>> THE RESULTS OF THE
CONTROVERSIAL SPRING ELECTION IN
WISCONSIN GRABBED HEADLINES THIS
WEEK, MOST NOTABLY AN UPSET WIN
IN THE WISCONSIN SUPREME COURT
RACE.
DANIEL KELLY BECAME ONLY THE
THIRD INCUMBENT JUSTICE TO LOSE
HIS SEAT ON THE COURT SINCE 1967
AND THERE COULD BE REPERCUSSIONS
FOR THE NOVEMBER ELECTIONS.
DANE COUNTY JUDGE JILL KAROFSKY
RODE A WAVE OF DEMOCRATIC
SUPPORT TO WIN A TEN-YEAR TERM,
CUTTING THE CONSERVATIVE
MAJORITY IN THE TOP COURT.
IT NOW STANDS AT 4-3.
SHE JOINED US FROM HER HOME IN
MADISON.
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANKS SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
IT'S WONDERFUL TO BE WITH YOU.
>> AND I SUPPOSE WE SHOULD SAY
CONGRATULATIONS.
>> THANK YOU.
I'M VERY, VERY HUMBLED, AND I'M
HONORED THAT I'M GOING TO BE THE
NEXT JUSTICE ON THE WISCONSIN
SUPREME COURT.
>> NOW, ON ELECTION RETURN DAY,
YOU DECLARED VICTORY LONG BEFORE
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CALLED THE
ELECTION FOR YOU.
WHAT WERE THE EARLY INDICATORS
THAT YOU HAD WON?
>> WE KNEW THAT WE WERE HOLDING
OUR OWN AS FAR AS THE MARGINS IN
THE "WOW COUNTIES" OF WAUKESHA,
OZAUKEE AND WASHINGTON.
WE KNEW THAT WE WERE WINNING IN
WINNEBAGO, THAT WE WERE WINNING
IN BROWN, AND THAT WE'RE WINNING
IN OUTAGAMIE, WHICH I GUESS NOW
ARE CALLED THE "BOW COUNTIES."
SO WE WERE DOING -- HOLDING OUR
MARGINS IN THE "WOW COUNTIES,"
AND WE WERE DOING WELL IN THE
"BOW COUNTIES."
WE ALSO KNEW THAT THE VOTES IN
MILWAUKEE, IN THE COUNTY OF
MILWAUKEE AND THE CITY OF
MILWAUKEE AND DANE COUNTY, AND
PARTICULARLY MADISON, HAD NOT
COME IN YET.
AND THEN WE WERE ALSO STARTING
TO SEE REALLY STRONG RETURNS
FROM SOUTHWESTERN WISCONSIN,
ESPECIALLY IN PLACES LIKE
LA CROSSE.
>> DO YOU FEEL AS THOUGH YOUR
VICTORY OVER THE INCUMBENT, WHO
WAS ENDORSED BY DONALD TRUMP, IS
A BELLWETHER FOR LIBERALS IN
NOVEMBER?
>> I THINK OUR ELECTION IS AN
INDICATOR THAT PEOPLE IN THE
STATE OF WISCONSIN HEARD THE
MESSAGE OF OUR CAMPAIGN AND THAT
THEY WANT STATE SUPREME COURT
JUSTICES WHO ARE COMMITTED TO
FOLLOWING THE RULE OF LAW.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO
HAPPEN IN NOVEMBER OR BEYOND,
BUT I KNOW THAT IN THIS ELECTION
THAT DESPITE EFFORTS TO SUPPRESS
THE VOTE, PEOPLE VOTED AND THEY
CAME OUT STRONG.
WE WON BY OVER 10 POINTS.
THE MESSAGE WAS LOUD AND IT WAS
CLEAR THAT PEOPLE WANTED A
CHANGE ON THE COURT.
>> NOW, AS YOU'VE JUST SAID,
PEOPLE CAME OUT TO VOTE IN
PLACES LIKE MILWAUKEE, EVEN IN
THE FACE OF COVID-19.
WHAT IS YOUR KIND OF LINGERING
RESPONSE TO THAT?
>> FIRST OF ALL, WE NEVER SHOULD
HAVE HAD AN ELECTION ON APRIL
7TH.
PEOPLE NEVER SHOULD HAVE BEEN
PUT IN THE POSITION WHERE THEY
HAD TO CHOOSE BETWEEN THEIR OWN
HEALTH AND SAFETY AND VOICING
THEIR VOTE, HAVING THEIR VOICE
HEARD IN THIS ELECTION.
