Sara Geenen

Last updated
Sara Geenen
Judge-elect of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals for the 1st district
Assuming office
August 1, 2023
ProfessionLawyer
Website Campaign website

Sara J. Geenen (born 1981/1982) is an American lawyer from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She was elected to the Wisconsin Court of Appeals in the Milwaukee-based District I court in 2023, and will take office August 1, 2023.

Contents

Early life and education

Sara Geenen was born and raised in Kaukauna, Wisconsin, in Outagamie County. [2] She graduated from University of Wisconsin–Madison with her bachelor's degree and worked as a field organizer for the 2002 gubernatorial campaign of Jim Doyle. After the campaign, she attended the University of Wisconsin Law School, where she earned her J.D. in 2006. [3]

Career

After law school, Geenen moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she worked for 16 years as an attorney with The Previant Law Firm S.C., rising to become a partner in the firm. She has specialized in labor and employment law, and has represented primarily workers and labor unions in disputes on issues from wage discrimination and workplace harassment, to contract disputes and collective bargaining issues, to bankruptcy and receivership concerns. In addition to her work in litigation, she gives lectures around the state on labor and employment law. [3] [4] [5]

Geenen made her first run for public office in 2014, when she ran in the Democratic Party primary for Wisconsin State Assembly in the Wisconsin's 19th Assembly district. Geenen was the outsider in the race, as her opponents were each backed by a separate powerful faction in Milwaukee politics. Dan Adams was supported by the County Executive Chris Abele, Marina Dimitrijevic had her own power base as the president of the county board, and Jonathan Brostoff had the support of Milwaukee mayor Tom Barrett. [6] She came in a distant fourth place. [7]

In December 2022, Geenen announced that she would run for the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, challenging the incumbent chief judge of the Court of Appeals, William W. Brash III, for his seat on the District I court. Brash had been appointed by former governor Scott Walker in 2015, and was re-elected without opposition in 2017. [5] The Wisconsin Supreme Court selected him to become chief judge of the Court of Appeals in 2021. [8]

Geenen's campaign focused on her values and mirrored several of the messages of the Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate judge Janet Protasiewicz, who was running for election at the same time. Like Protasiewicz, she singled out the issue of 2011 Wisconsin Act 10 —the signature act of the Scott Walker administration—which provoked widespread backlash from unions and Democrats. Geenen also emphasized her bringing a "fresh perspective" to the court—Geenen was 41 at the time of the election, Brash was 71. [9] Brash was endorsed by a significant number of judges and lawyers and had the backing of several prominent conservative donors, while Geenen was endorsed by a large number of unions and local elected officials, and had support from the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. [10]

Geenen ultimately prevailed in the election with 66% of the vote. She will take office August 1, 2023. [11] [12]

Personal life and family

Geenen is a child of a union paper mill employee, and was involved in union activities from an early age. [10]

Geenen is married to attorney Jason Gehring, they live on Milwaukee's east side with their three sons. [2]

Electoral history

Wisconsin Assembly (2014)

Wisconsin Assembly, 14th District Election, 2014 [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Democratic Primary, August 12, 2014
Democratic Jonathan Brostoff 3,069 35.15%
Democratic Marina Dimitrijevic 2,81932.29%
Democratic Dan Adams2,02323.17%
Democratic Sara Geenen7979.13%
Scattering220.25%
Plurality2502.86%
Total votes8,730 100.0%

Wisconsin Court of Appeals (2023)

Wisconsin Court of Appeals District I Election, 2023 [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
General Election, April 4, 2023
Nonpartisan Sara Geenen 130,030 68.18%
Nonpartisan Bill Brash (incumbent)59,58731.25%
N/a Scattering1,0880.57%
Plurality70,44336.94%
Total votes190,705 100.0% -1.35%

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References

  1. ↑ "Candidate Forum in Bay View 19th District Assembly Seat". Bay View Neighborhood Association. August 4, 2014.
  2. 1 2 "About Sara". Sara Geenen for Court of Appeals. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  3. 1 2 "Sara J. Geenen". The Previant Law Firm S.C. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  4. ↑ Geenen, Sara (December 15, 2022). "Sara Geenen Announces Campaign for Court of Appeals District 1". Sara Geenen for Court of Appeals (Press release). Retrieved April 12, 2023– via Urban Milwaukee.
  5. 1 2 Dawson, Drew (March 31, 2023). "Here's what to know about the candidates running for Court of Appeals". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel . Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  6. ↑ Bergquist, Lee (August 13, 2014). "Allen, Brostoff, Wanggaard, Bowen win legislative primaries". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel . Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  7. 1 2 Canvass Results for 2014 Fall Partisan Primary - 8/12/2014 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. August 29, 2014. p. 22. Retrieved April 12, 2023– via Wisconsin Elections Commission.
  8. ↑ Conniff, Ruth (June 30, 2021). "Supreme Court summarily ends Court of Appeals chief judge's term". Wisconsin Examiner. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  9. ↑ Silver, Maayan (March 16, 2023). "Wisconsin Court of Appeals' District I candidates talk partisanship, judicial philosophy in forum". WUWM . Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  10. 1 2 Murphy, Bruce (March 28, 2023). "Geenen Challenges Walker-Appointed Judge". Urban Milwaukee. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  11. ↑ Dawson, Drew (April 5, 2023). "Sara Geenen elected to the Court of Appeals, defeating District 1 incumbent Bill Brash". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel . Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  12. ↑ Schuster, Steve (April 6, 2023). "Sara Geenen wins Court of Appeals District I race, unseats William Brash". Wisconsin Law Journal. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  13. ↑ 2023 Spring Election - Court of Appeals District 1 - County by County Report (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. April 18, 2023. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
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