CV NEWS FEED // On April 4, Wisconsin voters must decide between pro-life Judge Dan Kelly and pro-abortion Judge Janet Protasiewicz in an election that Democrat Hillary Clinton says “will determine the future” of abortion “for millions.”
The Wisconsin Supreme Court race stands out as the most important election affecting abortion since the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade. In the wake of that ruling, Wisconsin lawmakers immediately inherited a so-called “trigger law” effectively banning all abortions.
Wisconsin Democrats and abortion groups brought legal challenges against the abortion ban, which will inevitably be brought before the State Supreme Court. “The court is split between three conservative judges and three leftist judges,” CatholicVote National Field Director Tommy Valentine explained:
Wisconsin’s abortion ban is going before the court, and whoever wins on April 4 will likely be the fourth vote for either life or abortion. Put simply, Wisconsin voters are essentially voting on abortion. The right to life is on the ballot.
Former Secretary of State and 2016 Democratic candidate for president Hillary Clinton would agree. “Next month, the Wisconsin Supreme Court election will determine the future of reproductive rights for millions,” Clinton recently tweeted. Pro-abortion Judge Janet Protasiewicz “is the progressive candidate who believes women should be able to make their own health care decisions,” Clinton added, exhorting pro-abortion voters: “Help elect her.”
Last month, Planned Parenthood’s Wisconsin advocacy arm, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin (PPAWI), endorsed Judge Protasiewicz in her bid for a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. “This election is significant for the future of reproductive health,” said PPAWI Executive Director Steven Webb, adding that pro-abortion activists “trust Judge Protasiewicz to uphold our values on the Supreme Court.”
“The abortion industry couldn’t be more enthusiastic about Protasiewicz,” said CatholicVote Communications Director Joshua Mercer. “And they couldn’t hate Judge Dan Kelly more. But they’re absolutely right when they talk about how important this election is. Catholics in Wisconsin absolutely have to get out and vote on April 4. It sounds hokey, but it’s more undeniable in this election than just about any other in my lifetime: lives depend on your vote.”
