2026 Wisconsin Supreme Court Election
By Ken Warren
On April 7, Wisconsin voters will go to the polls to select a Supreme Court justice to replace Justice Rebecca Bradley, who is not running for re-election. The election is considered to be nonpartisan; however, the candidates are recognized and recognize themselves as either liberal or conservative. Currently, the Court has a four-to-three liberal majority, and Rebecca Bradley is a conservative justice. For that reason, regardless of the outcome, the majority ideology of the court will not shift.
Chris Taylor, a Wisconsin Court of Appeals judge, is the liberal candidate and is supported by the Wisconsin Democratic Party. She is also endorsed by former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. Maria Lazar, also a current Wisconsin Court of Appeals judge, is the conservative candidate and is supported by the Wisconsin Republican Party. On her website, Judge Chris Taylor states that her judicial philosophy is “people-centered, grounded in making sure individuals get a fair chance in our courts, and that their constitutional rights are protected.“ Prior to taking her position on the appeals court, Chris Taylor served as attorney and policy director for Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin. She then served in the state Legislature for nearly 10 years. This history supports her judicial philosophy of being people-centered, as she is knowledgeable about the needs of the people of Wisconsin.
On her website, Judge Maria Lazar states, “A judge must remember there are three separate branches of government, and she should be cognizant of the judiciary’s role. A judge must not be too timid to declare and interpret the law, but also must not act as an activist; instead they must always act with appropriate judicial restraint.” After obtaining her law degree at Georgetown University, Maria Lazar returned with her husband to Wisconsin and was employed for about 20 years in private practice, focusing on business litigation and bankruptcy practice. She then served five years as assistant attorney general for the Wisconsin Department of Justice and seven years as a circuit court judge in Waukesha. For the last three years, she has been on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, District 2.
The last election for Supreme Court justice was just last year, in 2025. In that election, the liberal candidate, Susan Crawford, defeated the conservative candidate, Brad Schimmel, in spite of great effort by the Republican party to shift the majority back to conservative. The race drew national attention and broke records for the amount of money involved, most of it from out of state.
At this time, the Taylor campaign has a very large funding advantage; however, that could change as the campaign progresses. In the last election, Elon Musk contributed between $19 and $30 million to the Schimmel campaign. If national conservative donors decide that Lazar is a viable candidate, they may pour funds into the race.
WISN 12 will host a debate between the candidates on Wednesday, March 25, at 7 p.m. It will be an opportunity to learn more about each candidate’s judicial philosophy and attitude toward various issues of concern. You are encouraged to watch it.