Election shifts Wisconsin Supreme Court to the left

Pro-abortion Judge Janet Protasiewicz beat pro-life candidate Dan Kelly in Tuesday’s statewide election. She will replace a conservative justice who is retiring, swinging the court to a 4-3 liberal majority. The court is likely to hear a case soon challenging a state law protecting the unborn. Protasiewicz outspent Kelly in what was the most expensive state Supreme Court race in U.S. history, with more than $42 million spent, according to the nonprofit Wisconsin Democracy Campaign.

Were there other elections Tuesday? In Chicago’s runoff election for mayor, former teacher Brandon Johnson beat former Chicago Schools CEO Paul Vallas, who ran on a public safety platform. The two Democratic candidates advanced to this runoff election after beating current Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

Dig Deeper: Read Leah Savas’ report in Vitals about how pro-life groups battled for the Wisconsin Supreme Court.