Drawing in nearly $60 million in total spending, many voters and strategists are focused on the race for an open seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Dane County Circuit Court Judge will face off against Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Brad Schimle. Crawford is a former prosecutor and attorney, elected to the Dane County Circuit COurt in 2018. Crawford –who is backed by many state and national democrats, including the Democratic Party of Wisconsin– is endorsed by four of the seven sitting state supreme court justices. Schimle is Wisconsin’s former Republican Attorney General, who was appointed to the Waukesha County Circuit Court after losing his bid for reelection for attorney general in 2018 by outgoing governor Scott Walker. Although the race in office is nonpartisan the race is anything but free from ideological ties.
Other races on the April 1 ballot include Wisconisn Superintendent for Public Instruction, the state’s top public education official. Incumbent Dr. Jill Underdly is facing off against a Milwaukee based educational consultant Brittany Kinser. Underly is backed by state democrats and liberal groups, while Kinser is backed by many state republican and conservative groups, although she labels herself as a “Blue Dog Democrat” , a group of moderate democrats. According to state law “The state superintendent has the duty to supervise and inspect public schools and day schools for disabled children, advise local principals, and offer assistance in organization and reorganization.”

The Stoughton Area School District Board of Education will also hold elections this spring. Board President Jill Patterson, Vice President Lisa Pugh, and member Sharon Meilahn-Bartlett are running for reelection, while Jim Moeser is running as well. All candidates are guaranteed a spot on the board, however the person that receives the lowest votes will fill the one year term and the top three vote getters will serve a three year term.