>> WISCONSIN SUPREME COURT JUSTICE ANN WALSH BRADLEY
ANNOUNCED THIS WEEK THAT SHE WILL NOT RUN FOR RE-ELECTION
WHEN HER TERM IS UP IN 2025. A DEPARTURE FROM STATEMENTS SHE
MADE A FEW MONTHS AGO. THIS UPSET OF THE COURT COULD
MEAN A CONSERVATIVE MAJORITY ONCE AGAIN.
THE THREE-TERM JUSTICE DID NOT GIVE SPECIFICS AS TO WHY SHE
WILL NOT RUN AGAIN. ONLY THAT, IN THE 177-YEAR
HISTORY OF THE STATE, SHE SAID ONLY FOUR JUSTICES WILL HAVE
SERVED LONGER THAN MY LENGTH OF SERVICE.
WIN RE-ELECTION, SHOULD I RUN, BUT IT'S JUST TIME TO PASS THE
TORCH, BRINGING FRESH PERSPECTIVES TO THE COURT.
THE ANNOUNCEMENT IS ANOTHER CURVEBALL FOR THE COURT AS IT'S
BECOME A FOCAL POINT FOR WISCONSIN POLITICS.
IT'S ALSO A 180 FROM STATEMENTS SHE MADE IN NOVEMBER WHILE IN
ATTENDANCE AT JANET PROTASIEWICZ'S ELECTION NIGHT
PARTY WHEN THE BALANCE OF THE COURT'S IDEOLOGY CHANGED FOR THE
FIRST TIME IN HER NEAR 30-YEAR TENURE.
YOU'D WANT TO RUN AGAIN? >> I'M ABSOLUTELY GOING TO RUN
AGAIN. HAVE AN IDEA AND IT IS YES,
AFTER TONIGHT'S PERFORMANCE AND SEEING THE ENERGY IN THIS ROOM,
I'M NOT ONLY GOING TO RUN, I'M GOING TO WIN.
>> IN HER TIME, SHE'S PRESIDED OVER MANY IMPORTANT CASES IN THE
STATE, BUT A LEGISLATIVE REFERENCE BUREAU SURVEY OF
SIGNIFICANT WISCONSIN COURT DECISIONS IN 2020 SAID, QUOTE,
RARELY HAVE SO MANY CASES INVOLVING THE CORE AND ESSENTIAL
POWERS OF THE STATE'S POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS BEEN ON THE COURT'S
DOCKET. AND BY 2022, IT AGAIN STATED
POLITICAL CONFLICT INEVITABLY MADE ITS WAY ONTO THE COURT'S
DOCKET, A TESTAMENT TO THE RECENT TREND OF HIGH PROFILE
ISSUES TURNING TO THE COURT TO MAKE DECISIONS.
DESPITE THE COURT JUSTICES OFFICIALLY BEING NON-PARTISAN,
LAST YEAR'S ELECTION BETWEEN DAN KELLY AND JANET PROTASIEWICZ
GARNERED A RECORD $51 MILLION AS INTEREST CONTRACTS BOARD POURED
MONEY INTO THE CAMPAIGNS, SETTING THE STAGE FOR ANOTHER
EXPENSIVE ELECTION. AS AN INCUMBENT, JUSTICE WALSH
BRADLEY WOULD HAVE HAD AN EDGE OVER OPPONENTS.
CANDIDATES FROM BOTH SIDES HAVE CANDIDATES FROM BOTH SIDES HAVE