This post originally appeared at https://wifamilycouncil.org/radio/the-most-important-election-in-2025/
2025 | Week of March 10 | Radio Transcript #1609
Election Day, Tuesday, April 1, is the culmination of one of the biggest elections our state will have this decade. Many across the nation, supported by an article last week in the Wall Street Journal, are declaring our nonpartisan election this spring as “[t]he most important election of 2025.”[1]
We have three major statewide items on the ballot: elections for a new state Supreme Court Justice, a new State Superintendent of Public Instruction, and a ballot referendum on voter ID laws.
The election for our supreme court is what is making this such a high-profile, critically important race. Once again, we have an election that will decide the ideological control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, this time until at least the year 2028—a poignant reminder that every election has very real consequences.
Wisconsin voters will select a replacement for retiring liberal justice Ann Walsh Bradley. Our choices are between Dane County Circuit Court Judge Susan Crawford and Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Brad Schimel. Court observers and other pundits assert that Judge Crawford is liberal while Judge Schimel is conservative. Thus, if Crawford wins, the court will remain 4-3 liberal, but if Schimel wins, the court will flip to a 4-3 conservative majority.
The state Supreme Court has been under liberal control since 2023, and the landscape of our state has definitely been impacted. New state legislative maps have been established, religious freedom has been trounced on, election integrity compromised, with many more issues remaining before the court, not the least of which is a case from Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin asking the court to determine that there is a so-called “right” to abortion in our state constitution.
The issue that is pushing this single election to national attention is that liberals now see a path to use Wisconsin as a means for Democrats to once again gain control of the US House. They would accomplish that by keeping our state supreme court liberal and pushing through new congressional district maps that would favor liberals. Right now, our Wisconsin US House delegation is 6 Republicans and 2 Democrats. The Republican majority in the US House is so slim that flipping a couple of our congressional seats could play heavily in flipping the US House.
The last conservative candidate to win a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court secured that victory with fewer than 6,000 votes. This race will likely be a close one, too.
Along with choosing the next Supreme Court Justice, Wisconsin voters will select the next State Superintendent of Public Instruction. The two candidates are Brittany Kinser and incumbent Jill Underly.
While the role of the Superintendent is technically non-partisan, a little research reveals that both candidates are left-leaning. The Democratic Party of Wisconsin has endorsed the incumbent, Jill Underly. The challenger, Brittany Kinser, is a self-proclaimed “blue-dog Democrat,” meaning she is more politically moderate – which may make her more appealing to conservative voters.
In a recent forum – which incumbent Jill Underly did not attend – Kinser discussed the role of the state’s voucher programs. Kinser said she was supportive of school vouchers, and overtly stated, “I’m pro-school choice.” On the contrary, in a recent interview Underly described school vouchers as a “privatization scheme.”[2] [3]
Since incumbent Jill Underly and challenger Brittany Kinser have such different views on school choice, the future of the educational landscape in Wisconsin is definitely on the line in this election.
Also on the ballot is a statewide referendum question that if passed will ensconce in our state constitution a requirement that citizens produce a valid photo ID in order to vote. While this is currently in our state statutes, putting it in our constitution would make it harder for the courts to overturn it.
And then thousands of local offices on ballots across the state, with races for mayors, city councils, town and village boards, school boards, and judges.
We say it every election, but it’s especially true for this one – your vote matters, and your vote makes a difference. Absentee ballots by mail are available now; early in-person voting begins Tuesday, March 18 and runs through Friday, March 28. The last day for voting is Election Day, Tuesday, April 1. Visit myvote.wi.gov to see your sample ballot, find your polling place, contact information for your clerk and more.
Get informed about the candidates. Be prepared to honor God with your vote, to spread the word about the importance of this election, and to be part of helping to ensure good consequences from this election.
For Wisconsin Family Council, this is Julaine Appling, reminding you that God, through the Prophet Hosea, said, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”
[1]https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-wisconsin-supreme-court-showdown-politics-elections-court-judge-a47aecd6
[2]https://wisconsinexaminer.com/briefs/state-superintendent-challengers-participate-in-forum-incumbent-underly-a-no-show/
[3]https://captimes.com/news/education/where-the-candidates-for-wisconsin-state-superintendent-stand-on-vouchers/article_18f5d82c-e8b8-11ef-a630-5f8eb65d23ad.html
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