Hagedorn Declares Victory In Wisconsin Supreme Court Race

RACINE, WI -- Conservative Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Brian Hagedorn declared victory early Wednesday morning over liberal challenger Lisa Neubauer in a race that many say is still too close to call.

As of 3 a.m., Wednesday, unofficial vote totals listed Hagedorn as having slightly less than a 5,000 vote lead over Neubauer with about 1.2 million ballots cast. If this slim margin holds, both candidates are expected to brace for a recount. Patch will update this story as new information becomes available later today.

In a statement Hagedorn Tweeted out just before 2 a.m., he said, “The people of Wisconsin have spoken, and our margin of victory is insurmountable," he wrote. “I am deeply humbled and honored by the voters who have placed their trust in me to serve as Wisconsin’s next Supreme Court justice. The voters chose to have a Court that keeps personal political beliefs out of the courtroom and applied the law as written.”

Hagedorn, Brian 601,007 50.24 %

Neubauer, Lisa 595,206 49.76 %

99% reporting

The Neubauer camp says they still believe she can weather the final storm to become the next justice on Wisconsin's top court.

"We are very confident that we are going to have the next Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice here tonight, but right now it's too close to call," Greta Neubauer said at just after 10 p.m. Tuesday evening during a campaign watch party in Downtown Racine.

Court Implications

If Hagedorn holds on to win, he will serve a 10-year term on the state bench, and will replace stalwart Shirley Abrahamson, who, after first being appointed to the court in 1976, chose not to run for re-election this year after more than 40 years.

Though the race is technically non-partisan, both liberals and conservatives had a strong interest in this election. A win by Hagedorn would push conservative justices to a 5-2 majority

Big Election For Conservative, Liberal Thinkers

A win by Hagedorn would solidify a so-called conservative majority on the court and prevent winds of change for top issues such as: GOP-authored "lame-duck" legislation aimed at limiting Democratic Gov. Tony Evers' powers; Gov. Scott Walker-supported ACT 10 legislation which sought to limit the collective bargaining powers of many public-sector workers; or even the composition and boundaries of Wisconsin legislative districts which were drawn by a GOP-led legislature.

James Wigderson, editor of conservative publication RightWisconsin, says this state supreme court was critical in order to hold on to political gains made by conservative policy makers over the last decade.

"They can undo all of the reforms of the Walker era without ever having to go through the legislature," he wrote on RightWisconsin.

Related Reading:

• How does a case end up before the Wisconsin Supreme Court? (graphic)
• Return to Patch for results as they come in. Subscribe to free News Alerts for election results.

Liberal thinkers, however, saw this election as a chance to maintain the court's current balance of power with an eye toward an even more critical race in 2020.

"Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said the lame-duck session was about restoring the “balance of power” in Wisconsin. Like Vos, I’m also interested in restoring balance in Wisconsin, except my idea of balance means a liberal majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. It is the best way to fight the recent power grab by Vos and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald," he wrote.

Candidates Downplay Partisanship

Although Walker appointed Hagedorn, he says that does not necessarily mean he embraced the label of conservative candidate.

"Nobody should take that to mean that I view my job as a conservative Republican job or as a pro- or anti-governor job," he said in a Wisconsin Public Radio report shortly after he announced his candidacy for the State Supreme Court seat. "It’s a very different role to have a client and advocate for them and serve them than it is to read the law and call it like you see it."

Like Hagedorn, Neubauer was also first appointed to the bench. Neubauer was first appointed to the bench by former Gov. Jim Doyle. Neubauer, whose daughter Greta is currently serving as a Democratic State Rep. in Racine County, similarly eschewed partisanship in her race upon her announcement.

"I’m running because I care about making sure our court is fair, impartial, independent, and upholds the rule of law," she said in a statement. "Now, more than ever, we need our courts to protect the rights of all Wisconsinites and the fundamental principles of our democracy.”

Fundraising Shows Political Fault Lines

When it comes to fundraising, the question of whom conservatives and liberals support becomes clearer.

According to campaign finance records, the political advocacy group Americans For Prosperity spent more than $87,000 on canvassing and mailing expenses on Hagedorn's behalf, and the Republican State Leadership Committee has spent in excess of $1 million in support of Hagedorn.

On the other side of the political spectrum, campaign finance records state that Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin is on record spending more than $120,000 on behalf of Neubauer, and the National Democratic Redistricting Committee spent $350,000 indirectly to support Neubauer earlier this year.

About The Candidates

Name: Lisa Neubauer
Age: 61
Occupation: Neubauer was elected to the State Court of Appeals District II in 2007, was re-elected in 2014 and has served as chief justice since 2015. Her term ends in 2020. '
Education: Neubauer earned a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1979 and earned a law degree from the University of Chicago Law School in 1987.

Name: Brian Hagedorn
Age: 41
Occupation: Hagedorn was first appointed to the State Court of Appeals District II by former Gov. Scott Walker in 2015, and was later elected to serve a full six-year term on the bench in 2017. His term ends in 2023.
Education: Hagedorn earned his Bachelor's Degree from Trinity International University in 2000 and his law degree from the Northwestern University School of Law in 2006.