Conservative Grant Scaife defeated incumbent Washington County judge Gordon Leech, a Gov. Evers appointee in one of the most conservative counties in the state.
In a significant victory for conservative voters in Washington County, Assistant District Attorney Grant Scaife defeated incumbent Judge Gordon Leech in the election for Branch 2 of the Washington County Circuit Court. Unofficial results showed Scaife capturing approximately 61% of the vote to Leech’s 39%, a decisive win in one of Wisconsin’s most reliably conservative counties.
In spite of that, Washington County’s judiciary is filled with judges appointed by Governor Evers. Leech, who was appointed by Evers in July 2025 to fill a vacancy, was one of the few to face a challenge and proved no match for the conservative Scaife.
Scaife, a longtime prosecutor in the Washington County District Attorney’s office with prior experience as assistant corporation counsel, campaigned as a conservative committed to impartial, law-and-order judging rooted in the community he serves.
