Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Gableman Won’t Seek Second Term In 2018

Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman won’t seek another 10-year term in 2018.

Gableman, who is part of the court’s 5-2 conservative majority, formally announced his decision in a written statement Thursday, saying when he first ran for the court, he promised to apply the law, not make it.

“In decisions large and small, I have fulfilled my promises and put my judicial philosophy into practice,” Gableman wrote. “I trust the people of Wisconsin will elect a successor who is similarly committed to the rule of law.”

Gableman did not say when he planned to leave the court, but spokesman Nathan Conrad said it was his understanding Gableman would serve out his term.

Two candidates, Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Rebecca Dallet and Madison attorney Tim Burns, announced bids for Gableman’s seat on the state’s highest court prior to Thursday.

While the race is officially nonpartisan, Burns and Dallet are backed by Democrats, and Burns has been especially outspoken about his politics.

Both candidates reacted to the news on Twitter on Thursday.

“It’s time for this court to have a lawyer with a breadth of experience and particularly experience at keeping massive conglomerates in check,” Burns wrote.

“I’m running for the Supreme Court because it’s out of balance,” Dallet wrote. “Justice Gableman is clearly part of the problem.”

Gableman received strong backing from Republicans in his 2008 campaign against then-Justice Louis Butler, who was at the time one of three liberals on the court. Butler, who was appointed by former Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle, became the first incumbent to lose a race for the state Supreme Court in more than 40 years.

The 2008 contest was especially negative as Gableman’s campaign ran an ad implying Butler had used a loophole to put a child molester back on the street. The Wisconsin Judicial Commission filed a complaint against Gableman for knowingly making false statements about Butler, but the state Supreme Court deadlocked 3-3 on whether Gableman should be punished.

Over the past nine years, Gableman has regularly sided with other conservatives on high-profile issues before the court. That has included writing some of the court’s most prominent decisions.

He authored the 2014 opinion that upheld Walker’s signature collective bargaining law, known as Act 10.

He also authored the 2015 opinion that shut down the investigation known as John Doe 2, which was looking into whether Walker’s campaign broke the law when it coordinated with conservative groups during the 2012 recall election.

The court’s other conservative justices issued statements Thursday praising Gableman, as did former members of the court.

“In recent years, Mike has authored many of the Court’s most significant decisions,” wrote former Justice David Prosser. “He was a kind and valued colleague to me, and a loyal friend.”

Editor’s note: This story was last updated at 1:26 p.m. Thursday, June 15, with additional reporting from WPR.