1974 Wisconsin Supreme Court election
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The 1974 Wisconsin Supreme Court election was held on April 2, 1974, to elect a justice to the Wisconsin Supreme Court for a ten-year term. Incumbent justice Horace W. Wilkie (who had held the seat since 1962) was re-elected to a second ten-year term.
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April 2, 1974
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 Wilkie: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Johnson: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||
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Background
Wilkie was the second-most senior tenured justice on the court. Since seniority of tenure determined the court's chief justice at the time, and incumbent chief justice E. Harold Hallows would imminently need to retire upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70, the 1974 election would have the impact of determining the court's next chief justice. If Wilkie were re-elected, he would be poised to soon become chief justice. However, if Wilkie were defeated, then Bruce F. Beilfuss (the next-most senior judge) would instead become chief justice.[1]
Primary election
Candidates
Advanced to general election
- Horace W. Wilkie, incumbent justice
- Raymond C. Johnson, Republican senate majority leader from the 31st district[2]
Eliminated in primary
Primary Campaign
While Wisconsin Supreme Court elections are non-partisan, Wilkie had earlier in his career run several campaigns for partisan office as a Democrat and Johnson was an incumbent Republican legislator.[4][2]
At the close of the primary election campaign, Wilkie criticized Johnson's television ads. Wilkie called it "unethical" of Johnson to have run television and radio that characterized Wilkie of engaging in impropriety by accepting campaign contributions from attorneys while a sitting justice. Wilkie remarked, "suggestions have been made that lawyers should be prohibited from contributing in judicial campaigns. In my opinion this would take away a basic civil right of each lawyer in a totally discriminatory way." Johnson responded by arguing his ads merely raised the question of whether lawyers should be solicited for money by an incumbent justice, to which Wilkie noted his campaign committee was an independent committee and that he was not himself soliciting donations.[2]
Despite projections of pleasant weather on the day of the primary, low turnout was anticipated due to the Supreme Court race (the only statewide office on the ballot) generating little excitement amongst the state's electorate.[5]
Results
- Wilkie—30–40%
- Wilkie—40–50%
- Wilkie—50–60%
- Wilkie—60–70%
- Wilkie—70–80%
- Johnson—40–50%
- Johnson—50–60%
- Johnson—60–70%
- Johnson—70–80%
- Johnson—80–90%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Horace W. Wilkie (incumbent) | 128,800 | 52.14% | |
| Nonpartisan | Raymond C. Johnson | 93,967 | 38.04% | |
| Nonpartisan | Christ Alexopoulos | 24,276 | 9.82% | |
| Total votes | 247,043 | 100.0% | ||
General election
Campaign
Following the primary, Johnson was endorsed by several caucuses of the state Republican Party, as well as several elected Republican officials.[7] Wilkie received the endorsement of Wisconsin Educators Politically Active and Concerned (WEPAC, the political arm of the Wisconsin Education Association Council).[8] Shortly before the general election, Wisconsin Democratic senator Gaylord Nelson endorsed Wilkie for re-election.[8] Johnson criticized the endorsement as "unethical", alleging it violated a judicial ethics code rule. Wilkie refuted Johnson's criticism as inaccurate, and hypocritical (given Johnson's endorsements from Republican officeholders).[7]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Horace W. Wilkie (incumbent) | 441,241 | 58.17% | +4.97% | |
| Nonpartisan | Raymond C. Johnson | 317,346 | 41.83% | N/A | |
| Total votes | 758,587 | 100.0% | -27.50% | ||
| Majority | 123,895 | 16.33 | +9.93 | ||
