A Progressive Victory in Wisconsin for Democracy

Dammit, Janet! We did it, Joe.

Progressives had a huge night on Tuesday, winning key elections in Wisconsin (*and Chicago!*) with rippling effects for the state and nation. Judge Janet Protasiewicz won a 10-year term on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, flipping the court to a 4–3 liberal majority by a whopping 10 points.

And dammit, I’m going to celebrate!

To put it lightly, the last year has been a drag for progressive activists. The constant news is enough to throw a big weighted blanket over your head and blast Maggie Rogers’s album on repeat.

The attacks on people’s rights, our democracy, and our planet have been relentless over the last few months. And while I’ll admit, I have definitely chosen the weighted blanket option a few times, we need to find joy in the progressive movement to make sure that we sustain ourselves and others.

Progressives and others on the left tend to skip the celebration part and jump straight to fixing the next thing. While it is true that the world is on fire and there is a lot that needs fixing, it’s crucial for movements to celebrate their wins.

Hope from Wisconsin

So what makes Wisconsin’s Supreme Court election such a big win?

The Wisconsin Democratic Chair does a pretty good job of laying it out.

The stakes of the election could not have been higher for such a small election.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court has been controlled by conservatives with a 3–4 majority for the last 15 years. During their reign, the conservative majority has been able to restrict voting access, approve highly gerrymandered maps to cement Republican power in the state legislature, restrict workers' rights, women’s rights, and more.

Tuesday's blowout victory will allow liberal justices to begin rolling back the decisions that conservatives rammed through. Voters showed up to the ballot box for three key reasons.

1. Eliminate gerrymandering in one of the most gerrymandered states. The implications are profound. Fairer maps mean possibly flipping the US House & state legislature and allowing Wisconsinites to choose their elected leaders.
2. Protect abortion rights. The court is expected to decide whether to uphold the state’s 1849 abortion ban in the coming months. Yes, that says 1849!
3. Protect against election interference in 2024. A liberal court can block any attempts to disqualify electors or overturn the election results should the Former Guy (or any MAGA Republican) try anything.

I look at what happened on Tuesday as a tipping point. Wisconsin has been gerrymandered to death making it nearly impossible for progressives to win in the state. This election is a signal that Wisconsin voters want democracy and fair representation. They want to be able to choose their elected leaders and have their rights protected.

That is a hopeful message that we should hold onto. In the face of relentless attacks on our rights, democracy, and planet from the far right, there are moments like this that show where the United State’s values really are.

We are not a country of hate. We are a country of hope and democracy. There is a lot of work still to do to ensure we have a true multi-racial democracy, but I have hope that the American people will push back the fascist attempts to destroy democracy just like we’ve done in the past.

Wisconsin gives me hope for the elections to come!