MADISON, Wis. — Longtime Supreme Court Justice Ann Walsh Bradley will not seek a fourth 10-year term, she announced on Thursday morning. She will end her tenure on Wisconsin’s highest court at the end of July 2025, as confirmed by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Walsh Bradley, a 73-year-old liberal-leaning Justice, was first elected to the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 1995. She has signaled that she won’t step down before the end of her term, which would’ve allowed Democratic Gov. Tony Evers to maintain the Liberal majority the court reached when Justice Janet Protasiewicz entered her position in August of last year.
“I know I can do the job and do it well. I know I can win re-election, should I run. But, it’s just time to pass the torch, bring fresh perspectives to the court,” Walsh Bradley stated. “However, let me be clear: although I will then conclude my tenure on the court, my dedication to public service remains unwavering.”
In her statement, Walsh Bradley noted that only four justices will have served longer than her in the court’s 177-year history. She is a native of Richland Center, Wisconsin, and was a school teacher before pursuing an education in law by attending the University of Wisconsin Law School.
She began her second career as a circuit court judge in Marathon County and was the first woman elected, not appointed, to the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
Walsh Bradley, who is Chair of the Board of Trustees for the International Association of Women Judges, says she plans to “redouble my efforts” in educating communities across the U.S. and beyond on the values of democracy and the roles of the court in our judiciary system.
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