Special Election for 2024-25 President-elect

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• Meet the ​​​​​​President-elect Candidates
• About this ​Special Election

State Bar members will vote in October 2024 to fill an immediate vacancy in the president-elect post. The winner will serve the remainder of the term that ends on June 30, 2025, before becoming president.

Electronic voting will begin on Oct. 10 and members will have 15 days to vote, with the election closing at noon, Oct. 25, 2024. Results will be announced Oct. 28, 2024.

Find out more about ​ State Bar elections and other leadership opportunities.

President-elect Candidates

Dan D. Gartzke, Madison About  |  Email	David E. Lasker, Mauston About ​ | Email

Why Is This Special Election Needed?

The special election is required because of the following circumstances.

• The membership elected Jane Bucher as State Bar president-elect in April 2023. The president-elect serves a one-year term before serving a one-year term as president.
• Bucher announced in February 2024 that she applied for an open judicial seat on the Green County Circuit Court.
• In March 2024, Gov. Tony Evers appointed Bucher to the judicial seat.
• Under Wisconsin Supreme Court rules, judges cannot serve as State Bar officers or members of the State Bar’s Board of Governors.
• Bucher resigned as president-elect, leaving a vacancy.
• In April 2024, Ryan Billings won the election to serve as president-elect starting on July 1, 2024.
• In May, the State Bar’s Board of Governors appointed Billings to fill the vacancy at president-elect, for the remainder of Bucher’s term.
• This allowed Billings to become president on July 1, 2024, creating a vacancy in the president-elect position​​.
• The special election in October will fill the vacancy.
• The new president-elect will serve until June 30, 2025, when he will then become president of the State Bar on July 1, 2025.

A Nominating Committee identified candidates to run in the election.

State Bar members can also run for president-elect by filing a petition signed by 100 active State Bar of Wisconsin members. The deadline to submit a petition is Aug. 17, 2024.

For more information and to receive a petition, contact Kim Jansen via email​, or at (608) 250-6106 or (800) 444-9404, ext. 6106.