TL/DR –
Chris Taylor won a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, securing a 10-year term on the court over conservative Maria Lazar and expanding liberals’ majority in the state. This victory puts the majority out of reach for conservatives until at least 2030 as liberals have now won four straight Wisconsin Supreme Court elections. With a liberal majority, the state’s Supreme Court has overturned the state’s legislative maps, which heavily favored Republicans, and Democrats are hoping to flip at least one legislative chamber this fall.
Chris Taylor Wins Wisconsin Supreme Court Seat, Boosts Liberal Majority
Wisconsin state appeals court judge, Chris Taylor, has claimed a seat on the state’s Supreme Court, securing a dominant liberal majority on the key battleground state’s highest court, NBC News reports.
Previously a Democratic state legislator, Taylor won a 10-year term over conservative Maria Lazar, another appeals court judge and former member of Republican ex-Governor Scott Walker’s administration.
Assuming Justice Rebecca Bradley’s seat, Taylor’s victory means liberals now hold a 5-2 advantage on the swing state’s supreme court, a majority unreachable for conservatives until at least 2030.
Liberal candidates have seen success in four consecutive Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, and five of the last six, illustrating a strong Democrat-aligned trend dating back to 2017.
Backed by the state Democratic Party, Taylor’s campaign focused on abortion and voting rights, echoing themes of other victorious liberal Supreme Court candidates in Wisconsin. Moreover, Taylor, a former policy director for Wisconsin’s Planned Parenthood, effectively utilized messaging targeting former President Donald Trump to mobilize Democratic voters.
Despite this year’s race being less contentious and costly than previous Supreme Court elections in Wisconsin, liberal candidates secured a majority on the court for the first time in 15 years in 2023. This was followed by last year’s most expensive state Supreme Court race in U.S. history, concluding in liberals maintaining their majority despite substantial funding for the conservative candidate from tech billionaire Elon Musk.
Without a court majority at stake, fundraising and enthusiasm were reduced this year, with $6.5 million spent on advertisement compared to $85 million in 2025.
The liberal majority has already exerted significant influence in Wisconsin, overturning the state’s Republican-favoring legislative maps and aiming to flip a legislative chamber in the fall elections for the first time in 16 years.
Democrats are also hoping to challenge Wisconsin’s congressional maps in the Supreme Court, as Republicans currently hold six of the state’s eight House seats. Further potential liberal action includes overturning conservative legislation from previous GOP administrations and eliminating most collective bargaining rights for public workers.
In another significant ruling last year, the court voted 4-3 to abolish a near-total abortion ban from 1849.
With conservative Justice Annette Ziegler declining to seek a third term, liberals are presented with yet another opportunity to extend their Wisconsin Supreme Court majority next year. After 2027, three other justices will face re-election from 2028 to 2030, each for 10-year terms.
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