Voters in Wisconsin delivered decisive results in both a local Madison race and a statewide judicial contest Thursday, according to a Cap Times report.
In Madison’s District 8 alder race, Ellen Zhang defeated Bobby Gronert by nearly 80%, according to Dane County election data.
Gronert publicly acknowledged past conduct involving messages to women that he described as inappropriate and apologized in a statement during the campaign, according to The Daily Cardinal. Gronert told The Daily Cardinal the matter had previously been reviewed through an internal process that did not result in formal disciplinary action. For UW College Democrats member Cooper Markley, this development impacted his voting choice.
“I was aware of the recent reporting about Bobby Gronert, and it did have an impact on the way that I voted,” Markley said in an email. “I feel as though I would have supported Ellen as my final decision regardless; however, the new information surrounding Bobby further enhanced my confidence in that vote.”
Incumbent Judge Ben Jones received 55.7% for Dane County Circuit Judge Branch 1, narrowly defeating Huma Ahsan by less than 12%, according to election data.
In the statewide race for the Wisconsin Supreme Court, Judge Chris Taylor defeated Maria Lazar by more than 83%, according to election data. The results solidify a 5-2 liberal majority until at least 2030, according to NBC News. Wisconsin Supreme Court justices serve 10-year terms, according to the Wisconsin Court System.
Markley said his vote in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race was based on candidates’ stated positions.
“The primary factor that influenced my decision was the candidate’s stance on the protection of marginalized groups,” Markley said in an email. “Judge Chris Taylor made it very clear that her mission was to support victims and underrepresented communities in a progressive context.”
Markley said Lazar’s record also influenced his decision, including her stance on Act 10 and what he described as a lack of clarity on progressive issues.
Lazar campaign spokesperson Nathan Conrad said the campaign endured resource challenges while emphasizing its focus on judicial independence in an email.
“While the results were not in our favor, we are immensely proud of the campaign we ran,” Conrad said in an email. “We face a Sisyphus-like task competing against the nearly limitless resources in the opposition.”
Lazar’s campaign remains committed to a neutral and independent platform, according to Conrad in an email.
