Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Kelly running for full term (UPDATE)

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Justice Dan Kelly on Tuesday began his campaign for a full term on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, calling Wisconsinites “the best bosses a guy could want.”

Then-Gov. Scott Walker appointed Kelly to the high court in 2016 when Justice David Prosser retired.

“My campaign will largely be a continuation of the conversation I started three years ago, but with one addition,” Kelly said. “I will be asking the people of Wisconsin to compare my work against what they have told me they want to see in a justice of their court.”

With his wife, Elisa, by his side he gave a short press conference Tuesday in the high court’s hearing room in the state Capitol. He was introduced by Justice Rebecca Bradley and Justice-elect Brian Hagedorn, who both said they were supporting Kelly’s campaign. Prosser was also at the press conference to support Kelly.

“I have seen Justice Kelly in every case that comes before us that we decide faithfully follow the rule of law and faithfully defend our constitution,” Bradley said.

The press conference in Madison came on the heels of Kelly’s going on the Jay Weber radio show on WISN-AM on Tuesday morning and declaring his intention to run.

Before his appointment to the bench, Kelly was a litigator and founding partner at Rogahn Kelly in Waukesha and a shareholder at Reinhart Boerner Van Dueren in Milwaukee. He earned his law degree from Regent University School of Law in Virginia Beach and has been licensed to practice in Wisconsin since 1991.

the Marquette University Law School professor Ed Fallone and Dane County Circuit Judge Jill Karofsky also recently announced that they are running for Kelly’s seat on the court.

The two candidates who get the most votes in the primary election on Feb. 18 will advance to the spring election on April 7.