Wisconsin Supreme Court candidates to debate live on March 12
The two candidates for state Supreme Court will participate in a live debate in March on WISN (Channel 12), the station announced Thursday.
Liberal Dane County Judge Susan Crawford and conservative Waukesha County Judge Brad Schimel are running in the April 1 election for an open seat on the seven-member court. The outcome will determine the ideological balance of the court that currently favors liberal judges 4-3. Schimel and Crawford are running to succeed liberal Justice Ann Walsh Bradley, the court's current longest-serving justice who is retiring.
More: Susan Crawford and Brad Schimel bring opposing views on abortion to the Wisconsin Supreme Court race
The hour-long debate will be televised statewide starting at 7 p.m. on March 12, according to WISN. It will also be available to view on WISN.com and on Very Local, the station's free streaming app. It will also be available in television markets across the state on UPFRONT partner stations in Green Bay, Madison, Wausau, Eau Claire and La Crosse.
It will be moderated by Matt Smith and Gerron Jordan, co-hosts of the station's public affairs show "UPFRONT."
An invite-only audience will be present for the debate at the Lubar Center at Marquette University Law School's Eckstein Hall.
More: Just how partisan are the candidates for the Wisconsin Supreme Court? Here are the details.
The campaigns welcomed the debate.
"Voters deserve an opportunity to hear from both candidates, and on stage, they will hear directly from Judge Crawford about her experience protecting our communities, her commitment to common sense and impartiality, and her dedication to protecting the rights and freedoms of all Wisconsinites," Crawford spokesman Derrick Honeyman said in a statement.
In a statement, the Schimel campaign said the debate would offer voters a chance to contrast the candidates.
"There are clear differences between the two candidates and voters deserve this opportunity to hear directly from each candidate," the campaign said. "We look forward to highlighting those differences during the WISN March 12th debate that will be broadcast across the state."
(This story has been updated to add new information.)
Alison Dirr can be reached at adirr@jrn.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin Supreme Court candidates to debate live on March 12
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