The three contestants for Dane County Circuit Court Branch 1 participated in Wisconsin Justice Initiative’s candidate forum last week, providing voters with important information ahead of the Feb. 17 primary.

Huma Ahsan, Nathan Wagner, and Ben Jones (L to R in the photo below) vie for the seat. Judge 

Jones is the incumbent, appointed by Gov. Tony Evers in May 2025. Ahsan and Wagner are attorneys in Dane County.

Unsure how you will vote? Want to get to know the candidates better? Interested in judicial races in our state? In this one-hour video the three candidates introduce themselves and take questions from audience members.

Questions at the forum touched on immigration agents in courthouses, the types of cases in circuit court and the candidates’ experience for handling them, how a candidate would address a situation when law might not align with personal beliefs, and judicial discretion.

​WJI thanks the von Briesen & Roper law firm for donating the use of their conference room for the event and WJI Action board president and WJI board member Jim Gramling for acting as emcee and timekeeper.

This was WJI’s first in-person event held in Madison, and the room was packed.