Press Releases
State Judicial Elections
Outside Groups Dominate Spending in Judicial Elections, New Report Shows
Non-candidate spending in state high court elections nearly doubled as a share of total costs in 2009-10, compared to the previous off-year election, a new report shows.
– 10/26/11
Brennan Center Endorses ABA Judicial Disqualification Resolution
The American Bar Association’s House of Delegates is expected to vote today on a resolution calling on states to adopt new rules for judicial disqualification. Brennan Center Senior Counsel Adam Skaggs released the following statement in support of the resolution.
– 08/08/11
Citing Unique Role of Judges, Groups Urge Court to Uphold Public Finance Law
Declaring that judges play a unique role in our governmental system, two nonpartisan national reform groups urged a federal appeals court today to uphold Wisconsin’s Impartial Justice Act, which provides for public financing of state Supreme Court elections.
– 06/17/11
Final Numbers: Special Interest Spending Near $3.6 Million in Wisconsin
A recount looms in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, but one thing is official — special interest groups set a new record, spending just under $3.6 million on television ads in the election, topping the previous record in Wisconsin of $3.38 million set in 2008.
– 04/06/11
Special Interest TV Spending Sets Record in Wisconsin
Special interest groups have spent more than $3.5 million on TV ads in this year’s Wisconsin Supreme Court election, breaking the state’s previous record for television spending by non-candidate groups, according to data released Tuesday by the Brennan Center for Justice.
– 04/05/11
Special Interest TV Spending in Wisconsin Supreme Court Race Tops $3 Million
With just one day to go before Election Day, spending on television advertising continues at a blistering pace in the race between incumbent Justice David Prosser and challenger JoAnne Kloppenburg, topping $3 million.
– 04/04/11
Special Interest TV Spending in Wisconsin Supreme Court Race Accelerates
Spending on television advertising continues at a blistering pace in the race between incumbent Justice David Prosser and challenger JoAnne Kloppenburg, topping $2.16 million through March 31st.
– 04/01/11
TV Ad Spending By Special Interest Groups Tops $1 Million in Wisconsin Judicial Election
With one week to go before Election Day, spending on television advertising has reached nearly $1.4 million in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race. Of this total, approximately 82 percent was spent by non-candidate special interest groups.
– 03/29/11
Special Interest Group Outspends Candidates on TV in Wisconsin Judicial Election
The conservative Wisconsin Club for Growth has spent more on television advertising than all candidates combined in the primary election for a seat on the Supreme Court of Wisconsin. Overall, the Club for Growth accounted for $321,000 of the approximately $461,000 spent on TV ads, according to data accumulated by the Brennan Center for Justice.
– 02/15/11
2010 Judicial Elections Increase Pressure on Courts, Reform Groups Say
Election Day 2010 brought a new round of special interest money, nasty ads and wedge issue politics into America’s courtrooms, breaking several spending records and spreading costly, ideological hardball campaigns into new states.
– 11/03/10