1978 Wisconsin Supreme Court election

none December 2025 December 2025 1978 Wisconsin Supreme Court election Wisconsin presidential no 1977 1979 April 4, 1978 John Coffey (judge) standing in front of the Oval Office Fireplace on March 11, 1982.jpg John Louis Coffey c0c0c0 358,445 55.83% James Rice (1978 Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate).jpg James Rice c0c0c0 283,589 44.17% File:1978 Wisconsin Supreme Court election results map by county.svg Coffey: #FF9A50 50–60% #EE8E50 60–70% #D69850 70–80%Rice: #51C2C2 50–60% #2AACAC 60–70% #009696 70–80% Justice Leo B. Hanley John Louis Coffey 1968 Wisconsin Supreme Court election 1968 1984 Wisconsin Supreme Court election 1984 250px The 1978 Wisconsin Supreme Court election was held April 4, 1978. With incumbent justice Leo B. Hanley retiring, the election was an open-seat race. John Louis Coffey (an ideological conservative, like Hanley) defeated James Rice (an ideological liberal). Background Incumbent justice Leo B. Hanley did not seek reelection in 1978, thus the election was an open-seat race. The 1977 and 1978 elections was the second instance in the court's history in which multiple consecutive elections were for open seats (without an incumbent running). Preceding instance was the 1961 and 1963 elections 2026, this has only occurred in four further instances.The four subsequent instances of this have been:Ostermeier Dr Eric Wisconsin Supreme Court 2025 Election by the Numbers https://smartpolitics.lib.umn.edu/2025/01/12/wisconsin-supreme-court-2025-election-by-the-numbers/ Smart Politics (University of Minnesota) 5 July 2025 13 January 2025 1980 and 1983 1995 and 1996 2018 and 2019 2023, 2025, and 2026 Ahead of the election, the court had 3 conservatives, 3 liberals, and 1 swing vote. Outgoing justice Hanley was a conservative.Pommer Matt Coffey Tops Landry for Supreme Court https://www.newspapers.com/image/519291984 Newspapers.com subscription The Capital Times April 16, 2026 2 April 6, 1977 There was no primary held, because only two candidates ran. Had a third candidate qualified for the ballot, a primary would have been held. It is rare for contested Wisconsin Supreme Court races to be held without the need for a primary, with the next such instance not occurring until 2019. Candidates John Louis Coffey, Milwaukee County judgeBorsuk Alan J. Seventh Circuit Honors the Late Judge John L. Coffey at Eckstein Hall https://law.marquette.edu/facultyblog/2013/05/seventh-circuit-honors-the-late-judge-john-l-coffey-at-eckstein-hall Marquette University Law School 5 July 2025 May 2, 2013 James W. Rice, Monroe County judgeWilliams Brad Rice, or Coffey? Wisconsin voters were offered the choice in the 70’s https://www.wizmnews.com/2020/10/19/rice-or-coffey-wisconsin-voters-were-offered-the-choice-in-the-70s/ WIZM 5 July 2025 19 October 2020 Campaign Coffey was regarded to be a conservative candidate, while Rice was a liberal candidate. Both were first-time contenders for the state supreme court, though Coffey had considered running in 1976.Coffey's Victory Is Sizable; Statewide Referendum Rejected https://www.newspapers.com/image/1284768723 Newspapers.com subscription The Evening Telegram UPI 18 August 2026 Superior, Wisconsin 1 When launching his candidacy in October 1977, Rice stated that he would center his campaign upon a pledge to champion judicial efficiency. This included a promise to resolve issues that contributing to delays in the state's courts. Rice was the chairman of a study committee that was drafting helping the legislature draft legislation to reform the judiciary, and championed such reforms as a master calendar system for caseloads. Coffey argued against this, characterizing a master calendar system attempted in Milwaukee County's courts as having been a failure. Rice also argued for reforms to juvenile punishment, including community facilities for juvenile delinquents, a new juvenile criminal code, and more judicial discretion to allow judges to assign work programs in lieu of imprisonment during sentencing. Coffey strongly differed from this too, arguing that juvenile delinquents were being treated too softly and that the lack of harder punishment for juvenile offenders was a major cause of juvenile crime. Results Coffey's victory meant that the ideological balance of the court was unchanged. Coffey had led in most cities, while Rice performed better in rural areas.Coffey Wins State High Court Seat By Wide Margin https://www.newspapers.com/image/246891892 Newspapers.com subscription The Oshkosh Northwestern August 18, 2026 2 April 5, 1978 1978 Wisconsin Supreme Court election http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBk1979 The state of Wisconsin 1979-1980 Blue Book 1979 State of Wisconsin Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau Madison, Wisconsin Theobald H. Rupert Robbins Patricia V. https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AKCFKES24WHTNW8F/pages/AN763PGG2NAWBZ9D Elections 884 December 20, 2020 | colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| General election (April 4, 1978) Nonpartisan politician John L. Coffey 358445 55.83 Nonpartisan politician James W. Rice 283589 44.17 74856 11.66 642034 100 Notes References Category:Wisconsin Supreme Court elections Supreme Court Wisconsin