District 2 Court of Appeals candidate has endorsements who worked to decertify the 2020 election
As efforts persist without evidence that widespread voter fraud led to a stolen presidency, key players in the effort by Wisconsin Republicans to overturn the 2020 election are endorsing a local judge’s bid on the court of appeals.
Waukesha County Judge Maria Lazar is backed by multiple individuals calling for election fraud reviews as she faces incumbent Lori Kornblum for District 2 Court of Appeals.
Lazar’s campaign website lists endorsements from former Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman, former Trump attorney Jim Troupis and Wisconsin Elections Commissioner Bob Spindell, all of whom have been tied to calls to decertify the 2020 election.
Gableman is a part of a special council hired by state Republican lawmakers to investigate the presidential election that resulted in him urging lawmakers to dissolve the state’s election agency and consider decertifying the results.
Troupis, a Cross Plains attorney, was hired by former President Donald Trump to lead his recount effort in the state. During the recount efforts, Troupis was one of the first to learn of a scheme to put Republican electors in states Trump was trying to overturn election results, including Wisconsin.
Spindell was one of 10 Republicans who posed as electors in December 2020 and sent official-looking documents stating Trump had won the election to Congress, the National Archives and a federal judge.
Lazar declined an interview, but her campaign spokesman Matt Walker gave a statement to The Post-Crescent that the only election Lazar is focused on is on April 5.
“Any issues regarding prior elections cannot be discussed by any judicial candidate, under the Supreme Court rules and ethical guidelines, because those issues may come before a trial or appellate court,” he said in the statement.
Kornblum is seeking re-election on April 5 after she was appointed to the Court of Appeals by Gov. Tony Evers in November, while Lazar has been a Waukesha County Circuit Court judge since 2015.
District 2 serves Calumet, Winnebago, Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Kenosha, Manitowoc, Ozaukee, Racine, Sheboygan, Walworth, Washington and Waukesha counties.
The candidates were asked to complete a questionnaire to explain why they’re running for office, what makes them the better candidate and how they plan to address issues residents are concerned about. Their answers are below.
For information about registering to vote and polling locations, visit the MyVote Wisconsin website at myvote.wi.gov/en-us.
- Name: Lori Kornblum
- Address: 11305 N. Mulberry Drive, Mequon
- Age: 65
- Occupation: Judge, Wisconsin Court of Appeals
- Highest education: Juris Doctor from University of California- Berkeley School of Law
- Relevant experience: Incumbent Judge on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals; Prosecutor for 22 years focused on crimes against children; private practice attorney representing people with disabilities, foster parents and seniors; law professor at Marquette and Northeastern University Law Schools, Instructor, MATC Paralegal Department.
- Campaign website: www.electlorikornblum.com
Why are you running for office?
I serve all the people of Wisconsin — not special interests — every day as a judge on the Court of Appeals. I respect the rule of law and uphold the Constitution. I treat everyone with respect and give everyone a fair shake. I share the values of the people of Wisconsin.
What makes you the better candidate in this race?
I am the only candidate with experience as a judge on the Court of Appeals. I am the only candidate who was a prosecutor with a proven track record of protecting children and keeping communities safe. My opponent is supported by extreme interests trying to unconstitutionally overturn the 2020 election.
What are residents telling you are their most important issues, and how would you address them?
Residents tell me that fairness, honesty, supporting the laws and the Constitution, and being a strong supporter of law enforcement and protecting public safety are what matter most to them. That is the kind of judge I am. Residents also say they have grown weary of politicized courts. Too often they see the majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court approach cases with an outcome in mind. People want judges who come to cases with an open mind and who are fair, knowledgeable and who will never forget they are working for the people, not special interests. I am that judge.
- Name: Maria Lazar
- Address: 1625 Lookout Lane, Brookfield
- Age: 58
- Occupation: Circuit Court Judge
- Highest education: Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center
- Relevant experience: Juvenile Drug Treatment Court Judge; 20 years private practice (Business Litigation); 5 years Assistant Attorney General
- Campaign website: JudgeMariaLazar.com
Why are you running for office?
To use my extensive judicial and legal experience to protect the rule of law and defend our constitutional freedoms. To be a judge that doesn’t legislate from the bench but interprets the law as written. To serve my community by protecting our freedoms.
What makes you the better candidate in this race?
Experience. I have judicial experience (seven years on the bench), legal experience practicing in business and complex civil litigation, appellate (briefs and arguments in all levels of state and federal courts, argued in state Supreme Court, brief to the U.S. Supreme Court). I have been affirmed over 90% of my decisions.
What are residents telling you are their most important issues, and how would you address them?
Protecting the rule of law: I have a proven track record of decisions that uphold and respect the Constitution and statutes.
Judges shouldn’t legislate from the bench: I’ve spent seven years as a strict Constitutionalist who interprets the laws as they are written.
Safety and bail: As Presiding Judge in Criminal, I oversaw severe criminal matters, set appropriate bail to ensure public safety, and always considered the gravity of an offense and protection of the public in sentences.
Delays of justice: During the pandemic, I instituted changes to decrease the backlogs on the docket. They are still in place.
Contact Sophia Voight at svoight@postcrescent.com or 920-993-7102. Follow her on Twitter @sophia_voight.
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