Anthony LoCoco, a conservative attorney and Waukesha native, announced a campaign on April 30 for a seat in District II of Wisconsin’s Court of Appeals.

LoCoco has strong conservative bona fides and a long history of working with the judicial system. He is a member of the Federalist Society and a deputy counsel at the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, an organization self-proclaimed as dedicated to fighting for individual liberties against what they see as government intrusion. 

On X, he has posted in favor of the judiciary playing a role in reducing crime, which he says “[requires] action from public officials across government, including and perhaps especially our judiciary.” LoCoco has also worked at the Institute for Reforming Government – an institute which boasts a chairman in former Governor Scott Walker.

LoCoco described his run as an effort to “defend the constitution.” One of his examples of unconstitutional government overreach was UW-Madison’s institution of an “unfair and offensive race-based hiring track for faculty members,” which LoCoco successfully fought to eliminate. (RELATED: Milwaukee Police Slayer Had History of Violence)

LoCoco is running for the seat held by Lisa Neubauer, who – after losing a 2019 Supreme Court race to now-Justice Brian Hagedorn – convincingly won in 2020 with a 54% to 46% margin and did not have a serious challenger in her 2014 campaign. Neubauer, however, has not yet announced an intention to run again.

Neubauer’s seat is the only one in District II represented by a liberal; the other three are held by conservatives. A LoCoco victory would give the right total control, which could induce donors to open their pocketbooks.

Control for Wisconsin’s judiciary at all levels has drawn national attention, particularly after April’s Supreme Court election. That race, won by the liberal candidate, attracted over $100 million in spending from both sides, shattering records.

Two conservative Wisconsin Supreme Court justices, Chief Justice Annette Ziegler and Justice Rebecca Bradley, have endorsed LoCoco. (RELATED: Wisconsin Supreme Court Suspends Judge Following Arrest for Obstructing ICE Arrest)