Liberals win control of Wisconsin Supreme Court

Liberals have won their first majority on Wisconsin’s highest court in 15 years after the most expensive race to elect a judge in US history.

Janet Protasiewicz’s victory could prove pivotal in votes on abortion rights and election matters in the Midwestern battleground state.

The Milwaukee County circuit court judge beat conservative candidate Justice Daniel Kelly.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court election is meant to be non-partisan.

But Judge Protasiewicz put “a woman’s freedom to make her own decision on abortion” – a Democratic party priority – at the centre of her campaign.

Meanwhile Justice Daniel Kelly – a former Wisconsin Supreme Court jurist who previously worked for Republicans – had support from the state’s leading anti-abortion group.

Liberals will now have 4-3 control of the court.

Wisconsin is one of 14 US states to directly elect its Supreme Court justices, and winners get 10-year terms.

More than $42.3m (£34m) had been spent as of Monday, almost tripling the previous record of $15.2m for spending on a US judicial race.

Republicans portrayed Judge Protasiewicz as soft on crime, while Democrats asserted that victory for Justice Kelly could have endangered democracy itself in Wisconsin.

Wisconsin’s Supreme Court came within one vote of overturning President Joe Biden’s win in the state in 2020.