High court justice avoids opponent

Madison — State Supreme Court Justice Annette Ziegler will get a free ride in her bid for re-election. 

No one filed paperwork to challenge her by Tuesday's 5 p.m. deadline, allowing her to gain another 10-year term on the court without the bitter, expensive campaigns that have marked many recent court elections. The election is April 4.

A former Washington County circuit judge, Ziegler is part of a 5-2 conservative majority. She joined the Supreme Court in 2007 by beating attorney Linda Clifford in a race that ushered in high-dollar spending in court campaigns. 

In that race, Ziegler, Clifford and political groups spent about $6 million, a record at the time.

Costly races have become common since then, with business interests, unions and others spending heavily to try to maintain or tilt the balance of the court. Even when spending has been relatively low, the campaign debate has been fierce, with challengers criticizing a court that has drawn attention for infighting in recent years. 

Glendale Mayor Bryan Kennedy blamed the state Democratic Party for not supporting left-leaning candidates for the Supreme Court, as the Republican Party has for conservatives seeking court seats. Court races are officially nonpartisan. 

"The Democratic Party has done a terrible job. We haven't built the kind of infrastructure that says to a Supreme Court candidate, 'We can help you,' " he said. 

A former president of the American Federation of Teachers-Wisconsin, Kennedy is likely to challenge state Democratic Party chairwoman Martha Laning for her post in June. 

Brandon Weathersby, a spokesman for the state Democratic Party, said a number of people considered running against Ziegler but ultimately decided not to get in the race. The party remains "committed to helping to elect progressive candidates" in other races this spring, he said by email. 

Other court races this spring are also quiet.

No incumbent Milwaukee County circuit judges will face a challenge, but two newcomers to circuit judicial politics will face off for an empty seat.

Judge John Seifert decided not to seek re-election to Branch 47 and so the seat will be contested by Kashoua Yang and Scott Wales. Yang is a sole practitioner who came to the U.S. from Southeast Asia as a child. Wales also has a private practice and serves as Fox Point municipal judge.

Another open seat drew only a single candidate, former Judge Michelle Havas. She will be on the ballot to succeed Judge Timothy Dugan, who was appointed to the Court of Appeals in October by Gov. Scott Walker.

Walker had appointed Havas to the Milwaukee County circuit court in 2015 but she was defeated last year by Jean Kies.

Jason Stein of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this report. 

Patrick Marley can be reached at patrick.marley@jrn.com and twitter.com/patrickdmarley.