Running for a second 10-year term for the Wisconsin Supreme Court, Justice Rebecca Bradley has drawn the ire of left-wing online activists over a number of her opinions, including her rulings involving “the threat of power-hungry unelected bureaucrats.” Yet, Bradley, who will be on the ballot in 2026, has a history of opinions, concurrences, and dissents that appear to be far more nuanced. On occasion, Bradley will even side with the liberal majority on issues important to liberal activists such as the expansion of police authority.
A Milwaukee native, Justice Bradley’s bachelors and law degree come from Marquette and University of Wisconsin respectively. She was first appointed to the state Supreme Court by then Gov. Scott Walker in 2015, having previously served as an appellate court judge and circuit court judge.
Bradley’s time on the state’s highest court began with a conservative majority, including siding with the Court’s conservatives over the controversial Act 10, which barred public employees from collective bargaining, a move that garnered intense national attention and opposition from major labor groups. The conservative majority also approved legislative maps that are currently being challenged by law firms with ties to liberal activism.
While most coverage of Justice Bradley focuses on some of her controversial statements and opinions, there are a number of instances where she sided with her liberal colleagues. In one case, Bradley joined the Court’s three liberal justices in a ruling finding a police officer violated the Fourth Amendment for using another office’s description of a vehicle as justification for stopping a driver.
Bradley also joined in a concurring opinion written by liberal Justice Jill Karofsky regarding the credibility of a child sexual assault victim and a dissent written by Justice Ann Walsh Bradley (no relation) “arguing that prosecutors who intentionally induced a mistrial could not bring new charges.” (RELATED: Out-of-State Billionaires Propel Wisconsin Democratic Fundraising Surge)
Even when in the majority, Bradley dueled with her conservative colleagues, particularly on procedural questions and issues of “judicial decorum.” In a case over public school gender identity policies, Bradley took exception with Justice Brian Hagedorn’s opinion that criticized Bradley for “scratch[ing] the itch of political activists lusting for the fight” and writing a dissent “that engages in personal attacks rather than a respectful debate over ideas.”
Justice Bradley’s willingness to buck her conservative colleagues has not caused conservatives to turn their back on her. In fact, the MacIver Institute’s Richard Moore wrote extensively on the power of dissenting opinions, citing a number of her opinions that “are vital to the preservation of conservative jurisprudence.”
Moore, while admitting that unanimous court opinions are “examples of social cohesion and political harmony”, compared Justice Bradley to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia who uses “sharp dress-downs” to argue legal philosophy with his colleagues. According to Moore, no one has done more than Bradley “to keep the flame of liberty burning brightly.”
Additionally, the Federalist Society, an organization dedicated to conservative and originalist judicial philosophies, awarded Bradley the Judge Rudolph T. Randa Award in 2024. The award is given to an “individual whose work on behalf of the rule of law and the legal principles our Society exists to uphold is as unquestioned as it is longstanding.”
As Bradley prepares to face Wisconsin voters for a second time, she has already garnered Democratic opposition. Court of Appeals Judge Chris Taylor announced her candidacy opposing Bradley. However, there are concerns about Bradley’s commitment to the race after her campaign reported having raised zero dollars in the same time frame as Taylor’s campaign reportedly having raised more than $500,000.
Bradley’s race will not have an impact on the political bent of the state Supreme Court. Were she to retain her seat, liberals would keep their 4-3 majority. (RELATED: Democrats Eye State Senate Takeover — Control Runs Through Milwaukee in Key Races to Watch)
