MADISON -- One of the Wisconsin Supreme Court's most liberal justices is so far free of conservative opponents for next year's retention election.

But Justice Louis B. Butler is still the state's most vulnerable Supreme Court (SC) Justice to face Wisconsin's voters next year, say local observers. And the match-up with whomever opposes him could be a repeat of the Ziegler v. Clifford slugfest earlier this year.

Butler has been steadily building a re-elecion machine that includes campaign staffers and a fund-raising committee, the Wisconsin Law Journal reported last month. His campaign also has built a website that features a prominent central "contibute" button.

Butler's first term on the state Supreme Court (SC) expires in July 2008. He was appointed by Gov. Jim Doyle in 2004, becoming the state's first African-American SC Justice.

Nonetheless, Butler is still "the most vulnerable member of the state Supreme Court" in next Spring's election, wrote Milwaukee Journal Sentinel blogger Daniel Bice at jsonline.com last week.

As a sitting justice Butler will attract a lot of conservative attention, Marquette University political scientist John McAdams told the WLJ in June. "Clearly what we have here is a liberal judge, who will be a big, fat target for conservative opponents," he said.

Bice's blog mentions, as a possible conservative contender to Butler, former Waukesha County District Attorney and attorney general candidate Paul Bucher. Bucher lost the 2006 AG primary to J.D. Van Hollen, the eventual victor.

But the often-controversial Bucher who "can talk tough on crime" nevertheless has served "not one day as judge," said a posting by "Template" on blogsite Whallah.

Conservative Annette Ziegler successfully played that card earlier this year in her Supreme Court race against liberal Linda Clifford, the posting noted.

"No wonder Butler's campaign is licking its chops at the prospect of a Bucher candidacy," Template concluded.