Kenosha, Fond du Lac, Green county judicial candidates on the spring primary ballot

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Voters in Kenosha, Fond du Lac and Green counties have contested judicial races on their Feb. 16 spring primary ballots.

Judges in all three counties filed notifications of non-candidacy in the races, opening the door for a new group of candidates to make their appeals to voters.

The candidates who receive the most votes will advance to the spring election scheduled for April 6.

Read a short summary of each candidate and his or her judicial philosophy:

Kenosha County Circuit Court – Branch 6
(Judge Mary K. Wagner filed notification of non-candidacy.)

Angela D. Cunningham

• Defense attorney and guardian ad litem at ADC Law Office in Kenosha.
• Previously served as a public-interest attorney, prosecutor and representative for victims of domestic violence at Legal Action of Wisconsin.
• Cunningham said she will bring her experience working with victims, compassion, toughness and fairness to the bench. As a single mom, she said knows what it’s like to struggle financially and manage many responsibilities — an experience she said will make her a compassionate judge.
• Campaign website

Angelina Gabriele

• Deputy district attorney for Kenosha County since 2017.
• Previously worked for the Wisconsin Department of Justice as an assistant attorney general and spent 25 years as a prosecutor for the Kenosha County District Attorney’s Office.
• Gabriele said she’s dedicated her career to protecting the most vulnerable in the community, namely children and the elderly, from abuse and neglect. She supports rehabilitation-focused alternatives to incarceration, including treatment courts and diversion programs.
• Campaign website

Elizabeth Pfeuffer

• Has been the Kenosha County Family Court Commissioner since 2016.
• Previously worked as a professor and legal studies director at Concordia University, an adjunct law professor at Marquette University Law School, senior deputy district attorney for the city and county of Denver, and a civil and criminal attorney at her own practice in Kenosha.
• Pfeuffer said as a court commissioner, she strives to ensure community members have equal and fair access to justice in the court system. She said her experience practicing and teaching law allow her to issue “well-reasoned decisions” in a variety of cases.
• Campaign website

Fond du Lac County Circuit Court – Branch 3
(Judge Richard J. Nuss filed notification of non-candidacy.)

Catherine A. Block

• Assistant district attorney in Fond du Lac County.
• Previously worked in private practice handling cases in the areas of criminal defense, family law/guardian ad litem, guardianships and juvenile law.
• Block said if elected, she will help improve upon the fairness of the judicial system and its ability to adapt to the changing community and citizenship. She believes all parties, whether represented by an attorney or not, deserve fair and impartial treatment.
• Campaign Facebook page

Andrew J. Christenson

• Currently serves as Green Lake County’s district attorney and has held the position since 2014
• Previously served as a Fond du Lac County assistant district attorney.
• Christenson said he has a straightforward judicial philosophy, in which judges “call balls and strikes,” apply the law and do not legislate from the bench.
• Campaign website

Laura Lavey

• Partner with the law firm of O’Neil, Cannon, Hollman, DeJong & Laing who practices commercial litigation.
• Her practice focuses on the prosecution and defense of a wide range of civil litigation matters. She has handled all stages of litigation and dispute resolution from early risk management through trial and appeals.
• Lavey said it is crucial that a judge have respect for the rule of law, respect for the process, respect for the office, and respect for those who appear in court.
• Campaign website

Dawn M. Sabel

• Practices estate planning, family law, criminal law, business law, real estate and bankruptcy at AA Sabel Law Office in Fond du Lac.
• Started the firm in 1988.
• Sabel said she’ll be an honest and respectful judge who will uphold federal and state constitutions and provide due process and equal justice for all who come into her court.
• LinkedIn profile with campaign information

Green County Circuit Court
(Judge Jim Beer filed notification of non-candidacy.)

Daniel R. Bartholf

• Partner at the law firm of Voegeli, Ewald & Bartholf Law Offices in Monroe. Bartholf started as an associate in 1999 and became shareholder in 2005.
• Bartholf is a general practice attorney with experience in the following areas of law: family law, juvenile law, Guardian ad Litem, municipal law, real estate, estate planning, probate, prosecution of traffic and ordinance violations, business law, guardianship, termination of parental rights, adoptions, collections, small claims, evictions and general civil practice.
• Barholf said his range of practice areas will make him a well-rounded judge. He said he’ll be an empathetic, professional judge who makes decisions based on facts and the law.
• Campaign Facebook page

Jane Bucher

• Has served as an assistant state public defender in Green County since 2011.
• Represents children, juveniles and adults in criminal and civil cases, including termination of parental rights, mental health commitments and protective placement.
• Bucher said she has extensive legal experience with the type of cases that a Green County judge decides. If elected, she said she will work hard, respect all who come before her, and give everyone a fair shake.
• Campaign website

Peter B. Kelly

• Has served as Green County Circuit Court Commissioner since 2010.
• Practiced law primarily in Rock, Green and Lafayette County circuit courts since 1984.
• Kelly said the goal of the judiciary should be justice for all. He said judges should not make laws, and judicial activism in the trial court is contrary to liberty.
• Campaign website

Faun Marie Phillipson

• Founded Phillipson & Uretsky in 2004 with offices in New York, New Jersey and New Glarus.
• Practices corporate and transactional matters, regulatory matters and alternative dispute resolution. Locally, she also prepares wills and deed transfers, handles landlord-tenant disputes, and represents clients in employment matters.
• Phillipson said she’s knowledgeable about the law, has experience in a variety of courts and is dedicated to Green County.
• Campaign website