The state Supreme Court today elected the retiring Ann Walsh Bradley to serve as chief justice for the next two months, with fellow liberal Jill Karofsky to succeed her on July 1.
Karofsky will then serve out the remainder of the two-year term through April 30, 2027.
Bradley succeeds Annette Ziegler, who conservative members reelected as chief justice in mid-March two years ago, shortly before liberals flipped control of the court in the April election.
Bradley opted against seeking a fourth 10-year term this spring. Dane County Judge Susan Crawford, a fellow liberal, won the open seat in Tuesday’s election. That will maintain a 4-3 liberal majority for the next term.
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Bradley’s ascension to the post on May 1will be the first time a liberal has served as chief justice since Shirley Abrahamson had the role. The position had traditionally been designated to the court’s most senior justice. But a constitutional amendment in 2015 gave justices the power to elect a leader, and conservatives quickly installed former Justice Pat Roggensack in the post.
Ziegler succeeded Roggensack in the post in 2021.
