People’s Action Members Play a Key Role in Victory

WASHINGTON, D.C. — People’s Action and its members celebrate the election of Judge Janet Protasiewicz to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, a victory for  democracy in Wisconsin and the nation. Grassroots organizing powered Judge Protasiewicz’s victory. 

“Wisconsin voters demanded democracy loud and clear and will accept nothing less,” People’s Action Movement Politics Director Marta Popadiak said. “We were proud to support Protasiewicz as she overcame unprecedented anti-choice money spent to defeat her.” 

Judge Protasiewicz overcame record-setting spending by out-of-state dark money groups supporting her opponent, former state Supreme Court Justice Dan Kelly. The Wisconsin Supreme Court, which will now be led by a majority of progressive women justices, will play a decisive role in strengthening abortion rights in Wisconsin and certifying the results of election outcomes in 2024.

“Janet Protasiewicz won the most pivotal State Supreme Court election in Wisconsin history!” said Robert Kraig, the executive director of Citizen Action of Wisconsin (CAWI). “But the real winner is democracy in Wisconsin.”

Citizen Action of Wisconsin, part of the People’s Action national network of member-led grassroots groups, was quick to identify the importance of this state Supreme Court race to the defense of democracy in the state and nation. In January, CAWI endorsed Protasiewicz after a deliberative process with their members across the state. CAWI members knocked on thousands of doors and made tens of thousands of phone calls to support Protasiewicz , holding in-depth conversations about the importance of this election in defending democracy and fundamental civil rights.

“We are proud to support and have helped elect Protasiewicz to the Wisconsin Supreme Court and look forward to her leadership,” Popadiak added. 

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People’s Action builds the power of poor and working people in urban, rural, and suburban areas to win change through issue fights and elections. We are a national network of 40 state and local grassroots power-building organizations in 29 states—united in the work of building a bigger “we.”

Contact: Nazz Aboutabl, [email protected], 202.316.9658