Why do Republicans excel at gerrymandering? It’s not just because they’re such devious mapmakers—it’s also because, all too often, the courts simply won’t stand in their way. And there’s a reason for that as well: Conservatives are absolutely fanatic about doing whatever it takes to install radical-right ideologues on the bench nationwide.
So now we’re going to fight back. Because if you want fair redistricting, you need fair-minded judges.
There’s a critical battle brewing in Wisconsin, which is home to some of the most egregious gerrymanders in the country. Here’s the starkest way to look at it: Last year, Democrats won every statewide race on the ballot in the Badger State, but Republicans still managed to win almost two-thirds of the seats in the state Assembly. This is not what a functioning democracy looks like.
We have the power to fix this, though, by winning back the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Currently, conservatives hold a narrow 4-3 majority, but we can reverse that in time for the next round of redistricting following the 2020 census. Next year, we’ll have the chance to flip a seat held by a Scott Walker appointee, but first we’ve got to defend a key seat that’s being left open by a retiring liberal justice in a key election coming up on April 2.
That’s why Daily Kos is proud to endorse Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge Lisa Neubauer for the state Supreme Court.
Neubauer is an independent, impartial jurist who’s served on the bench since 2007, when former Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle appointed her to be the first woman judge in her judicial district. In her race for the Supreme Court, she’s been endorsed by over 330 current and former judges across the state. And of all the judges who’ve taken sides in this contest, an astonishing 98 percent are backing Neubauer.
And with good reason: Her opponent, Brian Hagedorn, is a conservative extremist with a long record of hateful rhetoric. Like Neubauer, Hagedorn also serves on the Court of Appeals, but he was appointed to the post by none other than Walker—after serving as his chief legal counsel for years. In that role, Hagedorn was a key architect of the infamous Act 10, the law that gutted public-sector unions and sparked massive protests.
But Hagedorn doesn’t only hate working people—he hates LGBTQ people, too.
Support a fair-minded judge who’ll deliver justice for all Wisconsin. Give $3 to Lisa Neubauer today!
Hagedorn has penned blog posts saying that striking down laws against sodomy would lead to legalized bestiality; founded a school that bans gay students and teachers and expels pupils if their parents are gay; and accepted thousands of dollars to give speeches to an organization that the Southern Poverty Law Center labels a hate group. Not only has Hagedorn refused to apologize for any of this, but his record proved to be so atrocious that the influential Wisconsin Realtors Association, which has backed many conservative Supreme Court candidates in recent years, yanked its endorsement.
Neubauer, who’s slammed Hagedorn’s “extreme and radical agenda,” couldn’t be more different. While Hagedorn would bring the burning hostility he’s shown toward the vulnerable during his legal career to the high court, Neubauer will offer all Wisconsinites the chance to be heard fairly, whether their case concerns workplace discrimination, voting rights, or any other issue.
Conservatives know this, which is why, as always, they’re going to fight like hell to flip this seat and bolster their majority. In fact, the Koch brothers’ Americans for Prosperity just launched its first expenditure of the race, and given the group’s infinitely deep pockets, you can be sure more’s to come. It’s up to us to help Neubauer prepare for the onslaught to ensure we’re in a position to retake the court in 2020 and repel Republican gerrymandering.