Madison attorney Tim Burns has announced his candidacy for Wisconsin Supreme Court. Burns, of the firm Perkins Coie, is seeking the seat held by conservative Justice Michael Gableman in the spring 2018 election.
“I’m running for Supreme Court because I believe in our democracy. I believe our country works best when everyone has a voice in governing, not just special interests and wealthy donors,” Burns said in a statement. “I believe in democracy because it affirms the dignity and value of each person, no matter how wealthy or how poor, no matter their education, no matter their race, no matter their creed. I also believe that the strength of our economy is inextricably tied to the strength of our democracy. When our democracy is strong, our economy is strong.”
Burns’ announcement comes a month after conservative Justice Annette Ziegler was re-elected to a 10-year term without opposition.
“When I was young our courts were the great equalizer. They made sure that everybody got a fair shot,” Burns said. “Now our courts have become the tools of special interests and their efforts to obtain opportunities for themselves. Those special interests are now getting a free ride, and they are weakening our democracy to make sure their free ride continues. That has to stop.”
A graduate of University of Missouri-Columbia Law School, Burns is licensed in Wisconsin, Illinois and Missouri. Burn’s national practice focuses on making insurance companies live up to their obligations to their policyholders. Burns also serves on the national board of the American Constitution Society and he chairs the Fair and Impartial Courts Committee of the Civil Rights and Social Justice Section of the American Bar Association.
