Friday, Jan. 20, 2023
In 175 years, has Wisconsin ever elected an African-American justice to the state’s Supreme Court?
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
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