Kelly Leads High Court Candidates in Funds

Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly. Photo by Coburn Dukehart / Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism.

Three candidates will be on the Feb. 18 spring primary ballot for a 10-year seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. The top two finishers in the primary will face off in the April general election.

Incumbent conservative Justice Daniel Kelly, Dane County Circuit Judge Jill Karofsky, and Marquette University law professor Ed Fallone submitted the required paperwork by Tuesday’s deadline to get on the primary ballot.

Although seats on the high court are technically nonpartisan, most Supreme Court elections in the past several years have had distinctly partisan overtones. In this contest, Kelly has the backing of Republicans and conservatives while Karofsky and Fallone are getting support from Democrats.

This is Kelly’s first election for a full-term on the court. Kelly was appointed in 2016 by former Republican Gov. Scott Walker to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court.

Campaign finance reports showing the candidates’ fundraising and spending for the last six months of 2019 are due next week.

Kelly’s most recent campaign finance report covering the first six months of 2019 showed he raised about $243,800 and had a cash balance of about $238,500 as of June 30.

Fallone’s most recent campaign finance report for the first six months of 2019 showed he raised about $73,400 and had a cash balance of about $50,450 as of June 30.

Karofsky’s most recent campaign finance report covering the first six months of 2019 showed she raised about $121,000 in the first six months of 2019 and had a cash balance of about $110,900 as of June 30.