What to know about Daniel Kelly, the conservative candidate facing Janet Protasiewicz in the 2023 Wisconsin Supreme Court election
Corrinne HessFormer Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly is facing Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Janet Protasiewicz in the April 4 general election to replace Justice Patience Roggensack.
Here’s what you need to know about Kelly:
How old is Daniel Kelly?
He is 58 years old.
What is attorney Daniel Kelly running for?
The Wisconsin Supreme Court, which is a 10-year term. The outcome of the April election could determine whether the conservative or liberal factions of the court hold a 4-3 majority. Conservatives have held majorities for more than a decade.
The leaning of the court could prove decisive in potential upcoming decisions on Wisconsin’s abortion laws, electoral maps that give Republicans outsized majorities in the Legislature and rulings on Wisconsin’s election laws leading into the 2024 presidential and U.S. Senate elections.
What is Daniel Kelly’s political party?
The Supreme Court race is nonpartisan, but Kelly describes himself as a constitutional conservative.
Where did Daniel Kelly go to law school?
Regent University School of Law in Virginia Beach, Virginia, from 1988-91.
What was Daniel Kelly’s career before this campaign for Supreme Court?
Kelly was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2016 by former Gov. Scott Walker. He served for four years before losing in 2020 to Jill Karofsky.
Kelly was with the large Milwaukee law firm Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren for 15 years but left it in 2013. He spent a year as the vice president and general counsel for the Kern Family Foundation, which was established by the founders of Generac Power Systems. In 2014, Kelly formed a small law firm in Waukesha with attorney Rod Rogahn.
Who is Daniel Kelly’s family?
Kelly, of North Prairie, is married to Elisa Kelly. The couple have five children.
