Eau Claire Hosts Wisconsin Supreme Court Campaign Visits

Eau Claire saw visits from both candidates for the Wisconsin Supreme Court election over the weekend as the race enters its final stretch.

Judge Susan Crawford and Judge Brad Schimel met with local voters on Saturday to make their cases for the April 1st election. The race has become one of the most closely watched and expensive as the results will determine if Wisconsin’s highest court remains in liberal control or returns to conservative control.

At the Eau Claire Children’s Theater, Judge Crawford promoted her pragmatic view of the law and her belief that laws exist to protect people. She also criticized the partisan influence on the race.

“It should be a nonpartisan race,” said Judge Crawford. “Judges are nonpartisan office holders. The courts should not allow politics to affect their decision making. Unfortunately what we’re seeing in this race is that my opponent is a long time partisan politician. He’s running this race as if it were a partisan race, doing things like saying how he would decide cases and issues before the Wisconsin Supreme Court. I don’t do that.”

Judge Schimel met with voters at the Holiday Inn Eau Claire South, leaning on his experience to assure voters he is more fit for the job. According to a WEAU report, Schimel referred to himself as an originalist and says he would interpret constitutional questions based on how it was passed or ratified. He also said his campaign has not used artificial intelligence in a television ad and expects to resolve the Ethics Commission investigation into those allegations.

Judge Crawford and Judge Schimel also recently agreed to a televised debate on March 12th, about three weeks before the April 1st election.