Waukesha County Circuit Judge Brad Schimel, the former attorney general of Wisconsin, has been endorsed by 21 sheriffs in the state Supreme Court race.
Schimel, who is running on a platform of restoring integrity and respect for the rule of law to the off-the-rails partisan court, has also been endorsed by members of the Milwaukee Police Association and the Milwaukee Professional Firefighters’ Association, a May 9 news release from the Schimel campaign says.
“Now more than ever, the values we hold dear are at stake,” said Oconto County Sheriff Todd Skarban. “I’m proud to support Judge Schimel to be the next Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. He will play a vital role in upholding rule of law and protecting our individual rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution. He will restore honor, integrity, and stability to our institutions. Judge Schimel is the Supreme Court Justice we desperately need.”
Racine County Sheriff Chris Schmaling said in a Schimel news release: “I’ve been privileged to work alongside Judge Schimel during his time as a prosecutor and as the Attorney General, and I can say that he is without a doubt who we need to be the next Justice on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. His dedication and passion for public safety are values that must be returned to state leadership if we want to uphold our free and fair society.”
“Judge Schimel has proven himself as a leader, as prosecutor, Attorney General, and judge,” said Winnebago County Sheriff John Matz. “He is the type of person that will hold people accountable. He will not rewrite our Constitution and laws, but look at what they say and not allow his personal opinions to sway his decisions. He is a prime example of what Wisconsin needs in a Supreme Court Justice. I have the utmost confidence in his ability to hold this office with absolute integrity.”
It’s an open seat. Incumbent liberal Ann Walsh Bradley is not running for re-election.
On May 9, the campaign announced the latest 10 of the 21 sheriffs endorsing Schimel. They are:
Forest County Sheriff Jeffery Marvin
Kewaunee County Sheriff Matthew Joski
Langlade County Sheriff Mark Westen
Marinette County Sheriff Randy Miller
Oconto County Sheriff Todd Skarban
Oneida County Sheriff Grady Hartman
Outagamie County Sheriff Clint Kriewaldt
Price County Sheriff Brian Schmidt
Shawano County Sheriff George Lenzner
Vilas County Sheriff Joseph Fath
Schimel previously announced endorsements from the following sheriffs:
Fond du Lac County Sheriff Ryan Waldschmidt
Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podoll
Kenosha County Sheriff David Zoerner
Manitowoc County Sheriff Daniel Hartwig
Ozaukee County Sheriff Christy Knowles
Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling
Sheboygan County Sheriff Cory Roeseler
Walworth County Sheriff David Gerber
Washington County Sheriff Martin Schulteis
Waukesha County Sheriff Eric Severson
Winnebago County Sheriff John Matz
“I’m dedicated to running a true 72-county campaign, and it’s an honor to have the endorsement of elected sheriffs from counties large and small, and far and near to my home,” said Judge Schimel. “Sheriffs are often the pillars of their communities, and are determined to uphold law and order across the state of Wisconsin. As a justice, I’ll fight for them as hard as they fight for us.”
According to his campaign, “Judge Brad Schimel is a career public servant. His legal career began in the Waukesha County District Attorney’s (DA) Office in 1989. After 17 years as an assistant DA, he was elected Waukesha County District Attorney. After eight years as DA, he was elected Wisconsin Attorney General in 2014. In 2019, Governor Scott Walker appointed Schimel to fill a vacancy on the Waukesha County Circuit Court. Schimel was elected to a full term on the bench in April 2019.”
