What to know about Janet Protasiewicz, who defeated Dan Kelly in the 2023 Wisconsin Supreme Court election

Milwaukee County Judge Janet Protasiewicz defeated Dan Kelly by 11 percentage points in the nonpartisan Wisconsin Supreme Court general election on Tuesday, April 4.

Here's what you should know about Protasiewicz.

How old is Janet Protasiewicz?

60 years old.

How long is Janet Protasiewicz's term?

Protasiewicz won a 10-year term on the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

What is Janet Protasiewicz's political party?

The Supreme Court race is nonpartisan, but Protasiewicz describes herself as a judicial liberal. Her victory will change the political makeup of the court. Conservatives have held a 4-3 majority for 15 years. She will replace Justice Patience Roggensack, who did not seek reelection.

What has Janet Protasiewicz said about Wisconsin's abortion law and the state's election maps?

Protasiewicz's platform has centered around being a voice for a women's right to choose. A Protasiewicz win on the Supreme Court could be critical in upcoming decisions on Wisconsin's abortion law, which has reverted to an 1849 law after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling last year. Wisconsin's law makes it a felony crime for a doctor to perform an abortion unless the mother could die. Protasiewicz has said that the overturning of Roe v. Wade was the worst U.S. Supreme Court decision in history.

Wisconsin's legislative maps is a hot-button issue as well and has gone to the state Supreme Court in recent years after the Republican-controlled Legislature redrew them significantly in their favor. The new maps even went to the U.S. Supreme Court last year. Protasiewicz recently called the state's election maps "rigged" and said the way they are constructed takes votes from people in larger communities like Dane and Milwaukee counties.

"They do not reflect people in this state. I don't think you could sell any reasonable person that the maps are fair," Protasiewicz said during a candidates' forum in January.

How much money did Janet Protasiewicz raise?

The Supreme Court race was the most expensive judicial election in Wisconsin history. Protasiewicz raised $2.3 million during the primary, the most of any of the four candidates and a record for a state Supreme Court candidate. She was the first to announce her intentions to run for Supreme Court in May 2022.

Where did Janet Protasiewicz go to law school?

Protasiewicz received her bachelor’s degree from UW-Milwaukee and her law degree from Marquette University. She later was an adjunct professor at Marquette Law School.

What is Janet Protasiewicz's current position in Milwaukee County?

Protasiewicz was elected as a judge to the Milwaukee County Circuit Court in 2014, a year after she was defeated in her first run for circuit court by Judge Rebecca Bradley, who now is a Supreme Court justice. Protasiewicz was reelected to the Milwaukee County bench in 2020.

Before being elected to the bench, Protasiewicz was a prosecutor in Milwaukee County for nearly three decades where she focused on domestic abuse cases and other violent crimes. She has come under fire by Republicans for her rulings on three felony cases.

Is Janet Protasiewicz married?

Yes, she and her husband Greg Sell live in Franklin. He is a lawyer.

How do you pronounce Protasiewicz?

Protasiewicz, who has been all over the airwaves, had a commercial featuring supporters trying to pronounce her last name in a light-hearted way. The correct pronunciation is pro-tuh-SAY-witz.