MADISON, Wis. — Before extreme right-wing politician Brad Schimel takes the debate stage on Wednesday night and tries to rewrite his radical ant-abortion record, we’re revisiting the facts of his career-long fight to rip away Wisconsinites’ reproductive freedoms.
Throughout his career, Brad Schimel has established a clear and dangerous record opposing reproductive freedom, from voicing support for Wisconsin’s 1849 abortion ban to using the Wisconsin Department of Justice to create the legal framework to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Here’s more on Brad Schimel’s dangerously extreme anti-abortion record:
- Support for Wisconsin’s 1849 criminal abortion ban: In 2012, Brad Schimel signed onto a legal white paper that advocated for a plan to ban abortion in nearly all cases and supported enforcing Wisconsin’s 1849 abortion ban that doesn’t include exceptions for rape, incest, or the health of the mother.
- “The 1849 law is valid”: As a candidate for Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice, Schimel has reaffirmed his support for overturning reproductive rights and enforcing the 1849 criminal abortion ban, saying in May 2024, “the Wisconsin 1849 law is valid – there’s nothing in that law to make it invalid.”
- “There is not a constitutional right to abortion” in Wisconsin: At a Republican Party of Calumet County event in Chilton Meet on July 29, 2024, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Schimel said behind closed doors, “There is not a constitutional right to abortion in our state constitution. That will be a sham if they find that.”
- Planned Parenthood v. Brad Schimel: As Attorney General, Brad Schimel sued to restrict abortion access in Wisconsin, calling it an “honor to have a case named Planned Parenthood vs Schimel.” Judge Crawford represented Planned Parenthood in the suit—and Brad Schimel lost.
- Right-hand man crafted strategy for overturning Roe v. Wade: Brad Schimel’s top aides played key roles in the successful effort to end reproductive freedom nationwide, with his right hand solicitor general even introducing the legal strategy that resulted in the U.S. Supreme Court striking down Roe.
- Attacks on Wisconsin’s all-woman Supreme Court majority for being “driven by their emotions” on abortion case: Brad Schimel accused four of Wisconsin’s women Supreme Court justices of being too “driven by their emotions” to remain objective on the bench, claiming they were “on the brink of losing it” during oral arguments over Wisconsin’s 1849 criminal abortion ban.
- Support for keeping 1849 abortion ban on the books: At a closed-door event in Calumet County, Brad Schimel said he wanted to keep the 1849 abortion ban on the books before the fall of Roe just in case the court struck down reproductive freedom and the law could be enforced again.
- Support from stringent anti-abortion group: Schimel’s extreme record has earned the support of Pro-Life Wisconsin, a far-right right group that wants to ban all abortions without exception, restrict access to birth control, ban IVF, and only endorses candidates who hold a “no-exceptions pro-life position.” The national group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America also announced it would be going all-out to elect Schimel to the Wisconsin Supreme Court. This extreme, far-right wing group wants to “end abortion” in the United States, has pushed to keep Wisconsin’s 1849 abortion ban in place, and supports a federal abortion ban.
