Liberals will try to expand their majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court in a Tuesday election

Key Points:

• Wisconsin’s Supreme Court race features conservative Maria Lazar and liberal Chris Taylor competing to replace retiring conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley, with the outcome determining whether liberals extend their 4-3 majority on the court.
• The election, while less expensive and lower-profile than last year’s record-breaking judicial race, serves as a key indicator of Democratic enthusiasm and Republican voter turnout ahead of upcoming midterms and the 2028 presidential election.
• Taylor, a former Democratic legislator and Planned Parenthood policy director, has outraised Lazar by a wide margin and received high-profile Democratic support, while the candidates sharply disagreed on abortion rights and voter ID laws during their debate.
• A liberal victory would increase the court’s liberal majority to 5-2, potentially solidifying control through the next decade amid ongoing political battles over election integrity and abortion access in the battleground state.
• Conservatives acknowledge the need to recalibrate their judicial campaign strategies, focusing on candidates with prosecutorial backgrounds and appealing to suburban voters to counter the recent liberal winning streak in Wisconsin’s Supreme Court races.