Wisconsin Supreme Court justice to retire, putting liberals' majority at stake next year

Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Ann Walsh Bradley announced Thursday she would step down at the end of her term next spring, putting liberals' majority on the pivotal swing state’s highest bench at stake.

The April 2025 election to replace Bradley promises to be an expensive and bitter race and will likely feature many of the same momentous issues — like abortion rights and redistricting — that defined a 2023 Wisconsin Supreme Court race that ultimately gave liberals their first majority on the bench in 15 years.

In a statement, Bradley, 73, said she would not run for a fourth 10-year term on the court, saying it was a good time to bring “fresh perspectives to the court.”

“My decision has not come lightly. It is made after careful consideration and reflection. 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,” wrote Bradley, who was elected to the technically nonpartisan court in 1995.

The election for Bradley's seat will come two years after liberal Janet Protasiewicz defeated conservative Dan Kelly in what was the most expensive state Supreme Court race in U.S. history and one of the most closely watched elections of 2023.

The race was largely defined by Protasiewicz’s support for abortion rights and opposition to the state’s heavily gerrymandered legislative maps — two issues that were set to come before the court. During the campaign, conservatives criticized Protasiewicz for having taken public stances on divisive political issues. Following her win, some Republicans in the state threatened her with impeachment.

Just days after Protasiewicz was sworn in, the court took up the case of the state's legislative maps and months later ruled them