Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Janet Protasiewicz has been working overtime to shed her "soft-on-crime" image.
The Wisconsin jurist is locked in a tight race for a seat on the state Supreme Court and has been forced to defend her sentencing record by conservatives who call her "No Jail Janet."
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"It's her Achilles' heel," Wisconsinite Christian McGregor told the Washington Examiner. "They make it seem like she lets murderers and rapists off scot-free."
Protasiewicz, a judicial liberal, has been trying to recast herself as a warrior for justice ahead of Tuesday's election. Her supporters know the next few days could be the most important of her career and could change the trajectory of state politics.
If Protasiewicz can edge out conservative competitor and former Justice Dan Kelly, she will have a direct hand in shaping Wisconsin policy for the next decade, weighing in on everything from abortion bans to lopsided legislative maps.
Conservatives have held a 4-3 majority for the past 10 years, and a win would give liberals a shot at transforming the battleground state.
Protasiewicz and her allies have painted Kelly as a threat to women's rights and an active supporter of former President Donald Trump's scheme to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. Those in Kelly's corner have portrayed Protasiewicz as a judge who puts lives in danger by being too lenient on violent criminals.
Protasiewicz's campaign recently demanded that an ad paid for by outside groups supporting Kelly be pulled off the air after the victim of a rape featured in it said she was pressured into doing it and that it contained false and misleading information. The ad, paid for by conservative groups Fair Courts America and Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, claimed Protasiewicz "let a rapist off easy" and did not include information about sentencing guidelines, recommendations made by prosecutors, or the fact that the victim herself had signed off on the sentence.
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Protasiewicz campaign spokesman Sam Roecker said in a statement that Kelly supporters have spent millions of dollars spreading malicious rumors about her.
“Dan Kelly and his right-wing allies have made up disgusting lies about Judge Janet Protasiewicz to scare voters and hide her record of protecting public safety and holding people accountable,” Roecker said. “While Dan Kelly has been silent about the disturbing actions of his supporters and the false information they’re spreading, broadcasters have a duty to pull these false and harassing ads from the air immediately.”
Ahead of February's four-way primary election, wherein she received the most votes, Protasiewicz told Spectrum News she knew such a high-stakes campaign would be "daunting" but that she "wanted to bring change and common sense back to our Supreme Court" even if it meant the media glare on her.
Protasiewicz, 60, was born on the south side of Milwaukee and raised by two teachers. She majored in education at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and received her bachelor's in 1985. Three years later, she earned her law degree from Marquette University Law School. Soon after, she landed a job at the Milwaukee County District Attorney's office, where she stayed for the next 26 years, working as an assistant district attorney and arguing cases before the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
In 2013, she ran for public office against Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Rebecca Bradley, who had been appointed to the post by then-Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI). Protasiewicz narrowly lost but didn't give up. The following year she ran unopposed for Milwaukee County Judge Charles Kahn's seat after he announced his retirement. She was reelected in 2020.
Protasiewicz has received multiple awards and has been recognized throughout the state. In 2018, she was presented with the Women in the Law Women of Influence Award, which honors women who have made an impact in the legal profession.
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As an outspoken advocate on several subjects, Protasiewicz has been accused of pushing the envelope in what is supposed to be a nonpartisan race. She's made her support for abortion and LGBT causes clear and called the state's legislative maps "rigged."
Despite her obvious liberal bent, Protasiewicz said if she is elected to the state Supreme Court, she will "follow the law and serve the people of the state of Wisconsin to the best of my ability."