The fall election season is only just over, but Wisconsinites will soon start hearing about the upcoming spring races.
The spring election in Wisconsin is on April 1, 2025. If a primary is needed, it will be on February 18.
In the spring elections, voters will choose the next Supreme Court justice, the state schools superintendent and other nonpartisan local and judicial positions.
Here’s what you need to know about Wisconsin’s spring elections:
What races are on the ballot in the spring of 2025 in Wisconsin?
The two statewide elections during the 2025 spring ballot are for a seat on the state Supreme Court and state superintendent of public instruction. Everyone in the state will vote on those races.
Other local and judicial offices may appear on your ballot, such as county supervisors, circuit court judges and school board members. Not all nonpartisan, local positions are up for re-election in 2025.
Once the election gets closer, you can see which local races and candidates are on your ballot by visiting myvote.wi.gov. If more than two candidates are running for office on your ballot, the February 18 primary will apply to you.
Who is running for the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2025?
There is an open race for a seat on the state Supreme Court after Judge Ann Walsh Bradley, a liberal justice, announced earlier this year that she would not seek another 10-year term.
Two candidates have launched campaigns: Dane County Circuit Judge Susan Crawford and former Republican Attorney General Brad Schimel.
Crawford was previously a partner at the law firm Pines Bach, where she worked on cases related to voting rights and represented Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin in a case seeking to expand access to abortion. She also served as a prosecutor and legal advisor to the state government.
Schimel is a Waukesha County Circuit Court judge and headed the Department of Justice from 2015 to 2019. He was previously a district attorney in Waukesha County.
It is possible that other names will also participate. Candidates have until January 7 to apply and file nomination papers.
More: Ann Walsh Bradley’s retirement sets the stage for another high-stakes race for the Wisconsin Supreme Court
Who is running for Wisconsin State Schools Superintendent in 2025?
Two candidates have also launched campaigns for the position of state superintendent, the state’s top education official and leader of the Department of Public Instruction.
Jill Underly, the incumbent president who has held the position since 2021, is running for a second term. She previously served as superintendent of the Pecatonica School District and has held positions as principal, teacher and academic advisor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Jeff Wright, the superintendent of the Sauk Prairie School District, is Underly’s only declared challenger. He was named 2024 Administrator of the Year by the Wisconsin Rural Schools Alliance and previously served as principal on Chicago’s South Side.
Other candidates could join the race.
More: Wisconsin Public Schools Superintendent Jill Underly, superintendent of the Department of Public Instruction, is raising her profile
Are Wisconsin’s spring elections nonpartisan?
The races for state Supreme Court and state schools superintendent are technically nonpartisan but attract heavy spending from partisan groups and donors. The Supreme Court election will be another high-profile race because it will determine whether the court has a liberal or conservative majority.
The 2023 Supreme Court race, which moved the court to a liberal majority with the election of Justice Janet Protasiewicz, shattered records for the most expensive judicial race in the country’s history. Protasiewicz was outspoken during the campaign about her support for abortion rights.
The state superintendent also has a nonpartisan position, but candidates typically draw support from teachers unions and Democrats, or voucher school advocates and Republicans.
Underly was endorsed by the Democratic Party of Wisconsin in her first race. Wright ran for the State Assembly as a Democrat in 2016 and 2018, but narrowly lost to Republican Rep. Todd Novak.
The Democratic Party of Wisconsin endorsed both Crawford and Underly in November.
More: After an intense election season, the political focus shifts to state races in Wisconsin
When is the next election for Wisconsin Governor?
Wisconsin will not vote for governor in 2025. The next race for governor will take place in 2026, during the party elections in the fall.
Democratic Governor Tony Evers has not yet announced whether he will run for a third term. If he decides not to run, possible Democratic candidates include Attorney General Josh Kaul, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson, Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski and Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez.
On the Republican side, potential contenders include U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann and businessman Bill Berrien.
This article originally appeared in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin elections 2025: What’s on the ballot in February, April?
