In the only statewide race in the Wisconsin 2019 spring elections, Court of Appeals Judge Brian Hagedorn beat Court of Appeals Chief Judge Lisa Neubauer for an open seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. However, Hagedorn won by close to 6,000 votes, leaving open the possibility of a recount. Judge Neubauer has not officially conceded and has stated the race is still too close to call.

Assuming no recount, conservative Hagedorn will replace liberal Justice Shirley Abrahamson, who has been on the court since 1976. Hagedorn’s win puts the court at a 5-2 conservative-liberal balance. The next Supreme Court race will be in 2020 for conservative Justice Daniel Kelly’s seat.

Also on the ballot in the April election was the Democratic primary in the special election to replace former Assembly District 64 Rep. Peter Barca, who Gov. Tony Evers recently appointed as Department of Revenue secretary. Tip McGuire beat Gina Walkington and Spencer Zimmerman with 55 percent of the vote to become the Democratic candidate in the general election, which will take place on April 30.