Sauk County Judge Announces Bid For Wisconsin Supreme Court

Gableman announced Thursday he will not seek a second 10-year term in 2018.

Screnock is the third person to officially announce a bid for the seat and is a “conservative jurist,” according to his spokesman.

In a press release, Screnock thanked Gableman for his service and said he shared his belief “that it is the role of a judge to say what the law is and not what it should be.”

“Judges must respect the different roles of the court and Legislature, and should not legislate from the bench,” Screnock said in the press release..

Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Rebecca Dallet and Madison attorney Tim Burns are also running for the open seat. They are pitching themselves as more moderate or liberal alternatives to Gableman.

In a tweet Thursday, Burns said, “For too long, the conservative majority” of the state Supreme Court has been “looking out for the special interests.”

Dallet said she is running for the seat because it is “out of balance” and voters will see the need for “experience and impartiality.”

Gableman’s spokesman Nathan Conrad said it’s his “understanding” Gableman will finish his term and not leave the bench early.

If Gableman resigns before the April election, Republican Gov. Scott Walker will name a replacement who could then run as the incumbent.

There has not been a Wisconsin Supreme Court race without an incumbent since 2007.