Republicans win supermajority with Wisconsin Senate victory

05 April 2023

On Tuesday, April 4, Wisconsin's biggest political and legal bombshell was liberal Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Janet Protasiewicz's double-digit victory over far-right MAGA Republican Dan Kelly in a state supreme court race. Protasiewicz campaigned aggressively on abortion rights, slamming Kelly as an "extremist." And she defeated him by around 11 percent.

Protasiewicz's win shifts the balance of power in favor of liberals on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. But the news wasn't all good for Wisconsin Democrats on April 4. In a special election for an open seat in the Wisconsin State Senate, Republican Rep. Dan Knodl defeated his Democratic opponent, attorney Jodi Habush Sinykin. And Republicans will have even more power in that branch of the Wisconsin State Legislature.

According to Associated Press (AP) reporter Todd Richmond, "Knodl's victory gives Senate Republicans 22 votes in the 33-seat chamber. That's enough to override a gubernatorial veto in that house. A successful override takes a two-thirds vote in the Senate and Assembly, however, and Assembly Republicans remain two seats shy of the 66 they need."

Wisconsin used to be reliably Democratic, but it is has evolved into more of a swing state. In 1988's presidential election, Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis lost many more states than he won but carried Wisconsin. These days, however, Republicans have a lot more power in Wisconsin, where they control the state legislature.

Wisconsin has a two-term Democratic governor (Tony Evers) and a Democratic U.S. senator (Tammy Baldwin), but it also has a far-right Republican U.S. senator (Ron Johnson) who won a third term in 2022. Former President Donald Trump won Wisconsin in 2016 but lost it to now-President Joe Biden in 2020.

Richmond notes, "Knodl has said he's not interested in impeaching Evers, saying he has been able to work with the governor. But he said he wants to impeach Milwaukee judges for being too lenient on criminal defendants. That list could include Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Janet Protasiewicz, he said. She won Tuesday's election to the Supreme Court and will take the seat in August."

Knodl will be replacing former Wisconsin State Sen. Alberta Darling, a Republican who announced her retirement in November.

Read The Hill's full report at this link.

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