Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge Chris Taylor defeated conservative-backed Judge Maria Lazar by nearly 20 points on Tuesday, expanding the liberal majority on the state’s Supreme Court from 4-3 to 5-2.
Why it matters: Wisconsin is a swing state where the Supreme Court rules on redistricting, voting rights, and executive power. A 5-2 liberal majority locks conservatives out of control until at least 2030.
The result
Taylor, backed by Democrats, won the race to replace retiring conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley. NBC News projected the result on Tuesday evening, with Taylor outperforming the 2024 Democratic presidential result by 20 points.
Lazar, backed by Republicans, conceded the race on Wednesday morning.
Fourth straight win
The result marks the fourth consecutive victory for Democratic-backed candidates in Wisconsin Supreme Court elections. The court flipped to a liberal majority in 2023 when Janet Protasiewicz won her seat.
Campaign spending
The race drew $6.5 million in advertising spending. According to campaign finance reports, $4.7 million was spent in support of Taylor, while more than $1 million was spent opposing Lazar.
Despite the spending disparity, both candidates framed the race as a referendum on judicial independence versus political influence on the court.
What it means
With a 5-2 majority, the liberal bloc has a comfortable margin on cases involving redistricting maps, abortion access, and challenges to state election procedures. The next competitive seat comes up in 2029.