Chris Taylor Wins Wisconsin Supreme Court Seat, Cementing Liberal 5-2 Majority

Chris Taylor has won a 10-year seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, NBC News projects, defeating conservative appeals court Judge Maria Lazar and giving liberal-aligned justices a 5-2 advantage on the state’s highest court.

Victory Overview

Taylor, a former state legislator and appeals court judge who was backed by the state Democratic Party, prevailed in the contest to replace retiring Justice Rebecca Bradley. Her campaign emphasized abortion access and voting-rights protections, and she benefited from a significant fundraising and advertising advantage over Lazar.

Campaign Focus and Background

A former policy director for Wisconsin Planned Parenthood, Taylor centered her message on reproductive rights and voting access and also ran messaging critical of former President Donald Trump — a strategy that has helped boost Democratic turnout in recent off-year contests. Lazar, an appeals court judge, previously worked in the administration of Republican former governor Scott Walker.

Spending and Turnout

According to tracking firm AdImpact, this statewide contest drew about $6.5 million in television and radio spending, roughly $4.7 million supporting Taylor and just over $1 million opposing Lazar. Those totals were far lower than the multimillion-dollar, high-profile Supreme Court fights in recent Wisconsin election cycles, when spending and outside interest spiked.

What The Majority Means

With a 5-2 liberal majority, conservatives lack the votes to regain control of the court through at least 2030. That majority has already produced tangible policy outcomes: the court invalidated legislative maps that heavily favored Republicans, producing new district lines that took effect in 2024, and last year issued a 4-3 decision striking down a near-total 1849 abortion ban that briefly came into effect after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

Democrats are now targeting at least one state legislative chamber in the upcoming fall elections and hope pending lawsuits over Wisconsin’s congressional map will reach the state Supreme Court. A liberal-dominant court could also reconsider or roll back a range of conservative policies enacted by previous GOP administrations, including limits on collective bargaining for public employees.

Looking Ahead

Conservative Justice Annette Ziegler has declined to run for a third term next year, and three other justices are scheduled for re-election between 2028 and 2030. Those contests present further opportunities to change the court’s balance in coming years.

Source: NBC News projection; AdImpact advertising tracking