2009 Wisconsin Supreme Court election
 | |||||||||||||
April 7, 2009
| |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
 County results Abrahamson: 50–60% 60–70% 70–90% Koschnick: 50–60% | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
A regularly scheduled Wisconsin Supreme Court election was held as part of the Wisconsin Spring general election on April 7, 2009. Incumbent chief justice Shirley Abrahamson, first appointed by Governor Patrick Lucey in 1976, won her fourth ten-year term—the most Wisconsin Supreme Court elections won by any person. She defeated Jefferson County circuit judge Randy R. Koschnick, taking 59.67% of the general election vote.
Candidates
- Shirley S. Abrahamson, incumbent justice
- Randy R. Koschnick, Jefferson County Circuit Court judge
Campaign
Heading into the election, the court had a conservative ideological majority (4 conservatives, 2 liberals, and 1 centrist). Abrahmson's ideology placed her firmly in the court's liberal minority,[1] while her challenger, Koschnick, was a conservative.[2]
Abrahamson's advanced age (75 years old at the time of the election) was characterized as being an "unspoken issue" of the election.[3]
While a candidate, Koschnick spoke supportively of the proposal for Wisconsin to adopt public financing of campaigns. However, he later filed a lawsuit seeking to challenge a public financing law that Governor Jim Doyle signed in December 2009.[4]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General election (April 7, 2009) | |||||
| Nonpartisan | Shirley S. Abrahamson (incumbent) | 473,712 | 59.67% | −3.74pp | |
| Nonpartisan | Randy R. Koschnick | 319,706 | 40.27% | ||
| Scattering | 446 | 0.06% | |||
| Plurality | 154,006 | 19.40% | -7.57pp | ||
| Total votes | 793,864 | 100.0% | +4.60% | ||
Aftermath
The term was Abrahamson's final.[1]
In 2016, Koschnick was one of five finalists for then-governor Scott Walker to appoint to the seat left vacant by the retirement of David Prosser Jr. However, he was not appointed[6] Koschnick would later be appointed director of the Wisconsin Court System, a role from which he was dismissed from in August 2023 –one day after the court swung to a liberal majority.[7]
See also
References
- 1 2 Ball, Alan (April 5, 2025). "A Liberal High-Water Mark?". SCOW Stats. Retrieved November 4, 2025.
- ↑ Leaders, Bill (March 12, 2009). "Wisconsin Supreme Court challenger Randy Koschnick: Not an activist". Isthmus. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
- ↑ Walters, Steve (March 14, 2009). "In State Supreme Court Race, Age is the Unspoken Issue". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved April 10, 2026 – via globalag.igc.org.
- ↑ "Scraping The Bottom Of The Barrel". Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. December 28, 2009. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
- ↑ Results of Spring General Election - 04/07/2009 (Report). Wisconsin State Elections Board. April 27, 2009. Retrieved May 18, 2024 – via Wisconsin Historical Society.
- ↑ "Randy Koschnick". Ballotpedia. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
- ↑ Wagtendonk, Anya van (August 2, 2023). "On Its First Day With Liberal Majority, Wisconsin Supreme Court Fires Administrator". WPR. Retrieved April 10, 2026.