Dem
47
GOP
53
There is a Wisconsin Supreme Court election almost every year—in April, for some random reason. This year it will not change the balance of power, but if the Democratic-aligned candidate replaces the retiring Republican-aligned Justice Rebecca Bradley, the liberals will have a 5-2 majority, which will last through the 2028 presidential election in this key swing state, no matter who wins next year's election. We wrote up a first draft of this election in March. Here is the link. Elections in a state that swings as much as Wisconsin are often harbingers.
The two candidates, Maria Lazar ("R"), left below, and Chris Taylor ("D"), right below, had a debate last Thursday. The mere fact that they had a candidates-type debate emphasizes how political judges have become. They raise money, they campaign, they take policy positions, they get endorsements, they debate, they are increasingly indistinguishable from regular politicians, with one exception: They get things done. A case comes up, there is a hearing, and eventually a decision is made. They don't pass a continuing resolution to kick the can down the road for a few months.
With Elon Musk not wasting another $25 million this year, the race is a low-ley affair and turnout will probably be low. Both judges are on (different) state appeals courts, but they are not interchangeable even though they are roughly equally qualified as both have been appellate judges for 4-6 years. Lazar (61) worked as a civil litigator for 20 years until she was hired as an assistant attorney general by state attorney general J.B. Van Hollen (R). She ran for circuit court judge in 2015 and won. In 2022 she ran for court of appeals judge and won. Taylor (58) used to be policy director at Planned Parenthood, which tells you all you need to know about her views on abortion. In 2011, she was elected to the state Assembly as a Democrat, where she served until 2020, when Gov. Tony Evers (D-WI) appointed her as an appellate judge.
At the debate, the two women had a nice brawl. Taylor said of Lazar: "She has a very specific agenda that favors big corporations and right-wing special interests." Lazar described herself as an experienced judge and said: "And on the other hand, you have a radical, extreme legislator who is known as the most liberal of the 99 in that Assembly, who now as a judicial activist, wants to put her views, her values and her agenda in the court above the law." And you thought judges were calm, dispassionate people who just applied the law. Try again.
Election law and maps was a major topic in the debate. Taylor said Lazar would be a rubber stamp for federal efforts to meddle in Wisconsin elections. She also pointed to Lazar's history of fondness for election conspiracy figures. Lazar vigorously denied this. New federal and state maps are going to come before the Court soon, so election law cases will be very important.
The most recent poll is from March 11-18 from Marquette University Law School. It has Taylor at 30%, Lazar at 22%, and 48% undecided. The debate could motivate some of the undecideds to, well, decide.
Tomorrow there is also a special election in GA-14 to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene. Democrat Brig. Gen. Shawn Harris (ret.) is facing Republican Clay Fuller. The district is R+19. The only question is how big Fuller's margin will be. (V)