State Supreme Court race heads Tuesday primary elections

The only statewide race in Tuesday's primary is the contest for a state Supreme Court seat that pits two circuit judges against an attorney who specializes in suing insurance companies.

In Milwaukee County, there will be a primary in the race for County Board District 8 supervisor on the South Shore. Among other primaries on local ballots are races for three Oak Creek-Franklin School Board seats that has attracted a field of eight candidates and municipal races for city council seats in St. Francis and South Milwaukee.

In Waukesha County, voters in the Hamilton School District will be asked to approve two referenda questions on their ballot: one for $57.4 million in building construction and renovation costs, including a new intermediate school; and a second $1.5 million in operating costs for the new intermediate school.

Citizen turnout in primaries with only a Supreme Court contest on the statewide ballot is typically low, with an average of  7.3% of eligible voters on those occasions in the past two decades, according to the state Elections Commission.

Milwaukee County Clerk George Christenson expects a countywide turnout of between 8% and 10% Tuesday, he said.

Candidates in the state Supreme Court primary are: Tim Burns, an attorney in the Madison office of the national law firm Perkins Coie; Rebecca Dallet, a Milwaukee County Circuit judge; and Michael Screnock, a Sauk County Circuit judge.

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Though a Supreme Court election is nonpartisan, Screnock has received more than $140,000 from the state Republican Party while Burns calls himself a Democrat who is committed to establishing a liberal majority on the court that is now controlled 5-2 by conservatives. Dallet brands herself as a liberal and spoke at the state Democratic Party convention in 2017.

Dallet's campaign emphasizes her experience, including 10 years as a county circuit judge and 11 years as a prosecutor.

Gov. Scott Walker appointed Screnock to the Sauk County court in 2015. As a private attorney, he helped Walker defend Act 10, the 2011 law that restricted collective bargaining for public workers.

One of the three candidates will be dropped from the race after Tuesday's primary. The top two vote-getters will compete in the April 3 spring election to replace Justice Michael Gableman. Gableman did not seek a second 10-year term. 

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Milwaukee County Supervisor David Sartori is facing two challengers in his bid for re-election to a second, two-year term representing the South Shore.

Both challengers, James Davies and Steven Shea, are supported by groups with ties to other county officials attempting to influence the outcome of the race.

Sartori, 75, is a retired state probation and parole agent.

Davies has received at least $28,521 in financial support from Leadership MKE, according to the Wisconsin campaign finance information system.

Leadership MKE is an independent political expenditure committee funded by County Executive Chris Abele. Such committees are set up to spend money on campaign messages to boost a single candidate without the cooperation or consent of the candidate.

Abele also has contributed $1,050 to Davies, the maximum amount allowed under state law.

Davies, 33, of South Milwaukee, is senior director of operations and planning for Bublr Bikes, a nonprofit bike sharing system in Milwaukee County.

Shea has been endorsed by the Wisconsin Working Families Party. Supervisor Marina Dimitrijevic is executive director of the political organization and asked Shea to enter the race.

Shea, 58, of Cudahy, is an adult education teacher at MATC and a member of the American Federation of Teachers Local 212. The union local's Committee on Political Education contributed the maximum $1,050 to Shea's campaign.  

One candidate will be eliminated in Tuesday's primary. The top two vote-getters will face off on April 3.

District 8 includes Saint Francis, Cudahy and South Milwaukee, as well as portions of Oak Creek.

How to vote

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Your assigned polling place is based on where you live. You can find your polling place by entering your address at myvote.wi.gov. 

You must be registered to vote. You can register to vote at the polling place if you submit proof of residence, which include a driver's license, utility bill or pay stub, among others.

All voters will need to show an acceptable photo ID to vote Tuesday. Among the photo IDs acceptable for voting are a Wisconsin DOT-issued driver license, a Wisconsin DOT-issued identification card, a U.S. passport, and a military ID card issued by a U.S. uniformed service.

The address on your ID doesn't have to be current.