Janet Protasiewicz: Biography, Husband, Early Life, Age, Wisconsin Supreme Court Election, & more

Janet Protasiewicz is an American attorney and jurist who has recently been elected as the Judge of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. With her win, the state has turned to a new political direction and it is considered a win of the liberals over the conservatives. In the election result announced on April 4, 2023, Protasiewicz was declared the winner, defeating former judge Daniel Kelly.

Judge Janet is not only an attorney but a veteran prosecutor who has also been a lifelong advocate for victims of crime. Born into a working-class family, she made her way up by working hard first as a waitress and then as a nonprofit administrator. She is known for her reputation of being fair and impartial and has also earned a lot of respect from the community for this. Her recent win in the Wisconsin Supreme Court election is a perfect example of this. Since 2014, Janet Protasiewicz has served as a Wisconsin circuit court judge in Milwaukee County and before that she was appointed as Assistant District Attorney for more than 25 years where she prosecuted major crimes.

Janet Protasiewicz’s Personal Biography

Janet Protasiewicz was born on December 1962 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She was raised on the south side of Milwaukee by her mother and stepfather in a Catholic family. Any further detail about her parents is not known. In 1985, Janet earned her bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. She also holds a Juris Doctor from the Marquette University Law School in 1988.

In 1997, a 35-year-old Protasiewicz got married to Patrick Madden, a Wisconsin circuit judge who was in his 70s and already had three adult children. The marriage lasted just a few months and they got divorced in the same year. Since 2006, Janet has been married to tax attorney Greg Sell and the couple currently resides in the city of Franklin.

Professional Career of Janet Protasiewicz

After graduating from law school in 1988, Protasiewicz joined the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s office as an assistant district attorney. She remained with the office for 26 years and while still working in the office, she also became a member of the employees’ union. As a member of the union, Janet actively participated in various protests against the 2011 Wisconsin Act 10, which stripped many bargaining rights from Wisconsin unions.

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Protasiewicz made her first run for public office in 2013 when she ran for a Milwaukee County circuit judge position. She fought the election against the incumbent judge Rebecca Bradley but eventually lost the position to her. The next year when another Milwaukee County judge, Charles Kahn, announced his retirement, Protasiewicz again ran for the open seat and this time won without opposition. She was re-elected without opposition in 2020 and is still maintaining the position. In 2023, Janet is elected as the Wisconsin Supreme Court Judge.

Wisconsin Supreme Court Election 2023

Janet Protasiewicz announced her candidacy for the Wisconsin Supreme Court 2023 election in the spring of 2022. Three other candidates entered the race for the candidacy but Protasiewicz came in first in the February nonpartisan primary and successfully secured a place in the April general election. In the general election, she faced the former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice, Daniel Kelly. Janet won the first majority on Wisconsin’s highest court in 15 years after the most expensive race in US history to elect a judge. She will be assuming office from August 1, 2023, succeeding Justice Patience D. Roggensack.

Protasiewicz’s campaign during the 2023 Wisconsin Supreme Court election focused predominately on abortion rights with her being in the support of the rights. Other than this, the campaign also focused on gerrymandering, LGBTQ rights, and environmental protections. Janet’s win in the election is termed as the win of the liberals and it is expected to play a pivotal role in votes on abortion rights and election matters in the Midwestern battleground state.

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