Liberal judge retires from Wisconsin Supreme Court

A liberal member of Wisconsin's Supreme Court has announced that she is retiring. 

Justice Ann Walsh Bradley announced her retirement on Wednesday, the Washington Examiner reports.

She is the longest-serving liberal member of the court, having first been elected to the court in 1995 and having, since then, been elected to two other terms. In Wisconsin, justices are elected to 10-year terms.

Bradley's retirement could have a significant impact on the court and, thus, on state politics. Read on to see why.

"My decision has not come lightly."

Bradley announced her retirement in a one-page, five-paragraph press release that she published on Thursday, April 11, 2024.

She wrote:

Today, I announce that I will not be running for a fourth ten-year term on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. My service on the court will end on July 31, 2024. In the 177-year history of this state, only four justices will have served longer than my length of service. However, let me be clear: although I will then conclude my tenure on the court, my dedication to public service remains unwavering.

The judge went on to say that her "decision has not come lightly."

"It is made after careful consideration and reflection," Bradley wrote.

She explained, "I know I can do the job and do it well. I know I can win re-election, should I run. But, it's just time to pass the torch, bringing fresh perspectives to the court."

Looking forward

Wisconsin's Supreme Court is currently a 4-3 liberal-majority court. The reader may remember that the liberals won the court with the recent election of Justice Janet Protasiewicz - an election that garnered national attention.

The concern now - at least for Democrats - is that, with Bradley's retirement, the liberals may lose their majority.

President Joe Biden's 2024 Wisconsin Communications Director Brianna Johnson expressed this concern in a statement that she released after Bradley's retirement announcement.

Johnson wrote:

The Wisconsin Supreme Court makes crucial decisions about women’s reproductive rights, and, for nearly 30 years, we have had a defender of those freedoms in Justice Ann Walsh Bradley. With her decision not to seek reelection, the future of reproductive rights in Wisconsin is once again in flux. As Donald Trump brags about overturning Roe and enabling extreme state abortion bans across the country, it’s clear that the surest way voters can protect their abortion rights in Wisconsin is to reelect President Joe Biden this November.

An election will be held in 2025 to replace Bradley, and, given what is at stake, the likelihood is that, once again, it will garner national attention.