Chris Taylor, a liberal judge on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, won election to the state Supreme Court on Tuesday, securing a 10-year term and bolstering the court's liberal majority.

Taylor received 903,411 votes, or 60.1 percent, while her opponent Maria Lazar garnered 598,266 votes, or 39.8 percent, with the total vote tallying 1,502,920. The victory marks the fourth straight win for liberal-backed candidates in Wisconsin Supreme Court races dating back to 2020 and replaces retiring conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley, shifting the balance from 4-3 to 5-2 in favor of liberals.

Both candidates serve as judges on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals. Taylor, 58, previously represented Dane County as a Democrat in the state Assembly from 2011 to 2019 and worked as public policy director for Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin. Lazar previously sat on the Waukesha County Circuit Court and served as an assistant attorney general.

The nonpartisan race drew far less attention and spending than recent predecessors, which set records as the most expensive judicial contests in U.S. history. Total spending fell below $9 million, with Taylor raising over $6 million compared to Lazar's under $1 million. Polls consistently showed Taylor leading, including a March Marquette Law School survey with her at 30 percent to Lazar's 22 percent among likely voters.

Bradley had initially planned to run but withdrew in August 2025 without fundraising. The court, which serves 10-year terms, has issued rulings under its recent liberal majority striking down a 176-year-old abortion ban, ordering new legislative maps to replace a Republican gerrymander and upholding Democratic Gov. Tony Evers' school funding veto. Taylor's win secures the liberal edge at least until 2030, assuming full terms.

The election occurred amid a lower-profile spring ballot that included local races. Early voting saw about 112,000 fewer absentee ballots than the prior year's Supreme Court contest. Republicans conceded early that Lazar faced long odds, with limited GOP donor support.

Issues like abortion rights, voting access and redistricting divided the candidates, though the race avoided the national spotlight of past cycles.