MacIver News Service | January 22, 2018

MILWAUKEE, Wis. – The three candidates vying to replace outgoing Wisconsin Supreme Court justice Michael Gableman sparred Monday night at a forum held in Milwaukee.

That is, the two liberals mainly took turns attacking each other’s progressive bona fides.

Madison attorney Tim Burns kicked off by attacking the event’s sponsor, the Milwaukee Lawyers Chapter of the Federalist Society. Meanwhile, fellow liberal Rebecca Dallet, a Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge, took shots at Burns for having no judicial experience and said she’d prefer that John Doe was never struck down by the state Supreme Court.

The lone conservative in the race, Sauk County Circuit Court judge Michael Screnock, mainly stayed above the fray, touting his originalist judicial philosophy he says is inspired by the late Antonin Scalia.

The three candidates face off in a primary election scheduled for Feb. 20, with the two top vote-getters on the ballot for the April 3 general election.