Following a double delay caused by a bout of kidney stones and a series of severe weather warnings in Wisconsin, the Badger State’s supreme court candidates finally debated at 8 p.m. April 2, over a week past the initially scheduled date of March 25.
Chris Taylor and Maria Lazar are the two appeals court judges battling to replace retiring conservative state Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Bradley. The 2026 spring election will take place on April 7, though early voting options have already opened.
The morning the debate was originally scheduled to take place, Taylor was admitted to the hospital, where she was diagnosed with kidney stones and later released to recover for a few days. Due to her condition, the debate was rescheduled for 7 p.m. April 2, to be televised on WISN 12 with no in-person audience.
But it wasn’t smooth sailing, yet — that very evening, Wisconsinites were hit with severe weather that further delayed the debate to 8 p.m.
Finally, after a series of scheduling hiccups, Lazar and Taylor faced off five days ahead of the election. The debate, though intended to be conversational in nature, got heated early.
Lazar, the conservative candidate, was quick to call her liberal opponent a “radical, extreme legislator.” Taylor fired back by claiming Lazar refuses to follow the law and has an “extreme, right-wing political agenda.”
Following opening remarks — and a few attacks — the two candidates spoke on a variety of topics ranging from abortion bans to fundraising efforts to redistricting. Both repeatedly declined to provide specific comment on hypothetical or partisan issues.
Throughout the debate, Lazar cited justice, integrity and independence as her core values.
“When someone walks into the court, it’s not that the court is right or left,” she said. “You need a court that decides things only based on the facts.”
Taylor repeated similar comments, emphasizing her commitment to independence and service to Wisconsin residents.
“I have a spine of steel when it comes to people’s rights and freedoms being protected,” she said.
Taylor was elected to the state appeals court in 2023 after being appointed judge of the Dane County Circuit Court by Gov. Tony Evers in 2020. Before her judicial career, she served in the Wisconsin State Assembly and was the public policy director for Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin.
Lazar worked in civil litigation for the first two decades of her career before serving as an assistant attorney general at the Wisconsin Department of Justice in 2010.
Campaign finance records show Taylor’s campaign has taken in around $6.18 million in contributions as of April 2, while Lazar has taken around $1.21 million.
Both candidates also shared closing statements, emphasizing the messages they wanted to stick with Wisconsinites five days ahead of the election.
“I hope that the viewers saw a huge difference between myself and my opponent,” Taylor said. “I have worked to move our state forward. My opponent has spent her legal career taking away our rights.”
Lazar reiterated her commitment to independence before delivering the final words of the evening.
“This debate has made it very clear that the choice, and what happens in this election, could not be more important for our state,” Lazar said.
Eligible voters can visit myvote.wi.gov for information about how and where to vote, either on Election Day or earlier.
This story was written by Mia Thurow. She can be reached at [email protected].
