Janet Protasiewicz May Be Impeached by GOP After Wisconsin Election Win

• Wisconsin judge Janet Protasiewicz scored a major victory on Tuesday when she was elected to the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
• However, Republican senate candidate Dan Knodl had suggested last week that he would be open to impeaching Protasiewicz if he won his own race, which would give the GOP a two-thirds majority in the Wisconsin senate.
• On Wednesday morning, Knodl declared victory with 98 percent of the votes counted, giving the Republicans a two-thirds majority in the state senate.

Democrat-aligned Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Janet Protasiewicz scored a major victory on Tuesday as she secured election to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, but she could already be facing the prospect of impeachment.

Republican state senate candidate Dan Knodl suggested last week that he would be open to impeaching Protasiewicz if he were to win his own race. This would give the GOP a two-thirds majority in the Wisconsin senate. Knodl made those remarks before the elections took place.

Protasiewicz defeated Republican-backed Daniel Kelly, a former member of the state's supreme court. It was perhaps the most-watched election this year because of its possible effects on U.S. congressional districts and potential challenges to the 2024 presidential election.

The court will now have an effective 4-3 liberal majority. This could open the door to challenges to maps for the U.S. House of Representatives, which currently favor Republicans.

The GOP won a two-thirds majority in the state senate in the November elections but lost that majority soon afterward when state Senator Alberta Darling retired. This prompted Tuesday's election to fill her seat.

Knodl appeared on WISN-TV's political talk show UpFront last week and discussed Protasiewicz. He said that the "Milwaukee County justice system is failing" and added that local prosecutors and judges, including Protasiewicz, "need to be looked at."

"She has failed," Knodl said of Protasiewicz. When the Republican was asked if he would support impeaching her, he replied: "I certainly would consider it."

However, it was not clear if Knodl meant he would support impeaching Protasiewicz if she were elected to the state's supreme court, according to a report from The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

"It simply gives us some more authority in the areas of oversight and accountability of elected officials or appointed officials," the Republican said. "If there are some out there who are corrupt, who are failing at their tasks, we have an opportunity to hold them accountable."

Knodl appeared on track to win the seat in the state senate on early Wednesday morning and he had declared victory with 98 percent of the votes counted. His Democratic opponent, attorney Habush Sinykin, had not conceded defeat at the time of writing, and her campaign said the race was still too close to call.

However, Madalyn O'Neill, reporter with Wisconsin's Fox 6, reported on Twitter later on Wednesday morning: "With 100% of votes now in, it appears Knodl beat Habush Sinykin by about 1,300 votes."

A victory for Knodl would secure a two-thirds Republican majority in the state senate, and Wisconsin law allows such a majority to convict public officials in an impeachment trial.

A majority of members in the state assembly must vote to bring articles of impeachment against someone, a system very similar to the one used by the U.S. House and Senate, and Republicans also have a majority in that chamber.

Newsweek has emailed Janet Protasiewicz's and Dan Knodl's teams for comment.