From an Opinion by Debra Cronmiller in The Cap Times

*A voter casts her ballot on Election Day, Nov. 3, 2020, at the Marshall High School in Milwaukee.*
Morry Gash, Associated Press

This spring, all eyes are on Wisconsin as voters decide who will fill an empty seat on our state Supreme Court. The stakes could not be higher as we can expect the justices to hear cases about voting rights, abortion access and the purity of our water within the next term.

But dark money, or campaign funding from undisclosed donors, complicates this role. Leading up to the primary, big-dollar, out-of-state interest groups are already working overtime to politicize our judges and purchase influence, attempting to block out the voice of Wisconsin voters.

If there is one thing this sort of spending makes clear, it’s that Wisconsinites need to show up to vote so we can decide, for ourselves, who sits on our court.

Recently, reports show that a single PAC donation has exceeded the donations of all four candidates combined. It certainly doesn’t seem fair that a single, out-of-state donor can outspend and effectively out-influence the average Wisconsinite.

When public officials become more loyal to campaign donors than their own constituents and our state Constitution, the issues that matter most to our communities suddenly stop receiving attention. That’s why we need to care about dark, hard-to-trace money flooding into our judicial elections.

In Wisconsin, Supreme Court elections have gone from being low-budget affairs to big-money contests between powerful groups. The last Wisconsin Supreme Court election in 2020 was the most expensive in the state in more than a decade, while more recent lower court elections in 2021 saw tens of thousands in out-of-state spending. Organizations, which serve as conduits for dark money, dropped money bombs across our state in the days leading up to key judicial elections.

This year will be no exception. The few weeks leading up to the April 4 election will probably break all spending records. The reality today is that partisan groups representing both liberal and conservative interests believe that their money is always welcome in our state, and that’s bad news for Wisconsinites.

Our state courts matter. They’re the last line of defense for the rights of all Wisconsinites of every color, creed, background and zip code. Our judges should guarantee that everyone in our state plays by the same rules and that all our voices are heard.

The primary election for the state supreme court is tomorrow, Feb. 21; the top-two vote-getters from the primary election will face off in a general election on April 4.

To learn more about the candidates, find out whether you’re registered to vote, and much more, take a look at VOTE411.org.

Debra Cronmiller is executive director of the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin.