Buying Time: Wisconsin Judicial Election 2013
The 2013 nonpartisan primary, which took place on February 19, had three candidates: incumbent Justice Pat Roggensack, attorney Vince Megna, and Marquette University law professor Ed Fallone. Justice Roggensack and Professor Fallone received the highest number of votes and moved on to the general election, which took place on April 2. Justice Roggensack won reelection.
Wisconsin’s recent Supreme Court elections have featured costly multi-million dollar campaigns and vicious, mudslinging attack ads. In 2011, special interest groups set a new record, spending just under $3.6 million on television ads in a race that many groups sought to recast as a referendum on Governor Scott Walker. Wisconsin will likely continue to see high spending by outside groups this year. Candidates will also face increased pressure to fundraise: after introducing public financing for judicial races in 2011, the legislature eliminated the program after just one election.
Total Primary Spending (Updated February 19, 2013): $402,990
Total Election Spending (Updated April 2, 2013): $1,126,670
For more information on spending in Wisconsin, click here [PDF].
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Leading up to the election, the Brennan Center will release real-time reports on television advertising. These reports continue the groundbreaking analysis first conducted in 2000 examining the sponsorship, content and costs of televised state supreme court campaign ads.
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March 23- Start Someplace 2
Stream Video (QT) | Download Storyboard
Justice Pat Roggensack says, "Luckily when it comes to our state Supreme Court there's a very experienced, independent, and hard-working candidate already on the job."
March 20, 2013- Giggles, Laughs, and Smiles
Stream Video (QT) | Download Storyboard
An ad by the WMC Issues Mobilization Committee saying "Pat Roggensack protected Wisconsin children, voting to close a loop hole that would have let a sexual predator back on the street."
March 19, 2013- Descend into Dysfunction
Stream Video (QT) | Download Storyboard
Candidate Ed Fallone says, "People want to see a justice who has the courage to follow the law and stand up for the working families of Wisconsin."
February 7, 2013- Public Safety
Stream Video (QT) | Download Storyboard
The Wisconsin Club for Growth says Justice Pat Roggensack "has been brilliant in her demonstration of leadership and sound judgment. She has upheld the values of fairness and neutrality."
February 6, 2013- Start Someplace
Stream Video (QT) | Download Storyboard
Justice Pat Roggensack says, "Luckily when it comes to our state Supreme Court there's a very experienced, independent, and hard-working candidate already on the job."
News
Patrick Marley, Patience Roggensack, Ed Fallone Advance Out of Supreme Court Primary, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, February 19. 2013.
Patrick Marley, Supreme Court Fracas in 2011 Figures in Race, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, February 16. 2013.
Scott Bauer, Challengers Push for Wis. Supreme Court Personality Change, Associated Press via Wisconsin Law Journal, February 8, 2013.
Bruce Vielmetti, Wisconsin Supreme Court Candidates Mix It Up During First Joint Forum, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, February 7, 2013.
Methodology
The Brennan Center's analyses of television advertising in state Supreme Court elections use data obtained from a commercial firm that records each ad via satellite. The firm provides information about the location, dates, frequency, and estimated costs of each ad. Brennan Center researchers use the storyboard video captures of the ads at four-second intervals with complete audio text to code the ads, documenting the content, tone, and other relevant information. Cost estimates are revised by the firm when it receives updated data, resulting in some fluctuations in the reported costs. The calculation does not include the costs of design and production, so cost estimates substantially understate the actual cost of advertising. The calculation also does not reflect the cost of ad buys on local cable channels.
