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FACT BRIEF

Has Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Janet Protasiewicz rejected multiple debate requests ahead of the election?

By Jacob Alabab-Moser
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YES

Liberal Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Janet Protasiewicz has rejected at least four speaking requests to debate her conservative opponent, Dan Kelly, ahead of the April 4 Supreme Court election. So far, Protasiewicz officially declined to participate in American Constitution Society and WISN-TV debates, as well as events at the Milwaukee Press Club and Carroll University.

However, Protasiewicz has agreed to appear with Kelly on March 21 for the State Bar of Wisconsin debate in Madison, in addition to other engagements such as attending forums and meeting newspaper editorial boards.

Some experts have suggested that Protasiewicz's decision to decline debate invitations could be strategic. “When a candidate has a huge spending advantage and is leading in the campaign, they may be unwilling to take the risk of the unpredictable environment of a debate,” said Anthony Chergosky, a University of Wisconsin-La Crosse political scientist.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Wisconsin State Journal Wisconsin Supreme Court debate set for late March after Janet Protasiewicz declines several others
WisPolitics Kelly campaign: American Constitution Society debate cancelled
WISN Protasiewicz declines WISN-TV Supreme Court debate
Milwaukee Press Club Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Daniel Kelly to speak at newsmaker luncheon
The 5 Riders Carroll University general election candidate forum
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel In Wisconsin's nationally watched Supreme Court race, candidate Janet Protasiewicz agrees to 1 televised debate, skips other public forums
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.