Madison, WI —Justice Daniel Kelly will face Janet Protasiewicz in the April 4 election for Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice following the results of Tuesday’s primary election.
Justice Kelly issued the following statement:
I am grateful to my fellow Wisconsinites who, through their votes, have reaffirmed the centrality of our Constitution to the work of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. As the Irish say, a hundred thousand thanks to you! I am humbled and inspired by your confidence in me.
Throughout this campaign I have been regularly astounded by those who have surrounded me with their support and encouragement and prayer, and who undergirded our efforts with their investment of precious time and talent and resources. The power of Wisconsinites on the move is a wonder to behold! You have my deepest thanks for all the doors you knocked, the calls you made, the signs you pounded into the frozen ground, and the message of constitutionally-protected liberty you carried to the most distant parts of our State. Without you, this campaign would have been nothing more than a mildly interesting family conversation.
But there is much work to be done before we can truly celebrate, because this is going to be an election like no other. Tonight we join battle in the fight to preserve our constitutional form of government against a novel and grave threat: Janet Protasiewicz’s promise to set aside our law and our Constitution whenever they conflict with her personal “values.” Never before has a judicial candidate openly campaigned on the specific intent to set herself above the law, to place her thumb on the scales of justice to ensure the results satisfy her personal interests. Let there be no mistake, for she is telling us in advance that she is planning to bring to the Supreme Court this ancient form of dishonesty — a dishonesty that has been universally condemned for thousands of years. If we do not resist this assault on our Constitution and our liberties, we will lose the Rule of Law, and will find ourselves saddled with the Rule of Janet. We must not allow this to come to pass.
Judge Jennifer Dorow has my respect for the good and important work she has done on the Waukesha County Circuit Court. And I admire all those who so passionately supported her candidacy in this race. My hope is that all of you — and the rest of our fellow Wisconsinites who treasure our Constitution and the liberties it protects — will afford me an opportunity to earn your support as we enter this six-week sprint to the general election on April 4.
Finally, I salute Dane County District Court Judge Everett Mitchell, a thoughtful man I would have enjoyed debating throughout the general election campaign.”
