Judge announces run against Chief Justice Abrahamson for Supreme Court
Once again a "judicial conservative" is mounting a Supreme Court challenge against an "activist judge."
Jefferson County Circuit Judge Randy Koschnick announced Monday he plans to run against state Supreme Court Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson.
A Milwaukee native, the 48-year-old judge made his announcement at the state Capitol's Assembly Chamber surrounded by friends and family.
He accused Abrahamson and the liberal block on the state's highest court of "legislating from the bench," citing as an example a ruling last year that lifted the cap on medical malpractice awards, which he said usurped the intent of the Legislature.
"I've known Justice Abrahamson for many years and I respect her," he said. "We simply have different judicial philosophies."
Leaving no doubt which side of the political spectrum he is on, he aligned himself with the U.S. Supreme Court's most conservative members, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, and quoted Chief Justice John Roberts, a George W. Bush appointee.
Koschnick's campaign platform is similar to that of the last two successful Supreme Court candidates, Annette Ziegler and Michael Gableman, who ran as "judicial conservatives," against "activists judges." Both candidates drew the support of conservative and business groups, who spent millions to usher their way onto the court.
Ziegler, who defeated Madison attorney Linda Clifford, was later reprimanded by the court for conflicts of interest in cases she presided over as a Washington County judge -- the first ever to be disciplined by her colleagues on the court.
Gableman's race against sitting Justice Louis Butler drew national attention over its negativity, and the Wisconsin Judicial Commission has filed a complaint against him, accusing him of misconduct when his campaign ran an ad falsely suggesting that Butler -- while a public defender -- freed a child molester.
Their elections have tipped the balance of the court from liberal to conservative.
Both those campaigns tallied record spending, most of it from outside groups. Foremost among them was Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, which weighed in with television ads that nicknamed Butler "Loophole Louis," insinuating that he was soft on crime.
Koschnick first said he was leaning toward a run for Abrahamson's seat in October.
Abrahamson, first appointed to the court in 1976, has since won three 10-year terms.
She has decried the cash that has dominated the last two races -- the last one a record-breaking $5.8 million. But she said last week she's not intimidated by the contest.
"Hey, I'm running. There's no doubt about that," she said.
Abrahamson, 74, last ran in 1999, beating Green Bay attorney Sharren Rose in the most expensive race recorded until Ziegler's race.
Earlier this year she reopened her campaign account and drew funds from well over 900 contributors.
In announcing his candidacy, Koschnick offered a "clean campaign pledge," which included that candidates publically repudiate false accusation made by third-party groups.
Koschnick also said he would support a public financing system for Supreme Court races and would support regulations that would require outside groups to disclose the source of their funding.
But he drew the line at regulating those groups, saying the government shouldn't infringe free speech rights.
As a campaign consultant, Koschnick has relied on Republican strategist Darrin Schmitz, who also worked on Gableman's campaign.
His campaign manager, Todd Albaugh, is a former spokesman for Republican state Sen. Dale Schultz and campaign manager for Republican John Sharpless' unsuccessful bids for Congress in 1998 and 2000.
Michelle Stocker/Capital Times
Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Randy Koschnick announced Monday his run for Supreme Court against Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson at the state Capitol.