BUT PEOPLE WERE WILLING TO DO
THAT.
PEOPLE BRAVED COVID-19.
THEY WORE MASKS AND THEY WORE
GLOVES AND THEY WENT TO THE
POLLING PLACES.
AND LOOKING AT THOSE PICTURES
MADE ME CRY.
THINKING ABOUT THOSE PICTURES
RIGHT NOW MAKES ME FEEL VERY,
VERY EMOTIONAL
FOR WHAT THOSE PEOPLE DID.
IT IS CLEAR THAT WHAT PEOPLE
WANT ON THIS IS -- IN THIS STATE
IS A COURT THAT IS NOT PARTISAN,
BUT A COURT THAT HAS JUSTICES ON
IT WHO ARE COMMITTED TO
FOLLOWING THE LAW.
>> IN THE MIDST OF THIS
PANDEMIC, WOULD YOU SUPPORT
MOVING TO MAIL-IN VOTING IN LIEU
OF IN-PERSON GOING FORWARD?
>> I THINK, AND I'VE SAID THIS
IN THE CAMPAIGN, THAT WE NEED TO
DO WHATEVER WE CAN TO TRY TO
MAKE IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO
PARTICIPATE IN ELECTIONS AND NOT
MORE DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE TO
PARTICIPATE IN ELECTIONS.
AND, LIKE I SAID, WE SHOULDN'T
HAVE HAD AN ELECTION ON APRIL
7TH.
WE SHOULD HAVE HAD AN ELECTION
WHERE PEOPLE COULD EXERCISE
THEIR RIGHT TO VOTE IN A WAY
THAT WOULD BE SAFE FOR THEM AND
SAFE FOR MEMBERS OF THEIR
FAMILY, AND WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT.
>> HOW DO YOU EXPECT TO GROW
COLLEGIALITY ON THE COURT,
ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE ANIMOSITY
BORN OF THIS PAST ELECTION?
>> I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO
BE A PROBLEM.
SEVERAL OF THE JUSTICES HAVE
ALREADY REACHED OUT TO ME.
I THINK, LIKE I HAVE SAID
BEFORE, THERE ARE GOING TO BE
AREAS WHERE WE AGREE, THERE ARE
GOING TO BE AREAS WHERE WE
DISAGREE, BUT I'M LOOKING
FORWARD TO THE SOCIAL DISTANCING
BEING OVER SO I CAN SIT DOWN
WITH EACH OF MY COLLEAGUES OVER
A CUP OF COFFEE OR A GOOD
WISCONSIN BEER AND WE CAN PUT
OUR DIFFERENCES ASIDE SO WE CAN
DO THE WORK THAT THE PEOPLE OF
WISCONSIN ELECTED US TO DO.
>> THIS QUESTION ON YOUR
CAMPAIGN, THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
GAVE YOU $1.3 MILLION.
DO YOU BELIEVE YOU WOULD HAVE TO
RECUSE IN ANY CASE THAT CAME
BEFORE THE COURT
INVOLVING THE PARTY?
>> I HAVE SAID, AND I WILL KEEP
THIS PROMISE, THAT IF THE
DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF WISCONSIN IS
A LITIGANT, IS A PARTY IN A CASE
THAT COMES TO THE WISCONSIN
STATE SUPREME COURT, I WILL NOT
SIT ON THAT CASE.
>> EVEN WITH YOUR ELECTION TO
THE SUPREME COURT, CONSERVATIVES
STILL HOLD A MAJORITY.
WHAT DOES A MORE EVEN SPLIT
MEAN, IF ANYTHING, FOR DECISIONS
TO COME?
>> I THINK THAT THE COURT, WITH
THE WAY THINK THAT IT'S
STRUCTURED NOW, WITH THE
JUSTICES ON IT, THAT THERE COULD
BE LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR US
TO HAVE SOME INCREDIBLY
MEANINGFUL AND IMPORTANT
CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT THE LAW
SAYS, WHAT THE LAW MEANS, AND
WHAT OUR OPINIONS OUGHT TO SAY.
AND I AM REALLY LOOKING FORWARD
TO HAVING THOSE DISCUSSIONS AND
TO BEING PART OF THOSE OPINIONS
FROM THE COURT.
>> ALL RIGHT.
WELL, JUSTICE-ELECT JILL
KAROFSKY, THANKS SO MUCH FOR
JOINING US.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
STAY WELL.