The newest elected justice to the Wisconsin Supreme Court has yet to be sworn in, but the race has already begun for who will be elected next year to sit on the court.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court will have a perceived liberal-backed 5-2 majority when Justice-elect Chris Taylor takes the oath of office in August. It could be 6-1 after next April's election.
The race for now is between Milwaukee's Pedro Colón and Clark County's Lyndsey Brunette. Supreme Court races are supposed to be nonpartisan, but these days that is not always the reality.
"I think I will be part of the right decisions that comport with the constitution," Colón said.
Watch: Wisconsin Supreme Court race begins ahead of next year's election
"I believe every justice should be independent. Certainly, I believe the state of Wisconsin has spoken very loudly about what's important to them," Brunette said.
Colón served in the state Assembly as a Democrat for 11 years and was the first elected Latino. Since 2010, he has been a judge in Milwaukee County and currently sits on the court of appeals. He describes growing up in Milwaukee after moving from Puerto Rico at age 11 and not being able to speak English as memories that shaped his life.
"It makes me really look objectively at the Wisconsin tradition, and we have a great constitutional tradition, and we have a great culture in the state. This is not Texas. We don't have to be force-fed cultures that come from other states. We really have a state that's really concerned about educating our kids, respecting other people, respecting property," Colón said.
Voters elected Brunette in 2012 as the Clark County Democratic District Attorney and then as a circuit judge in 2018. These are all experiences that have shaped her career, as well as raising a family of five with her husband in the central part of the state.
"It's always a reminder of what's important, so getting them out the door this morning was a task and a feat, but they're just extremely important to me, and a big reason why I'm here doing this. I want them to be safe, primarily, but also I want them to see justice that works," Brunette said.
Both see voting rights and laws as among the potential issues before the state Supreme Court.
"We will have to balance whatever cases come before the court with that constitutional right in the Wisconsin constitution that requires that the government be with the consent of the governed," Colón said.
"My values have always been to continue to ensure that people have a fair shot at justice, that they have someone up at the higher courts that are going to look out for them, and also make those choices independently," Brunette said.
Colóón and Brunette endorsed Taylor in her race. On Wednesday, Taylor endorsed Colon for the state Supreme Court.
This story was reported on-air by Charles Benson and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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