In Wisconsin, a court that almost overturned Biden’s win flips to liberal control

In Wisconsin, there has been a significant shift in the state Supreme Court’s control, with the liberals gaining power for the first time in 15 years. This change comes with the appointment of Janet Protasiewicz, who campaigned strongly on abortion rights and received substantial support from Democrats, abortion rights groups, and other liberal factions in the officially nonpartisan race.

This shift is consequential because the Wisconsin Supreme Court has played a crucial role in deciding major political and policy battles over the past decade, including disputes over voting rules, elections, and controversial issues like the state’s abortion ban and Republican-drawn political boundary lines.

In the 2020 election, the conservative-controlled court nearly overturned President Joe Biden’s narrow win in Wisconsin, but he would have still won the presidency based on his overall electoral votes. Looking ahead to 2024, more clashes over voting rules and elections are expected, along with challenges to the state’s abortion ban and other contentious political matters.

With the arrival of the new liberal majority in the court, there are expectations that the state’s abortion ban will be overturned, new political boundary lines will be drawn, and Democrats will experience a period of success after many years of rulings that have favored Republicans.

However, despite the optimism among liberals, there are no guarantees, as a conservative justice previously supported liberal justices in certain cases, causing discontent among Republicans. The court’s decisions on several issues, including challenges to district maps and voting rules, are anticipated to play a crucial role in the 2024 presidential election.

The transition of power in the court is already leading to changes, with the current director of state courts, Randy Koschnick, being informed that he will be fired as soon as Protasiewicz takes office. This indicates a clear shift in the court’s direction as the new liberal majority asserts its influence.

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