威斯康星的高风险的最高法院竞选在周二达到高潮自由党候选人的胜利保守党候选人激烈、苦涩的败选演讲，在他们的竞争结束时强调了激烈的竞争--这是历史上最昂贵的选举。
前高等法院法官丹·凯利(Dan Kelly)正在竞选回归，他严厉批评当选大法官珍妮特·普罗塔西维茨(Janet Protasiewicz)讨论了她对预计将提交州最高法院的政策和问题的个人观点，包括她对堕胎权的支持和对共和党绘制的立法地图的批评。
“这并没有像我们期待的那样，我认为有几个原因，我认为我们需要正面解决这些问题。这么说并没有给我带来快乐。我希望在这种情况下，我能够向一个值得尊敬的对手认输。但我没有一个值得我承认的对手，”凯利周二晚上说。
“这是我见过的最具欺骗性、最不光彩、最卑鄙的法庭竞选，”他说。“这真的是不光彩的。我这样说并不是因为我们没有获胜，我这样说也不是因为针对我的恶毒诽谤，尽管这已经够糟了。但这不关我的事。我担心的是对法院机构造成的损害。”
这种言论反映了这场比赛的反响，普罗塔谢维奇的胜利将法院从4比3的保守派多数席位转变为自由派将以4比3的优势控制至少到2025年。这是15年来自由派法官首次占多数。
预计法院将处理的问题包括1849年的一项法律，该法律禁止几乎所有堕胎，并对共和党在2010年后绘制的立法地图提出挑战，尽管威斯康星州是一个摇摆州，但人们普遍认为该地图存在不公正的选区划分。
共和党人在整个竞选活动中抨击了普罗塔西维茨，因为她在她可能很快就会决定的问题上讨论了她的信仰，尽管这些攻击似乎不足以阻止凯利失去11分，这几乎与他在2020年失去法院席位时的败北幅度相同。
凯利没有直接对这些问题发表评论，但他赢得了反堕胎团体的支持，此前曾在私人诊所为州共和党工作。
与此同时，Protasiewicz的竞选团队表示，与选民交流她的观点非常重要，并拒绝了这种评论预测她将如何执政的假设。
“她非常清楚这些是她的个人价值观:她相信民主，她相信获得医疗保健。但这并不是说，如果在法庭上，她会如何投票。我们不知道谁会向法院提出这些挑战，会做出什么，”竞选发言人Sam Roecker周一告诉ABC新闻。
“她没有承诺在法庭上对任何案件作出这样或那样的裁决。但我认为，她在这里进行竞选活动的部分原因是，选民希望了解他们投票给谁的一些价值观，”罗克接着说。“这是一场大选举。这关系到很多事情。”
尽管如此，凯利还是毫不留情地将他的失败描绘成他所在州未来的末日。
“我尊重威斯康星州人民做出的决定。但我认为这不会有好结果。现在当我向前看的时候，我希望，我希望它能有个好的结局。和你们所有人一起在威斯康辛度过了一段非常非常美好的生活，”他周二说道。“我祝愿威斯康星州好运，因为我认为它会需要它。”
Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate delivers fiery, bitter concession speech: 'This does not end well'
Wisconsin'shigh-stakes Supreme Court raceculminated Tuesday ina victory for the liberal candidateand a fiery, bitter concession speech by the conservative contender that underscored the acrimony by the end of their contest -- the most expensive such election in history.
Dan Kelly, a former justice on the high court who was running for a return, lambasted Justice-elect Janet Protasiewicz for discussing her personal views on policies and issues expected to come before the state Supreme Court, including her support for abortion rights and criticism of Republican-drawn legislative maps.
"This didn't turn out the way that we were looking for, and I think there are a couple of reasons for it and I think we need to address them head on. And it brings me no joy to say this. I wish that in a circumstance like this I would be able to concede to a worthy opponent. But I do not have a worthy opponent to which I can concede," Kelly said Tuesday night.
"This was the most deeply deceitful, dishonorable despicable campaign I have ever seen run for the courts," he said. "It was truly beneath contempt. Now I say this not because we did not prevail -- I do not say this because of the rancid slanders that were launched against me, although that was bad enough. But that is not my concern. My concern is the damage done to the institution of the courts."
The rhetoric reflected the repercussions of the race, with Protasiewicz's win flipping the court from a 4-3 conservative majority to one that liberals will control by a 4-3 margin until at least 2025. It's the first time liberal-aligned judges will be in the majority in 15 years.
Among the issues the court is anticipated to take up are an 1849 law that bans nearly all abortions and challenge to the legislative maps, which Republicans drew after 2010 and which are widely seen as gerrymandered despite Wisconsin's status as a swing state.
Republicans had knocked Protasiewicz throughout the campaign for discussing her beliefs on issues she could soon decide on, though it appears the attacks were insufficient to prevent Kelly's 11-point loss, which is almost identical to his margin of defeat when he lost his seat on the court in 2020.
Kelly had stayed away from commenting as directly on those issues, but he won endorsements from anti-abortion groups and previously worked for the state GOP in private practice.
Protasiewicz's campaign, meanwhile, said it was important to communicate with voters what her views are and rejected the premise that such comments forecasted how she would rule form the bench.
"She's been very clear that these are her personal values: She believes in democracy, she believes in access to health care. But that's not saying how she's going to vote on these if they're before the court. We have no idea of knowing who will bring those challenges to the court, what will be made," campaign spokesperson Sam Roecker told ABC News on Monday.
"She has made no promises to rule one way or the other on any case before the court. But I think part of this as she's here on the campaign trail is that voters expect to know some of the values of who they're voting for," Roecker said then. "This is a big election. There's a lot at stake."
Still, Kelly pulled no punches, casting his defeat in nearly apocalyptic terms for his state's future.
"I respect the decision that the people of Wisconsin have made. But I think this does not end well. Now as I look forward, I hope, I hope it does end well. This has been a beautiful, beautiful life here in Wisconsin with all of you," he said Tuesday. "And I wish, Wisconsin, the best of luck because I think it's going to need it."
