College Democrats doorknock for Wisconsin Supreme Court Election

CSB+SJU’s College Democrats visited the University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire (UWEC) campus to promote civic engagement and raise awareness for the Wisconsin Supreme Court election, which occurred on Tuesday.

CSB sophomore and College Democrats president Cecilia McNair and SJU junior Cormac O’Connor from CSB+SJU College Democrats traveled to Wisconsin on Saturday to support the neighboring state. College Democrats partnered with Wisconsin College Democrats and Young People’s Collective to go doorknocking in Eau Claire.

“Doorknocking is a great way for us to stay involved in the election cycle,” McNair said. CSB+SJU’s College Democrats has formed a connection with Wisconsin’s College Democrats and expects similar support when Minnesota Supreme Court elections occur.

Students doorknocked in Wisconsin to promote voting in the recent Supreme Court Election. In addition to having partnerships with Democratic organizations in other communities, College Democrats have provided a place for students within the CSB+SJU community.

“There is a lot of frightening stuff that comes out that makes a lot of people upset or nervous. This is one of the most actionable ways that people can fight back,” McNair said.

McNair said CSB+SJU’s College Democrats provides a place where students’ voices can be heard and works to unify these voices into action.

“I encourage everyone in the group to focus on what we can control and the steps we can take to do it because that is how I sleep at night… You can’t control everything going on in this country, but you can go over to Wisconsin and help by door-knocking there,” McNair said.

The candidates for this special election are Susan Crawford (Democrat) and Brad Schimel (Republican), and the candidate who is elected will determine the majority party in the Supreme Court. Elon Musk has recently voiced support for Schimmel, drawing nationwide attention to this election. There are also contentious policies in front of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, such as the 1849 abortion ban and the gerrymandered map, which add to the stakes behind the special election.

“This election is important to everyone because it shows if our elections can be bought or not. This is a country of democracy, and everyone should care about whether their vote counts or not,” McNair said. “It should not be up to someone who pours millions of dollars into the election.”

Although doorknocking may seem like a small way to approach politics, McNair said it has been a great steppingstone for CSB+SJU College Democrats. She said they were able to interact with voters and push for a change through collaboration with others.

“Whatever happens in Wisconsin can be reflected in our state, so many Minnesota senators and congresspeople have been coming over to show their support,” McNair said.

CSB+SJU College Democrats, UWEC College Democrats and Young People’s Collective were joined by Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler, Wisconsin House Representative Jodi Emerson and Wisconsin State Senator Jeff Smith during their door-knocking on Saturday.

With greater than 95% of votes counted for Tuesday’s election, Judge Susan Crawford defeated Brad Schimel. Crawford garnered 1,301,128 votes (55.0%) and Schimel brought in 1,063,244 votes (45.0%). More than 2.3 million votes have been reported.