National figures, fundraisers turn their eyes towards Wisconsin’s Supreme Court

As the state Supreme Court race between Milwaukee County Judge Rebecca Dallet and Sauk County Judge Michael Screnock nears its final stages, national attention and dollars are flowing into both campaigns.

Both candidates have garnered vocal support from national figures, as well as funding from groups that wish to see either Dallet and Screnock fill a seat in the East Wing of the Capitol Building.

Former Attorney General Eric Holder held an event last week on campus in part to voice his support for Dallet, calling her “eminently qualified to be the next justice on the Supreme Court.”

The implications of the state race are being considered as far away as Washington D.C., as several federal politicians and organizations have poured support onto one side or the other.

“I am immensely impressed with Judge Rebecca Dallet's values and experience, and I am confident given her two decades of experience in Wisconsin courtrooms, both as a prosecutor and judge, that Judge Dallet will help restore just and independent rulings to Wisconsin's Supreme Court,” said U.S Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., in a statement Monday.

Screnock has seen his share of support as well, most notably from the National Rifle Association, or NRA.

Michael Screnock was endorsed by the NRA on the day of the #Parkland shooting. Judge Dallet refuses to take NRA money. We need a Supreme Court justice who will put public safety over special interests. #NoNRAMoney #SCOWIS

— Democratic Party WI (@WisDems) March 3, 2018

The NRA wrote checks to Screnock’s campaign totalling up to $500,000, while Dallet has received $140,000 from Eric Holder’s left-learning anti-gerrymandering group, the National Democratic Redistricting Committee.

Despite the characterization of this year’s race being highly-partisan and highly-priced, the spending levels are consistent with races for the state Supreme Court in the past.

According to the Brennan Center for Justice, this year’s race has seen a decrease in relative funding from years past. Spending on the 2016 race between current Justice Rebecca Bradley and State Court of Appeals Judge JoAnne Kloppenburg totalled $4.3 million.

The seat up for grabs this year was vacated by Michael Gableman, who, alongside conservative supporters in 2008, spent $3.2 million on his campaign alone.

Given these figures, the spending of the respective campaigns this year, when put into perspective, is not as shocking as they may seem, totaling $1.3 million combined on both sides.

As April 3 draws closer by the day, both Dallet and Screnock will likely keep their fundraising efforts in high gear.