Wisconsin State Journal: Prosser, Kloppenburg will advance in Supreme Court race

Fevbruary 16, 2011- A long-time assistant attorney general will try to unseat state Supreme Court Justice David Prosser in April's elections.

JoAnne Kloppenburg and Prosser were easily the top two vote-getters in Tuesday's four-way primary. They will advance to the April 5 general election. The winner gets a 10-year term on the court.

With 66 percent of precincts reporting, Prosser had 51 percent of the vote. Kloppenburg had 28 percent. Public defender Marla Stephens had 11 percent and family law attorney Joel Winnig had 10 percent.

The general election campaign will pit the liberal-leaning Kloppenburg, a 22-year state Justice Department prosecutor, against the conservative-leaning Prosser, a 12-year justice and a former Republican legislator.

The ideological tilt of the court hangs in the balance. The seven justices are officially nonpartisan, but they've still divided themselves into conservative and liberal factions that bicker constantly.

Prosser is part of the current four-justice conservative majority. A Kloppenburg victory in April would shift control of the court to the liberal bloc, which would affect how the court rules on a wide range of cases.

The other factor at play in the general election is special interest groups. Outside groups have poured millions into recent Supreme Court races, raising questions about their influence on the justices.

Both Prosser and Kloppenburg have accepted public campaign financing in an effort to avoid those questions.

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