Here & Now

Wisconsin's 2026 Supreme Court Vote Cements Liberal Control

Frederica Freyberg:
Wisconsin’s spring election saw a blowout win for liberal Supreme Court candidate Chris Taylor, defeating conservative Maria Lazar by 20 points. As “Here & Now” senior political reporter Zac Schultz tells us, it was an early night.

Zac Schultz:
The crowd at Chris Taylor’s election night party expected her to win the election for a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, but that confidence didn’t diminish the excitement for when the race was officially called before 9:00. Since liberals flipped the court in 2023, they’ve paraded their majority on stage on election night for a celebratory moment. But with Chris Taylor’s victory, the liberal majority is now 5-2. And with former Justice Anne Walsh Bradley on hand, the stage wasn’t big enough, so they had to hold their group photo afterwards.

Chris Taylor:
Wow. Whoo! We did it Wisconsin!

Zac Schultz:
Contrary to the last two record setting elections, this one was quieter, with less outside interest groups spending, fewer ads and lower turnout. While Justice-elect Chris Taylor held an 8 to 1 spending advantage over her opponent, Maria Lazar, Taylor praised her get out the vote effort for getting her supporters to the polls.

Chris Taylor:
And I am so grateful for the grassroots support that I needed to win this race. This was a grassroots campaign about the people of the state of Wisconsin. And tonight the people of Wisconsin spoke. And what you said is clear. We are moving forward.

Maria Lazar:
I have spoken with Chris Taylor and I have conceded, and that’s okay.

Zac Schultz:
At her event, Lazar was gracious in defeat, hugging supporters and consoling those who thought she could pull off the upset. But the parties weren’t even over before thoughts turned to the Wisconsin Supreme Court election next April. Incumbent conservative Justice Annette Ziegler has already announced she won’t run again, and with conservatives having lost five out of six races, there’s a real question of what it will take for conservative candidates and their Republican supporters to be competitive in the spring.

Maria Lazar:
This race was run in a way that we were always behind catching up. That’s not how races are going to go from now on. I want people in this state to demand better from your candidates.

Zac Schultz:
On the liberal side, potential candidates for next spring need to decide soon if they’re running in order to start building up the fundraising network that has been central to their winning streak. Judge Pedro Colon was at Taylor’s party and has talked about running in the past.

Pedro Colon:
As I said, every race is unique, so I have to uniquely think about the race for the Supreme Court. But tonight is a great victory for the state of Wisconsin.

Zac Schultz:
With their new 5-2 majority, liberals will control the court until at least 2030. Reporting from Madison, I’m Zac Schultz for “Here & Now.”