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If a liberal candidate wins the April election, could the Wisconsin Supreme Court potentially reverse the state's abortion ban and redraw legislative maps?

By Erin Gretzinger
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YES

The Wisconsin Supreme Court race will determine the court's majority, meaning the winning justice will have influence over issues including abortion and legislative maps. If a conservative candidate wins, the seven-member court will retain its 4-3 conservative majority. If a liberal candidate wins the 10-year term, the court's majority would flip. 

Wisconsin’s governor and attorney general, both Democrats, have sued to overturn the state's abortion ban. This case could make its way to the court and ultimately decide the fate of the 1849 abortion ban.

Democrats also could bring a case that challenges the current legislative maps, potentially forcing redistricting before the 2024 general election. Even if Democrats sue, they would need to devise a metric to define what constitutes an unconstitutional "partisan gerrymander."

The nonpartisan primary, featuring two liberals and two conservatives, is Feb. 21. The top two finishers will face off April 4.

See a full discussion of this at Wisconsin Watch
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Politico ‘The most important election nobody’s ever heard of’
Wisconsin Watch Can Wisconsin redraw its legislative and congressional maps before the next census?
AP News Abortion front and center in Wisconsin Supreme Court race
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Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.
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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.