I want to thank you very much for joining us today.
I want to thank you for joining us today.
justice in Wisconsin Supreme Court.
Thank you.
What an exciting night for Wisconsin.
I am so honored to be here with all of you to celebrate.
And celebrate, we will.
Look, I want to begin by taking this opportunity to thank
every candidate for Judicial Office who put their name on the ballot
across the state this April, including Judge Maria Lazar.
Judicial races at all level are so important for our democracy.
In Wisconsin, we have been electing judges and justices since 1848.
This is how we ensure those in the judicial branch are accountable to the people of this state.
And this is how we maintain the public's confidence in our court system.
Now, as some of you know, for about a decade, we have been fighting tirelessly to secure a Supreme Court
majority that upholds and protects your rights and your freedom.
We have fought for an enduring majority that respects the rule of law and democratic structures.
Those of you in this room, those of you watching online or perhaps on TV,
I just want you to know that my fellow justices and I, we have all been in this fight to reclaim your court for a long time.
In a moment, I'm going to introduce our friend and colleague, someone who has deeply dedicated to public service.
But before I do, I want to recognize a few other amazing women in this room tonight.
And first, I'm going to begin with Justice Anne Walsh Bradley.
She left the court last year after 30 years of service, including as our Chief Justice.
Anne Walsh Bradley was the conscience of this court for every minute that she served.
Justice Rebecca Dalit.
No one, and I mean no one on this court works harder.
She was the first non-incumbent winner in our little run here.
And you should all blame her for persuading me that this was something that I could do.
Because if it weren't for her, I never would have run in 2020.
Justice Jana Protece-Witz.
She became a national figure overnight and continues to dedicate herself to our state and our community.
And like Ann and Becky, she is a phenomenal justice.
And of course, Justice Susan Crawford.
Who last year not only beat her opponent, but beat the richest man in the world.
It was the most expensive race, a judicial race in history.
And now Susan Crawford shows up every day.
She rolls up her sleeves and she gets the job done.
So let's get to why we're all here.
After I was elected to the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2020, thanks to many of you in this room,
Chris Taylor succeeded me on the bench and the Dane County Circuit Court.
We spent time talking as I was about to begin my new role and she was about to take the bench for the first time.
What struck me most was how much Chris Taylor truly cares about people.
As a judge on the Circuit Court and now on the Court of Appeals, Chris Taylor has earned a reputation as a prepared
and independent and a fair judge who is committed to the rule of law, giving every party in front of her a fair shot,
and treating everyone with kindness, dignity, and respect.
Chris and her team ran an amazing campaign.
They left nothing on the field.
She traveled to every single corner of this state and you know what?
Chris Taylor loved every minute of it.
She loved meeting every voter she came in contact with.
So tonight it is no surprise to me that Wisconsinites overwhelmingly elected Chris Taylor.
Overwhelmingly, let me say it again, elected Chris Taylor to be the next justice on your Supreme Court.
Look, I know she is going to bring the same dedication she has shown over her 30-year legal career to her new position.
She will uphold our laws.
She will defend the Constitution.
She will stay committed to our democracy and she will never forget.
Chris Taylor will never forget about you, the people across the state of Wisconsin.
It is my honor and it is my absolute privilege.
Please join me in welcoming your next justice on the Wisconsin Supreme Court,
Justice Alert, Chris Taylor!
Please join me in welcoming your next justice on your state of Wisconsin.
We did it.
Wisconsin.
freedoms, our democracy, our elections, and a strong state
Supreme Court that will protect the independence of our
beloved state.
Once again, Wisconsin showed the entire nation that we believe
that the people should be at the center of government and the
priority and the priority of our judiciary, not the billionaires,
not the most powerful and privileged, but the people.
Just a few minutes ago, I spoke with Judge Maria Lazar, who
called to concede the race.
I really appreciate her call and I wish her and her family well.
Running for a seat on our state's highest court does take courage
and I really respect that. I have so many people, so many of you
to thank for this moment. First, my family, my lovely husband,
and my sons,
and our beloved dog, Ollie, who communicated with many of you.
He will appreciate that, we will let him.
My family is my everything. My kids, I have said this incredible family behind me.
I love all of you, I so appreciate your sacrifices. Jim was on hockey,
transport, duty, for 11 months.
I love all of you, I appreciate you all so much.
And tonight we are remembering our mother, who passed away in October,
right when this campaign was getting going.
And you know, I can't help but wish she was with us. But this one's for you,
my mom.
And I'm also joined on stage by my niece Hannah and my nephew Maddie.
And my brother and mom, Mark and sister, and mom, and we do what we do
for our children so often. We want something better.
And these kids and my own kids inspire me every day,
to want to be better and want to make this state better.
And I know that you all join me in that, and I so appreciate that.
I am also so, so happy and so in awe of these young people who powered my
campaign.
