On April 2, voters across Wisconsin will decide on several judicial candidates, including competitive races in ten circuit court branches. New judges will also be elected uncontested in three counties where the incumbent chose not to run for office. Winners of the Spring Election start their new six-year terms on the first of August.
Court of Appeals
Two incumbent Court of Appeals judges are on the ballot in the spring election. Judge Pedro Colón from Milwaukee County was appointed by Governor Tony Evers in June and sworn into office in November. He is the first Latino to sit on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals. He is running unopposed in the District I race. In District IV, Judge JoAnne Kloppenburg is also seeking another term on the Court of Appeals, where she has presided since 2012. Kloppenburg, a former assistant attorney general in the Wisconsin Department of Justice, is also running unopposed.
Contested Circuit Court races
Columbia County
Lodi attorney Roger Klopp is challenging incumbent Columbia County Circuit Court Judge Troy Cross for the Branch 3. Cross was first elected in 2018; Klopp has practiced law in Wisconsin since 1989.
Door County
Door County Family Court Commissioner Jennifer Moeller and Attorney Brett Reetz of Sturgeon Bay compete for the Branch 1 bench now held by Door County Circuit Court Judge D. Todd Ehlers, who announced he would not seek re-election.
Kenosha County
Judge Frank Gagliardi and Heather Iverson of Kenosha are on the ballot for the Kenosha County Circuit Court Judge for Branch 3. Gagliardi was appointed to the bench in November. Iverson currently serves as the Circuit Court Commissioner for Kenosha County.
La Crosse County
Incumbent La Crosse County Circuit Court Judge Mark A. Huesmann, appointed to the bench in 2023, is being challenged for the Branch 3 bench by Attorney Candice C.M. Tlustosch, who has a private practice in Sparta.
Milwaukee County
State representative Marisabel Cabrera (D-9) and Attorney Rochelle Johnson-Bent Brown of Milwaukee are seeking the bench in Milwaukee County Circuit Court Branch 43. Current Judge Marshall Murray, who has served on the bench since 1999, will retire in July at the end of his term.
Oneida County
Oneida County Corporation Counsel Michael Fugle and Assistant District Attorney MarySowinski are squaring off for a spot on the bench in Branch 2. Current Judge Michael Bloom did not seek re-election.
Racine County
Incumbent Racine County Circuit Court Judge Toni L. Young faces a challenge from Assistant District Attorney Jessica Lynott. Young was appointed to the bench in late 2023 and is the first woman of color to serve as a Racine County Circuit Court judge. Lynott has been a prosecutor in Racine County since 2017.
Sauk County
Sauk County Attorneys Nancy Thome and Blake Duren are running for the bench in Sauk County Circuit Court Branch 3. Current Judge Pat Barrett filed a notice of noncandidacy in November.
Walworth County
Court Commissioner Peter Navis and Deputy Corporation Counsel Estee E. Scholtz are competing for a Walworth County Circuit Court seat. They are running to replace Judge Phillip Koss, who has announced his retirement.
Winnebago County
One-time Winnebago County judge LaKeisha Haase and court commissioner Michael Rust are vying for Winnebago County Circuit Court Branch 1. The incumbent, Judge Teresa Basiliere, opted not to seek re-election.
Uncontested new candidates
Judicial candidates are running without opponents in three counties where incumbents decided not to run for office.
Barron County
Attorney Sam Lawton is running uncontested for the Barron County Circuit Court Judge in Branch 2. The seat sits vacant following the retirement of Judge J. Michael Bitney.
Price County
Assistant District Attorney Mark Fuhr is uncontested in his bid for the seat held by Price County Circuit Court Judge Kevin Klein, who did not seek re-election. Klein was first appointed in 2017 and elected in 2018.
Waukesha County
Waukesha County Assistant District Attorney Jack Pitzo is running unopposed in his bid to replace Judge Laura Lau on the Branch 12 bench. Lau was elected in 2018 but chose not to run for re-election.