Liberal justice's retirement puts Wisconsin Supreme Court majority back on ballot

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Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Ann Walsh Bradley announced Thursday that she will not seek another term, setting up a high-stakes fight for control of the battleground state's highest court.

Bradley, who is part of the court's 4-3 liberal majority, said she felt confident she could win a fourth 10-year term but that it was time to "pass the torch." Her term will end July 31, 2025.

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The election for the open seat will be held next April. Brad Schimel, the former Republican attorney general, announced in November that he plans to run.

FILE - Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Ann Walsh Bradley is seen during a public hearing, Sept. 7, 2023, in Madison, Wis. Bradley announced Thursday, April 11, 2024, that she will not seek another term, setting up a high-stakes fight for control of the battleground state's highest court. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File)

The race was already expected to be heated, but Bradley's departure makes it an open race.

"My decision has not come lightly," Bradley said in a statement. "It is made after careful consideration and reflection."

Liberals hold a majority thanks to Janet Protasiewicz's victory in 2023 over former Justice Dan Kelly.

The court has made several key rulings since liberals gained control, including a December decision overturning Republican-drawn maps of the state's legislative districts.

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Abortion was also a central topic during Protasiewicz’s race and the court has since been asked to consider two challenges to a decades-old state law that conservatives have interpreted as banning abortion.