Chris Taylor faces Maria Lazar in Supreme Court election as key issues and voter turnout shape outcome

Democrats are hoping to deliver another setback to conservatives in Wisconsin’s Supreme Court election on Tuesday, where liberal judge Chris Taylor is facing off against conservative judge Maria Lazar. This race, while not flipping control of the court which liberals secured last year, will determine if they can extend their hold on the state’s highest court potentially through the end of the decade. The contest is seen as a gauge of Democratic enthusiasm and a test of Republican voter turnout when former President Donald Trump is not on the ballot, with implications for a battleground state facing competitive midterm elections and a looming presidential race in 2028.

The election is technically nonpartisan, but it carries significant political weight. Top Democrats, including those with potential 2028 presidential aspirations, have supported Taylor’s campaign. Former US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, and Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy have all contributed to fundraising efforts for Taylor. Eric Holder, who leads the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, also campaigned in the state, and former President Barack Obama posted an online call to action for Taylor.

A Marquette Law School poll conducted in mid-March indicated that over half of registered voters (53%) were undecided. Taylor held a lead with 23% support, while Lazar had 17%. Taylor has maintained a significant financial advantage throughout the campaign. She raised over $5.6 million since entering the race in May, while Lazar brought in nearly $900,000 since her fall entry. Total spending in this race has surpassed $6 million, according to AdImpact data, a figure far below the over $80 million spent in last year's election. Most of the spending in the current contest has come from Taylor and her allies.

Mark Graul, a GOP strategist, noted that the financial disparity is a warning sign for conservatives.

“If Judge Taylor is successful, all you have to do is point to the tremendous resource advantage her campaign has had in this race,” Graul said.

Nathan Conrad, a spokesperson for Lazar’s campaign, acknowledged the financial challenge.

“We are focusing laser pointed on where our dollars are going and making sure we’re hitting the target voters that we know need to hear Maria’s message as often as possible before Election Day,” Conrad stated.

Disputes over abortion rights and voter ID have been central to the campaign. Taylor, a state appeals court judge, previously served nine years as a Democratic legislator and was an attorney and policy director for Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin. Lazar, also a state appeals court judge, previously served as an assistant state attorney general and defended former GOP Gov. Scott Walker’s Act 10 and Republican redistricting efforts.

In their debate, Lazar and Taylor discussed abortion rights following the liberal majority’s decision to strike down Wisconsin’s 176-year-old abortion ban. Lazar stated that the Supreme Court moved legal authority over abortion to the states and that she would uphold Wisconsin’s ban on abortions after 20 weeks, calling it a “compromise.”

“I think that it falls within the parameters of where people in the state believe it should be,” Lazar said. “And if they don’t, the answer is to go to the legislature and the governor, not the courts.”

Taylor criticized Lazar’s position, referencing ads featuring Lazar calling the Dobbs decision “very wise.”

“It’s not been very wise for victims of rape and incest who now live in states where abortion has been outlawed. It’s not very wise for women who have lost their lives in states because they couldn’t get help when a pregnancy went wrong,” Taylor stated. “My opponent is going to take us backwards. I will take us forwards.”

Lazar responded with agitation.

“That’s absolutely ridiculous,” Lazar said. “I have never wanted women injured, ever, ever, ever. I have always said that the health and life of the mother is the most important thing.”

The candidates also addressed election integrity. Taylor expressed concern about potential vote suppression efforts and the need for a strong Supreme Court to hold the federal government accountable. Lazar stated she would uphold Wisconsin’s voter ID law but believes early and mail-in voting is “responsible” and “necessary.”

“I think it’s important that we tell people in the state of Wisconsin that our elections are safe, they’re secure and that their votes count,” Lazar added.

Lazar also sought to distance herself from those who deny the 2020 election results.

“Joe Biden did win,” Lazar said.

A liberal winning streak in Wisconsin Supreme Court races began in 2020, with liberals reclaiming the majority in 2023. Last year, liberal Justice Susan Crawford defeated conservative Judge Brad Schimel by 10 points. If Taylor wins, liberals would hold a 5-2 majority, potentially solidifying their control further. Conservative Justice Annette Ziegler announced her retirement, placing another court seat in play in 2027.

In her retirement announcement last summer, Justice Bradley warned of an “alarming shift” toward “bitter partisanship” on the court.

“The conservative movement needs to take stock of its failures, identify the problem, and fix it,” Bradley wrote.

Graul suggested that successful conservative candidates have historically fit a profile of judges with prior experience as prosecutors and strong law enforcement backing, which he believes Lazar embodies. However, he also emphasized the need for conservatives to win back suburban voters, particularly in the state's southeast.

“We’ve got to figure out a way to communicate to those voters in a way that appeals to their sense of fairness,” Graul said.