To: Americans Ready for Progress
Re: Wisconsin Supreme Court Election: April 1, 2025 – The Future of Wisconsin is on the Line 📣

The Stakes: Why This Race Matters

Here’s what’s at stake

1. Crime and Public Safety

   • The conservative candidate, Brad Schimel, is running on a “tough on crime” platform, with endorsements from right-wing law enforcement groups that prioritize punishment over rehabilitation. Wisconsin deserves a justice who understands that real safety comes from addressing the root causes of crime, not just locking people up. We need a leader who believes in restorative justice, not fear-mongering.

2. Abortion Rights
   • Wisconsin’s Supreme Court could soon decide the fate of abortion access in the state. With legal challenges to existing abortion laws looming, this election could determine whether reproductive freedom is upheld or dismantled. A conservative majority on the court could reinstate outdated abortion bans, stripping away the rights of millions of Wisconsinites. We cannot afford to take that risk.
3. Redistricting: The Fight for Fair Maps
   • Who decides what’s “fair” when it comes to redistricting? The Wisconsin Supreme Court. Wisconsin has long been a battleground for gerrymandering, with conservative lawmakers manipulating district maps to entrench their power. A progressive Supreme Court could end this undemocratic practice, uproot their rigged maps, and ensure fair representation for all Wisconsinites, not just a privileged few. If we want a government that truly represents the people, this race is crucial.
4. Union Rights: Protecting the Workers Who Built Wisconsin
   • Recent legal challenges to public-sector union protections, like those weakened by Act 10, make it clear that worker rights are on the line. A conservative court would likely further erode collective bargaining rights, leaving workers with fewer protections and less power. Electing a justice who stands with working people is essential to tilt the balance of power back to the people and back to the unions.

Meet Our Progressive Champion: Susan Crawford

Wisconsin has a choice, and fortunately, we have a progressive hero ready to fight for justice. Susan Crawford has spent her career ensuring that the law works for everyone—not just the powerful. She understands that justice is about fairness and equity and addresses the systemic issues that lead to crime and inequality.

Susan Crawford Isn’t Afraid To Get “Political”

Crawford has always believed that judges should engage with the public and not be afraid to get political. In a 2018 interview, she stated:

“I think it’s important for judges to have a voice and use their voices. Too many times judges feel that it’s inappropriate for them to speak out on issues that our community faces because they feel that it is too political. My view is that judges need to share information with the public and with policymakers about what they’re seeing in their courtrooms and the problems in the justice system.”

She believes in transparency and engagement, making her a justice for the people, not just those inside the courtroom.

Susan Crawford Supports Cash Bail Reform: Justice Shouldn’t Depend on Wealth

Crawford is a strong advocate for ending cash bail practices that keep low-income people in jail simply because they cannot afford to pay. As she wrote in 2018:

“I support bail reforms to make sure low-income people aren’t held in jail solely because they can’t make cash bail.”

She stands for a fairer justice system that doesn’t criminalize poverty and ensures that economic status is never a barrier to justice.

Susan Crawford Supports Rehabilitation, NOT Just Incarceration

Crawford understands incarceration should be a last resort, not a default punishment. She has stated:

“Judges must fully consider alternatives to incarceration at sentencing and order incarceration only when necessary to protect the public.”

She supports diversion programs like Drug Court and Veterans Court that allow individuals to take accountability while avoiding the lifelong consequences of a criminal record. This approach leads to safer communities and gives people the chance to rebuild their lives.

Susan Crawford Has Fought for Workers’ Rights

When Act 10 came under fire, Susan Crawford took a bold stance defending the rights of public sector workers to unionize.

“Hoping to stall a vote on Act 10, 14 Democratic state senators left Wisconsin for three weeks. This infuriated Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, who issued a memo announcing that arrest warrants would be issued for the missing senators. Pines and colleague Susan Crawford immediately sent a press release to every media outlet in the state saying the Senate had no authority to have the Democrats arrested.”

She didn’t just speak out on behalf of workers’ rights to organize, she represented the Madison Teachers Union in court as one of their attorneys. We can count on her to defend our collective bargaining rights.

Susan Crawford Has Fought for Reproductive Rights

Crawford doesn’t just pay lip service to reproductive rights — she’s actually represented Planned Parenthood multiple times in the courtroom and doesn’t back down when she’s under attack for her support of abortion rights.

Help Us Spread the Word about Susan Crawford’s Bold Progressive Vision

This election is about the future of Wisconsin. Do we want a Supreme Court that upholds fairness, equity, and democracy? Or do we want a court that rolls back reproductive rights, enables voter suppression, and weakens worker protections?

That all depends on whether we can get Judge Susan Crawford’s bold vision in front of more people in Wisconsin—and we’re counting on progressives like you to help. She has the record, and she has the courage. Let’s show the world: Wisconsin wants a Supreme Court Justice who will continue her work.