Wisconsin's Supreme Test: Prosser v. Kloppenburg

[L. Coyote]

Wisconsin's Supreme Test

Can energized progressives capture a key swing seat on the state's highest court?

— By Andy Kroll
Tue Apr. 5, 2011 12:01 AM PDT = http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/04/wisconsin-walker-election-prosser-union

The uprising in Wisconsin this winter vividly illustrated that labor unions and progressive groups could still mount a massive fight when pressed. But can the outrage and determination that fueled the Madison protests be channeled into a victory at the ballot box? That's the question, as Wisconsinites today vote to fill a crucial swing seat on the state's seven-person Supreme Court.

The race pits sitting Justice David Prosser, a conservative, against longtime Assistant Attorney General JoAnne Kloppenburg, a political novice. The outcome will determine whether the Badger State's high court tilts to the left or to the right. A Kloppenburg upset would send a strong signal that unions and left-leaning groups in this swing state are indeed a force to be reckoned with heading into the 2012 presidential election—that is, that Wisconsin's progressive tradition is alive well. A Kloppenburg loss would take the wind out of the left's sails, just as progressives in the state are trying to recall a slew of Republican lawmakers for their anti-union votes.

Two months ago, the election seemed a done deal. Prosser cruised to an easy victory in the February four-way, multi-party primary, winning 55 percent of the vote. Kloppenburg finished a distant second with 25 percent. .....

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