Wisconsin Appeals Court Judge Chris Taylor has been elected the newest member of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
The Dane County native and liberal candidate will replace retiring conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley. Taylor’s April 7 victory over conservative Appeals Court Judge Maria Lazar expands the liberal majority on Wisconsin’s highest court to 5-2, ensuring liberals will control the court until at least 2030.
In her victory speech on Tuesday night, Taylor thanked her team and supporters, calling her win a victory for the entire state.
“Tonight, the people of Wisconsin stood up for our rights and freedoms, our democracy, our elections and a strong state supreme court that will protect the independence of our beloved state,” she said. “Once again, Wisconsin showed the entire nation that we believe that the people should be at the center of government.”
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 state assembly and was the public policy director for Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin.
Her win follows a relatively muted campaign compared to last year’s record-breaking state supreme court race between liberal Susan Crawford and conservative Brad Schimel, in which $90 million was spent. This year, finance records show Taylor’s campaign took in around $6.23 million in contributions, while Lazar took in around $1.22 million.
In their one and only debate on April 2 — which was delayed twice due to Taylor’s bout of kidney stones, as well as severe weather —the candidates sparred on judicial philosophies and ethics. Throughout the debate, Taylor emphasized 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 during the debate.
This is a developing story that will be updated with new information.
This story was written by Sahil Gupta. He can be reached at [email protected]. Mia Thurow contributed to this report. She can be reached at [email protected].
