Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge Pedro Colón today announced his candidacy for the Wisconsin Supreme Court, entering the race to replace Justice Annette Ziegler, who announced she will not be running for reelection.
In a press release, the campaign said Colón is launching his campaign with a promise to bring not just 30 years of legal experience, but also his unique life experience to the Supreme Court.
“I came to Milwaukee at 10 years old, not speaking a word of English. I know what it feels like to stand before a system that was not built for you,” Colón said in a statement. “For 15 years on the bench, I have made sure every person who walks into my courtroom gets the same thing: a listening ear and a fair shot. That is exactly what I will do on the Supreme Court.”
“Our state and our country are at a crossroads,” he said. “Some of Wisconsin’s most consequential cases will come before this court over the next decade and I know that I have the experience, judgment, and empathy needed to help decide them. Our state Constitution guarantees equal protection. It guarantees the right to a jury trial and a remedy in our courts when you have been wronged. It guarantees free and equal elections. I understand the law and I am ready to apply it fairly and equally to everyone who appears before the court.”
Colón is a graduate of Marquette University and the University of Wisconsin Law School. He was the first Latino ever elected to the Wisconsin Legislature, representing Milwaukee in the State Assembly from 1999 to 2010. He was appointed by Governor Jim Doyle to the Milwaukee County Circuit Court in 2010 and served for 13 years, winning election three times. In 2023, he was appointed to the Wisconsin Court of Appeals by Governor Tony Evers, becoming the first Latino to serve on our state’s appellate court. Colón and his wife Betty live on Milwaukee’s south side, where they raised their two daughters.
