Longtime Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Abrahamson dies
FILE- In this Nov. 11, 2013 file photo, Wisconsin Supreme Court chief justice Shirley Abrahamson questions state attorney general J.B. Van Hollen, at the state Capitol in Madison, Wis. Abrahamson, the longest-serving Wisconsin Supreme Court justice in state history and the first woman to serve on the high court, has died. King /Wisconsin State Journal via AP, Pool, File)MADISON, Wis. – Shirley Abrahamson, the longest-serving Wisconsin Supreme Court justice in state history and the first woman to serve on the high court, has died. Abrahamson, who also served as chief justice for a record 19 years, died Saturday after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, her son Dan Abrahamson told The Associated Press on Sunday. The voter-approved amendment enabled members of the court to choose the chief justice — who oversees the state court system — instead of requiring the title go to the most senior justice. Justice Patience Roggensack has served as chief justice since then.
Wisconsin Democrats think they've learned mistakes of 2016
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci File)MADISON, Wis. Wisconsin Democrats, stung by President Donald Trump's narrow win four years ago, are confident the lessons they learned will ensure he doesn't do it again. Republicans and Democrats in Wisconsin expect another close race, just like three of the past five presidential elections that were decided by less than a point in the swing state. Democrat Joe Biden has led Trump by 4 to 6 points in the past four Marquette University Law School polls of likely Wisconsin voters between May and September. Democrats say she was overly confident, given Barack Obama's two big wins in Wisconsin. Both Biden and Trump are fighting hard for white suburban Milwaukee voters, who have become less reliably Republican in recent years.