For the second straight Wisconsin Supreme Court election, judicial recusal reform is one of the dominating discussion points for candidates. According to the Wisconsin State Journal, Judge Brian Hagedorn told a panel at the Milwaukee Press Club earlier this month he would recuse himself from cases depending on his direct role to the issue at hand. Judge Lisa Neubauer says she would like public hearings on judicial recusal and would not be a part of hearings involving the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, which has pledged hundreds of thousands of dollars to support her in the race for Wisconsin Supreme Court. Jay Heck from Common Cause Wisconsin says it is the money that is making judicial recusal a bigger topic with every passing election.

According to the Brennan Center at New York University, over $2.5 million was spent on television ads alone in the race between Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Dallet and Judge Michael Screnock last year.