Wisconsin’s 2026 Supreme Court race already has first outside candidate
Wisconsin state Appeals Court Judge Chris Taylor has announced her candidacy for the 2026 election, where she will challenge incumbent conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley for a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Taylor is the first liberal candidate too enter the race, aiming to shift the court’s balance following a series of expensive judicial elections in Wisconsin. in her campaign, Taylor emphasizes her commitment to ensuring all citizens can access the justice system fairly, criticizing Bradley for her perceived political extremism. if elected, Taylor hopes to further solidify the liberal majority on the court, which currently holds a 4-3 advantage. The upcoming election is scheduled for April 7, 2026.
Wisconsin’s 2026 Supreme Court race already has first outside candidate
Wisconsin state Appeals Court Judge Chris Taylor announced her bid to challenge conservative Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Bradley in the state’s 2026 election.
Taylor is the first liberal candidate to enter the race. The 2023 and 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court races broke spending records, becoming the most expensive judicial races in U.S. history.
“As an attorney, public servant, and now as a judge, I’ve always been committed to making sure everyone is able to access our justice system. The law is a powerful tool for protecting Wisconsinites, holding people accountable, and making our state stronger. Justices on the Wisconsin Supreme Court must be fair, independent, and impartial,” Taylor said in a statement released Tuesday.
“Justice Rebecca Bradley has proven that she’s more interested in pushing her own right-wing political agenda than protecting Wisconsinites’ rights and freedoms. Extremism and partisanship have no place on our state’s highest court. Everyone who comes before the court deserves to be heard, respected, and treated equally — that’s exactly what I’ll do as a Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice,” she continued.
Judge Susan Crawford’s win in the 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court race solidified liberal control of the state’s high court until at least 2028, so this race will not have the ability to change the ideological leaning of the court. However, if Bradley loses her seat, the court’s liberal majority will grow to 5-2. If Bradley wins, the current 4-3 liberal majority would be maintained.
Immediately following Crawford’s win in April, Bradley announced she would seek reelection. She is one of the most outspoken conservative members of the court.
Liberal candidates have won the last four of five state Supreme Court elections by double-digit margins.
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Taylor was appointed to the Dane County Circuit Court bench in 2020 by Gov. Tony Evers (D-WI) and was later elected to the Wisconsin Court of Appeals in 2023. She also served as a Democratic state assemblywoman, and before that, served as public policy director for Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin.
The election, which is technically nonpartisan, will take place on April 7, 2026.
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