Lessons From Wisconsin's Judicial Race, The Year's "Most Important Election"

Diane Rehm: On My Mind

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🗓️ 7 April 2023

⏱️ 37 minutes

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Summary

Voters in Wisconsin went to the ballot box Tuesday in what many have called the most important election of the year. The results of the contest flipped the ideological make-up of the state’s supreme court, sending liberal judge Janet Protasiewicz to the bench.

Underscoring the race’s importance, it became the most expensive judicial election in American history, with money flooding in from around the country.

Dan Kaufman is the author of the 2019 best-selling book, “The Fall of Wisconsin,” and wrote about the importance of this election in a recent edition of The New Yorker. He joins Diane to explain why all eyes were on Wisconsin this week, and what the results mean for the future of the state – and the nation.

Transcript

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0:00.0	I list I am on my mind.
0:09.1	The selection is so key both for the state itself and for the country.
0:14.3	On Tuesday voters in Wisconsin went to the ballot box and flipped the ideological makeup
0:22.4	at the State Supreme Court electing liberal Judge Janet Prodo Saywich to the bench.
0:31.5	The race was the most expensive judicial election in American history with money flooding
0:39.1	in from around the country.
0:42.3	My guest is Dan Kaufman, author of the 2019 bestseller, The Fall of Wisconsin, whose piece
0:52.0	about the race appeared in a recent edition of The New Yorker.
0:57.6	He joined me to explain why all eyes were on Wisconsin this election day and what
1:05.1	the results mean for the future of the state and beyond.
1:16.1	Dan was Wisconsin's Supreme Court election was considered one of the most important elections
1:25.7	this year.
1:26.7	Tell me why it was so important.
1:30.4	Well there are several reasons.
1:32.4	Probably foremost is the state's gerrymandering which goes back to 2011 when the Republicans
1:40.3	took control of both houses of the state legislature as well as the governor's office.
1:46.2	It was part of a national effort called Red Map that was promoted by Carl Rove and the
1:53.1	gerrymandering Wisconsin was so extreme that ever since then Democrats have never won
2:00.0	more than 39 seats in the state assembly even when they've won as much as 53% of the
2:07.6	aggregate statewide vote.
2:10.6	So it's basically insured Republican control for the first seven years.
2:20.4	Scott Walker was governor and they were able to pass really dramatic changes in the state's
	...

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