2009 Wisconsin Supreme Court election
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April 7, 2009
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 County results Abrahamson: 50–60% 60–70% 70–90% Koschnick: 50–60% | |||||||||||||
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A regularly scheduled Wisconsin Supreme Court election was held as part of the Wisconsin Spring general election on April 7, 2009. Incumbent chief justice Shirley Abrahamson, first appointed by Governor Patrick Lucey in 1976, won her fourth ten-year term—the most Wisconsin Supreme Court elections won by any person. She defeated Jefferson County circuit judge Randy R. Koschnick, taking 59.67% of the general election vote.
- Shirley S. Abrahamson, incumbent justice
- Randy R. Koschnick, Jefferson County Circuit Court judge
Campaign
Heading into the election, the court had a conservative ideological majority (4 conservatives, 2 liberals, and 1 centrist). Abrahmson's ideology placed her firmly in the court's liberal minority,[1] while her challenger, Koschnick, was a conservative.[2]
Abrahamson's advanced age (75 years old at the time of the election) was characterized as being an "unspoken issue" of the election.[3]
While a candidate, Koschnick spoke supportively of the proposal for Wisconsin to adopt public financing of campaigns. However, he later filed a lawsuit seeking to challenge a public financing law that Governor Jim Doyle signed in December 2009.[4]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General election (April 7, 2009) | |||||
| Nonpartisan | Shirley S. Abrahamson (incumbent) | 473,712 | 59.67% | −3.74pp | |
| Nonpartisan | Randy R. Koschnick | 319,706 | 40.27% | ||
| Scattering | 446 | 0.06% | |||
| Plurality | 154,006 | 19.40% | -7.57pp | ||
| Total votes | 793,864 | 100.0% | +4.60% | ||