Just one week before the April 3 election, Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch, R-West Salem, informally endorsed Annette Ziegler for the state Supreme Court Tuesday.

The public support places Huebsch in line with an assortment of state political figures to endorse the Washington County Circuit Court judge in the nonpartisan race.

"Really, there's one question for me when it comes down to judges, and that's how you're going to rule from the bench," Huebsch said at a news conference. "Are you going to make up the law, or sit back and interpret them?"

He said Ziegler has a record on the bench that shows she would interpret and follow the law while her opponent, Madison attorney Linda Clifford, would advocate from the bench.

"The biggest issue for me is that Clifford has absolutely no experience on the bench," Huebsch added. "That could end up being a huge problem."

However, not every justice held a judgeship before serving the Supreme Court. Current Justice David Prosser Jr. was elected to a 10-year court term in 2001 without bench experience.

Huebsch acknowledged Prosser, but said it was unlikely Clifford would do as good of a job.

Clifford has also received her share of endorsements from legislative leaders from the Capitol. Senate President Fred Risser, D-Madison, and Senate Majority Leader Judy Robson, D-Beloit, have both publicly supported the candidate.

According to Mike McCabe, executive director of the government watchdog group the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, the endorsements are further proof that the nonpartisan race is really a "flimsy fa?