Liberal judge’s Wisconsin supreme court race win shows a shake-up in US politics

Victory will have consequences for abortion and voting rights in the state as Democrats become serious about down-ballot races

Janet Protasiewicz's victory in the Wisconsin supreme court race on Tuesday amounted to a political earthquake in Wisconsin, one of America's most volatile political battlegrounds.

Her victory underscores the continued political salience of abortion rights for Democrats. Her election to the court means that the Wisconsin 1849 abortion ban will be struck down (a case is already coming through the courts). Just as they did across the country in 2022, Democrats made it a central issue in the supreme court campaign and voters turned out.