logo
Brief Publisher Logo
FACT BRIEF

In 175 years, has Wisconsin ever elected an African-American justice to the state's Supreme Court?

By Tom Kertscher
View this fact brief on Wisconsin Watch
Copy link
email
Copy featured image
email
NO

One African-American person, Louis Butler Jr., has served as a Wisconsin Supreme Court justice since Wisconsin became a state in 1848. However, he was never elected to the seat. Butler, then a Milwaukee County judge, was appointed to the high court in 2004 by Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle to fill a vacancy. Butler was defeated by Michael Gableman in the 2008 election for a 10-year term. All seven current justices are white.

An election for one seat will be held in 2023. One of the four candidates in the Feb. 21 primary, Dane County Judge Everett Mitchell, is Black. The two candidates with the most votes will compete in the spring election on April 4.

About 87% of Wisconsin's population identifies as while; about 7% identify as Black or African-American.

Twenty-eight states have no Black Supreme Court justices, New York University’s Brennan Center for Justice reported in May.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Wisconsin Courts Portraits of Justice | The Wisconsin Supreme Court’s First 150 Years
Wisconsin Courts Wisconsin Court System
Wisconsin Courts Justice Louis J. Butler, Jr.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel The 2023 Wisconsin Supreme Court race will decide control of the bench. Here's a closer look at the four candidates.
State of Wisconsin Wisconsin Elections Commission
Wisconsin Law Journal - WI Legal News & Resources Butler gets the nod
Brennan Center for Justice State Supreme Court Diversity — May 2022 Update
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Wisconsin Watch
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.
FACT BRIEF BY
Brief Publisher Logo
Latest fact briefs from Wisconsin Watch
facebook
twitter
email
email
About fact briefs published on Gigafact
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.