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Liberal Judge Chris Taylor Wins Wisconsin Supreme Court, Secures 5–2 Majority

Liberal Judge Chris Taylor Wins Wisconsin Supreme Court, Secures 5–2 Majority
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Liberal Judge Chris Taylor won Wisconsin’s lone statewide race Tuesday, capturing a seat on the state Supreme Court with about 60% of the vote and expanding the court’s liberal majority to 5–2.nytimes +1 The victory, called by the Associated Press less than an hour after polls closed, locked in a liberal tilt on the closely watched bench through at least 2030.washingtonpost +1

Taylor, a Democratic‑backed state appeals court judge and former legislator, defeated conservative appeals judge Maria Lazar for the open seat left by retiring conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley.jsonline +1 Taylor will begin a 10‑year term on August 1, 2026, in a state where the high court has become a decisive arbiter on abortion, redistricting and election rules.nbcnews +1

What Taylor’s Win Means for Wisconsin’s High-Stakes Cases

The enlarged 5–2 liberal majority positioned the Wisconsin Supreme Court to continue and potentially deepen recent shifts on some of the state’s most polarizing issues. In the past three years, the court has weighed in on GOP‑drawn maps, blocked enforcement of a 19th‑century abortion ban and handled litigation stemming from the 2020 presidential election.washingtonpost +1 With conservatives now reduced to two seats, analysts said challenges to union restrictions such as Act 10, future redistricting disputes and any election‑related lawsuits through the 2028 presidential race are more likely to face a skeptical bench.washingtonpost +2

Democratic officials framed the result as securing a “pro‑democracy” firewall in a perennial swing state, while Republicans warned of what they describe as expanding “judicial activism” by the court’s liberals.pbs +1 Taylor’s own background—as a former Planned Parenthood policy director and nearly decade‑long Democratic state representative—reassured liberal groups that she would be a reliable vote to preserve abortion access and voting rights, even as conservatives argued that record undercut claims of judicial neutrality.nbcnews +2

A Lopsided Result, a Fundraising Gap and a Warning Sign for the GOP

The race, though officially nonpartisan, unfolded as a partisan proxy contest, but with far less intensity than 2025’s record‑shattering $100‑million court election.washingtonpost +1 Turnout and spending dropped sharply: Taylor’s campaign reported roughly $5.6–$5.9 million raised, compared with about $900,000–$946,000 for Lazar, and total spending came in under $10 million.cnn +1 Early voting fell by more than half compared with last year’s contest, reflecting diminished national attention now that control of the court was no longer on the line.eonline

Taylor nevertheless cruised to a nearly 20‑point margin, dramatically outperforming Democrats’ 2024 presidential results in Wisconsin.nbcnews +1 That overperformance in a low‑key spring election alarmed Republicans already concerned about recent underinvestment and messaging in the state’s suburbs, where liberal‑backed candidates have strung together wins in 2020s Supreme Court races.politico +1 Party leaders, while praising Lazar’s campaign, called for a strategic reset ahead of the 2026 midterms and another high‑court election expected in 2027 when conservative Justice Annette Ziegler is set to depart.cnn +2

The Bigger Picture

Taylor’s win continued a broader pattern of liberal gains on state supreme courts in battlegrounds where legal fights over abortion, redistricting and voting rules have shifted from Congress and federal courts to state benches.washingtonpost +1 In Wisconsin, that trend now appears entrenched: assuming no early departures, liberals will hold a comfortable high‑court majority through at least the end of the decade, reshaping the legal environment in one of the country’s most closely contested states.washingtonpost +1