Below are essays submitted by Wisconsin DPI candidates and State Supreme Court candidates, to explain their candidacy to the Wisconsin business community.  

STATE SUPERINTENDENT CANDIDATES 

Tony Evers, DPI Candidate, 2009 

On April 7, Wisconsin voters will elect a new State Superintendent of Public Instruction, responsible for administering Wisconsin’s world-class public education system. As Superintendent, I will work closely with business leaders to ensure we are readying tomorrow’s workforce.

Wisconsin’s public schools and libraries are the cornerstones of democracy and the engines of our economy. Wisconsin has the best schools in the nation – my wife Kathy, my three children, and I are the products of our public schools. (READ MORE) 

Rose Fernandez, DPI Candidate, 2009 

This is an exciting opportunity to change business as usual in Madison. I’m not part of the status quo; I intend to listen to, and be the public voice for, all in Wisconsin who support fiscally-sound policies that encourage and promote educational excellence.

When addressing DPI, think ROI.

Merely pouring more money at a problem doesn’t solve it. That’s true in business, government and public schools. The decisions we face center around not just investment in education. It’s about the return on that investment. We must expect better outcomes for what we are already spending. (READ MORE)

STATE SUPREME COURT CANDIDATES 

Shirley S. Abrahamson 
State Supreme Court Candidate, 2009

The best thing for business is a fair, impartial, independent judiciary. This is the position taken by leading businesses in a case pending before the United States Supreme Court. The friend of the court brief of Intel, Pepsico, Wal-Mart, Lockheed Martin, and other corporations urge: 'Public confidence in judicial integrity and in the evenhandedness of the judicial system is a critical element of America’s stable, prosperous business climate.'

The concept of a fair, impartial, independent judiciary has guided judges and our country and state during our entire history. This concept is a fundamental aspect of the rule of law, our democratic system and peaceful resolution of disputes. The idea of a fair, impartial, independent, and non-partisan judiciary is at stake in the current election for justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. The idea is the hallmark of my campaign; it has been the hallmark of my three previous successful campaigns for the Court. (READ MORE)


 Randy R. Koschnick 
State Supreme Court Candidate, 2009

The Honorable Randy R. Koschnick has distinguished himself as a leader in Wisconsin’s legal community serving as Presiding Judge of the Jefferson County Circuit Court and Deputy Chief Judge of Wisconsin’s Third Judicial District. He is an award-winning jurist with nearly 25 years of legal experience covering a broad spectrum of the law including the Circuit Court, the State Public Defenders’ Office, a county prosecutor’s office, and as Board Member of the State Bar of Wisconsin Criminal Law Section.

Judge Koschnick was elected to the Jefferson County Circuit Court in 1999 and re-elected to the bench in 2005. He is a recipient of the Wisconsin Law Journal’s 2008 Leaders in the Law Award for implementing “…a number of significant changes, designed to save the taxpayers of Jefferson County money and enhance the public safety, while improving the speed at which cases are processed in the county.” Under his leadership, the Jefferson County Circuit Court rose from 18th to 2nd statewide for overall median case age at disposition within the first twelve months of his new case assignment plan. (READ MORE)

2008 Candidates for Office