OPINION & EDITORIAL
Brunner for Supreme Court
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by Badger Herald Editorial Board
Tuesday, April 1, 2003
The race for state Supreme Court turned into one pitting truth against silence, so when voting for the top rung of the state’s judicial system, the choice is elementary.
Although Pat Roggensack’s face is plastered on billboards all over the state, one would be hard-pressed to find a Wisconsin resident who knows what she stands for, and political apathy has nothing to do with it: she isn’t telling.
While an issue-free campaign may be ideal for elections of non-partisan positions, the U.S. Supreme Court has held that ability to voice opinions on political issues is relevant to a court official’s campaign and has upheld their right to do so. Ed Brunner is taking the Court’s advice and our endorsement.
It’s not just his campaign strategy that makes the 54-year-old circuit court judge the best choice, it’s his 15 years of judicial experience, a tenure he has used to improve access to the courts for the Somali, Latino and Native American residents of Barron County. There, Brunner has built a national reputation for advocating restorative justice programs, such as juvenile rehabilitation, which 10 other court systems have enlisted his help improving.
Even outside Wisconsin, Brunner’s county program to help abused and neglected children is being used as a model. Brunner cares about litigants without lawyers and knows how to keep the public in touch with the judicial system.
He is a well-educated judge who subscribes to the idea that non-partisan judicial campaigns should be publicly funded — not that he hasn’t been campaigning, advertising and speaking about issues, but at least he is being honest. Roggensack’s arsenal of big-name endorsements and deep pockets show she’s not avoiding campaigning, just the issues. Brunner’s support comes from other small-town judges and state officials — two-thirds of Wisconsin’s judges back him. We do too.
