Wisconsin judicial race: contenders chosen in pivotal election for 2023

Wisconsin voters on Tuesday chose one liberal and one conservative candidate to face off in a race to determine control of the state supreme court in what is likely the most important election of 2023.

Conservatives currently have a 4-3 majority on the court, but if Protasiewicz wins, the balance of the court would flip.

That would have enormous impact in Wisconsin, one of the most politically competitive states in America that often determines the outcome of the presidential election. The court is expected to have a say in the near future on a range of major voting rights and abortion decisions.

The race is already projected to shatter the $10m spending record for a state supreme court race, which was set in 2020. There were nearly $7m in political ad orders placed in the primary, according to the Brennan Center for Justice, which is tracking that spending.