You all are the future of our state, and you, I know, will continue to work to
make this state better. I was so in awe of the time I got to
spend on campus. It was amazing all around the state, so
thank you all so much. I also wanted, where is Ashley Franz, my
campaign manager?
Ashley, just turn 30. So you know, say happy birthday to her.
Ashley, Ashley, but she had such a vision, and we worked and
respected my vision for this campaign, and just led the ship
and brought us through, and she is going to change this world.
No doubt about it. So thank you, Ashley.
And to the rest of my incredible team, Abigail, who was with me, taking me all
over the stage, everywhere.
Sawyer, Maya, Toby, Jackie,
Kayleigh, Darren, Sam and Scott, thank you. We got in front of voters across this
state. Thank you for raising the money to keep this
campaign strong, for keeping the schedule in order,
and for traveling with me for the last 11 months.
I see so many friends and colleagues in this audience.
I am just so grateful for your support. Dear, dear friends, the
minute I announced that I was going to run, just the unwavering
allegiance and support that you all have given me. Thank you so, so much to my
close friends and colleagues. It really meant the world to me to have you
by my side.
And then, of course, to our amazing justices of the Wisconsin Supreme
Court.
Chief Justice Jill Korofsky.
And justices Becky Dallard.
Janet Poda-Sewich.
And Susan Crawford.
Thank you. I'll get them. Thank you so much for your leadership and your
dedication to our Supreme Court and to the people.
I look so forward in joining you for awesome justices on the state Supreme
Court.
And a real special welcome to Chief Justice Ann Walsh Bradley.
In 1995, when Justice Ann Walsh Bradley first got elected to the Wisconsin Supreme
Court, I was graduating from law school. And I remember that election. It was the
first time ever a woman had been elected. And it inspired in me to dream something
big. I didn't quite know how to live that dream, but thank you, Justice
Ann Walsh Bradley.
Thank you for being the first.
And thank you to the people of Wisconsin.
Running in this campaign for the last 11 months was truly a joy.
I met people in the smallest towns in the largest cities, and they were all working
to improve our democracy. They were working to strengthen their communities,
and they inspired me every single day to keep going. We live in an incredible state,
and people are hungry for a government that works for them.
People are hungry for a judiciary that prioritizes them, that protects our rights, that
affords all Wisconsinites equal justice under the law. That is exactly what I will do
as your next state Supreme Court Justice.
And last but certainly not least, thank you to the tens of thousands of grassroots supporters
who are part of this campaign. In communities throughout, that's you all.
Yay! In communities throughout our state, armies of volunteers knocked on countless doors,
made thousands of phone calls, and wrote, I don't know, probably millions of postcards,
and I got one telling me to vote for me. So that was fun.
It worked.
There is nothing more powerful than when we come together organizing and raising our voices,
and I am so grateful for the grassroots support that I needed to win this race.
This was a grassroots campaign about the people of the state of Wisconsin,
and tonight the people of Wisconsin spoke. And what you said is clear, we are moving forward.
For our rights, for our democracy, for every family and individual in this state
that deserves a fair shot at justice. Tonight is a victory for every person in this state,
who believes that the court should work for all of us.
I grew up understanding what the law can do for ordinary people. My grandmother was a single mom
who struggled to make ends meet to support my mother until she died a union job.
Which enabled her to support three children, which enabled her to help my mother go to college.
My mother was a fixed grade public school teacher, so
and it enabled her to not just survive but thrive, and that's what I want for all
people in Wisconsin. The law can be a tool to lift people up, to improve their lives,
to strengthen our communities, and that's exciting. That drove me to law school.
And I've spent now 30, my 30 year legal career as a lawyer in private practice.
It's a law and policy director for Planned Parenthood.
As a legislator and for the last six years as a judge, to work to make sure that people's rights
and freedoms are protected, that survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault are protected
and respected, and that working people who actually make the pie get a slice of it instead of the
leftover crumbs.
And I have always valued every woman's ability to make her own personal private health care
or vision.
Every single day as a judge, I work to ensure that the cases and the people before me get a fair
and deliberate consideration, and that laws are applied independently and impartially with an
eye always towards achieving justice. Politics has no place in the judiciary and the judiciary is not
a rubber stamp for any party, group, or branch of government, including the federal government.
I am so honored that I get to continue this work at the state supreme court. It is an honor
that the people of Wisconsin have bestowed on me that I will never ever forget and I treasure it.
Tonight we stand strongly for a state supreme court that prioritizes the people of Wisconsin.
Their rights, their lives, and the independence of our great state, and for court that holds
everyone accountable under the law, no matter how powerful or privileged.
I will be a justice for you, the people of Wisconsin. Thank you, Wisconsin. Forward we go
together.
Yeah, it's a trust for me.
Jump with me, come with me, burn like the sun, or something will cry then we'll have to.