold a 4-3 majority on the court, but conservative Justice Pat Roggensack is retiring, and the April 4 general election could hand liberal-leaning justices a majority.

Dig deeper: Read Leah Savas’s report in Vitals about the battle for control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.