Liberal flips Conservative Supreme Court seat in Wisconsin election

Chris Taylor won a spot on Wisconsin’s Supreme Court on Tuesday in a race to replace conservative-leaning Justice Rebecca Bradley.

Why It Matters

Wisconsin’s Supreme Court races are generally viewed as a bellwether for the mood of the electorate ahead of the midterm elections. Wisconsin is almost evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans and was the closest state in the 2024 presidential race. Democrats hope turnout will favor Taylor in the swing state, seeing as Wisconsin voters elected liberal-leaning Justice Susan Crawford last year.

Taylor’s victory expands the court’s existing liberal majority to 5-2.

What To Know

Taylor secured the seat on Tuesday evening with 61 percent. Polls closed at 8 p.m. local time. Early voting in the race trailed last year’s pace, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, which reported that nearly half as many early ballots had been cast this year.

Ahead of the race, liberal-aligned Judge Chris Taylor held a clear polling advantage over conservative-leaning Judge Maria Lazar according to several surveys, although there have been few in the race.

Liberals have held a majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court in recent years. The majority flipped in 2023, when liberal-leaning Justice Janet Protasiewicz beat the conservative-leaning former Justice Daniel Kelly. Kelly had previously lost in 2020 to Justice Jill Karofsky—another election that shifted the balance of power toward the liberals.

The 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court drew national attention after billionaire Elon Musk donated significantly to conservative-leaning candidate Brad Schimel, who wound up losing to Susan Crawford by about 10 points.

Polling ahead of the election showed Taylor with a lead, but notably, a significant number of voters remain undecided.

A Marquette University Law School Poll released on March 24 found Taylor supported by 23 percent of registered voters, compared with 17 percent for Lazar, while 53 percent remained undecided and 7 percent said they would not vote in the Supreme Court race.

Among voters who said they were likely to cast a ballot, Taylor led Lazar 30 percent to 22 percent, with 46 percent still undecided, according to the same survey.

The survey report found a “considerable Democratic advantage in engagement with the Court election across several measures.” The poll was conducted March 11-18, surveying 850 registered Wisconsin voters, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points, and 597 likely voters, with a margin of error of plus or minus 5.3 percentage points.

An earlier Marquette University survey conducted February 11-19 showed Taylor at 17 percent, Lazar at 12 percent, 5 percent backing another option and 66 percent undecided among registered voters.

That February poll surveyed 818 registered voters and had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.3 percentage points, signaling that the pool of undecided voters narrowed as the election approached.

What People Are Saying

Judge Chris Taylor’s spokesperson, Jackie Rosa, told Newsweek earlier Tuesday for a related story: “Judge Taylor is proud of the enormous amount of grassroots support that she has earned in this race. Wisconsinites understand that Judge Taylor is the only candidate who will protect their rights and freedoms on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Since launching last May she has broken multiple fundraising records and has secured key endorsements from Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Jill Karofsky and Justices Rebecca Dallet, Janet Protasiewicz, and Susan Crawford, along with over 150 current and retired judges across the state. From now until polls close, Judge Taylor will continue meeting voters, earning their support, and demonstrating her commitment to a fair and independent state Supreme Court. Maria Lazar is a right-wing extremist who celebrated the overturning of Roe v. Wade and who would’ve kept Wisconsin’s near-total abortion ban on the books. Wisconsin voters have rejected extremists like this in past Supreme Court races and they will again today.”

Judge Maria Lazar’s campaign spokesperson, Nathan Conrad, told Newsweek earlier Tuesday for a related story: “Polling clearly shows that the majority of voters had not made up their mind in the last two weeks on this campaign. Judge Lazar’s message of independence and integrity is growing and working well with constituents and voters statewide. The debate, while late, did give voters the true indication of what she would be like on the bench. We look forward to victory this evening after the polls closed.”

Henrik M. Schatzinger, professor of political science and department chair at Ripon College, told Newsweek earlier Tuesday for a related story: “[Taylor] got into the race months earlier than Lazar and built a big fundraising lead that helped her define the contest before Lazar could really shape it. In a spring election, that kind of financial dominance can create real separation. It also likely discouraged some donors and operatives from fully getting behind Lazar. More specifically, Taylor raised about 10 times as much as Lazar early on, then still held a roughly 4-to-1 fundraising edge and a 6-to-1 spending edge in the final pre-election period.”

Barry Burden, political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told Newsweek earlier Tuesday for a related story: “Liberal candidates such as Taylor have been advantaged the last several Wisconsin Supreme Court elections because Democratic-leaning voters have been more likely to participate whereas Republican-leaning voters are more active in general elections when Trump is on the ballot.”

Former President Barack Obama said in an April 1 X post: “Wisconsin Supreme Court justices have a profound responsibility: protecting the rights of the people and delivering on the promise of equal justice under the law. Judge Chris Taylor is the only candidate running for Wisconsin’s Supreme Court with a proven record of delivering on that promise. I hope Wisconsin voters join me in supporting her candidacy for Wisconsin’s highest court.”

Former Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, a Republican, said in a February 26 X post: “In contrast, Maria Lazar will uphold the state constitution which requires photo ID to vote and prohibits non-citizens from casting a ballot. She will uphold the current law that protects a baby about half way through a pregnancy, she will uphold the precedent that upheld the law protecting property taxpayers, and she will always support and protect young women. Maria Lazar serves on the Court of Appeals with honor and distinction – as she will on the Wisconsin Supreme Court.”

What Happens Next

In March, conservative Wisconsin Supreme Court justice Annette Ziegler announced she will not be seeking reelection, opening up another seat next year.

Wisconsin is gearing up for the 2026 midterm elections, with an open governor’s race after Democratic Governor Tony Evers decided not to seek another term.