Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge Chris Taylor announced Monday she will run for a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2026, challenging incumbent conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley, who is running for reelection.
Taylor, the first liberal candidate to enter the race, stressed the importance of impartiality while opposing Bradley’s “extremism” and “partisanship.”
“Justices on the Wisconsin Supreme Court must be fair, independent and impartial,” Taylor said in a press release. “Justice Rebecca Bradley has proven that she’s more interested in pushing her own right-wing political agenda than protecting Wisconsinites’ rights and freedoms.”
Wisconsin Republicans called Taylor a “radical Democrat,” adding the Wisconsin Supreme Court is already “hyper-partisan.”
“Chris Taylor’s extreme partisan record has never been on full display outside of Dane County,” Republican Chairman Brian Schimming said in a statement. “After ‘liberal express lane’ elections in Dane County and an appointment from Tony Evers, Radical Democrat Chris Taylor will now have to answer for her extremely partisan record in the legislature and on the bench.
The current 4-3 liberal majority in the state Supreme Court was established when Justice Susan Crawford won her election in April 2024 in the most expensive judicial race in the nation’s history. Liberal candidates have won four of the last five Supreme Court elections and will maintain control of the court until at least 2028, as only conservative justices are up for election in the next few years.
Gov. Tony Evers appointed Taylor as a judge to the Dane County Circuit Court in 2020. She served three years there before being elected to her current position on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals in 2023.
Taylor also served nine years in the Wisconsin State Legislature as a Democrat, supporting abortion rights, gun control and unions. She was also a private practice attorney in Madison and Milwaukee and the public policy director for Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin.
The election for the nonpartisan seat will take place on April 7, 2026, and will determine if liberals can expand their majority to 5-2.
Molly Sheehan is the Photo Editor and Sports Editor Emeritus for The Daily Cardinal. She has covered the Wisconsin Badgers sports teams and events as a photojournalist. Follow her on X @mollyrsheehan and Instagram @msheehanphotos.
