Judge Chris Taylor wins Wisconsin Supreme Court race, expanding court’s liberal majority | CNN Politics

Judge Chris Taylor has won a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, expanding the liberal majority on the panel in a key battleground state. Taylor, a state appeals court judge from Dane County, defeated conservative judge Maria Lazar, a state appeals court judge from Waukesha County. Liberals have now secured a 5-2 majority on the court, solidifying their hold potentially through the end the decade. The two women ran to replace retiring Justice Rebecca Bradley, a conservative. The race was technically nonpartisan, but the liberal victory marks another bright spot for Democrats, who have seen heightened enthusiasm and success in recent elections. The match-up between Taylor and Lazar did not receive as much national attention as the state’s 2025 judicial race, which turned into a referendum of Elon Musk after he unsuccessfully poured millions of his personal fortune in support of the conservative candidate. Taylor spent nine years as a Democratic legislator in the state assembly and was an attorney and policy director for Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin. The liberal judge put abortion rights at the center of her campaign advertising. She significantly outraised her opponent, bringi