Prominent election denier claims fraud in California election
California’s Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco is investigating the 2025 election, when Democrats were given the green light for redistricting.
Liberals continued to control the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
Liberal candidate Chris Taylor won the April 7 spring election for a vacant seat on the state Supreme Court, according to the Associated Press and CNN.
Taylor’s victory strengthens the court’s already solidly liberal makeup and sets the stage for future debates on hot-button issues such as redrawing Congressional maps and abortion.
Here’s a look at the election results and what they mean in the broader context of the 2026 midterm elections.
Wisconsin Supreme Court Election Results
Taylor won with 60.1% of the vote, followed by conservative Maria Lazar with 39.8%, according to CNN and the Associated Press.
The winner will be sworn into a 10-year team along with six other justices who make up the court’s liberal 4-3 majority.
Both candidates currently serve as judges on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals. Wisconsin Supreme Court justices are elected in the so-called spring election held on April 7 of this year. The Supreme Court election was the only statewide election on the spring election ballot. Taylor’s victory means liberals will hold a majority on the state Supreme Court until 2030, according to the USA TODAY Network’s Milwaukee Sentinel Journal.
Taylor took to the stage late Tuesday to thank supporters as they chanted his name.
“Tonight, the people of Wisconsin stood up for a strong state Supreme Court that protects our rights and freedoms, our democracy, our elections, and the independence of our beloved state,” Taylor said.
“People want a government that works for them. They want a judiciary that puts them first, protects our rights, and provides equal justice under the law for all Wisconsin residents. That’s exactly what I will do as the next state Supreme Court justice,” she continued.
Two candidates with different ideologies
Lazar and Taylor offered very different visions for the same role. They had a poignant, hour-long debate on April 2, according to a report in the Milwaukee Sentinel Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network. The differences between Lazar and Taylor were especially evident on the topics of voter ID and abortion.
Taylor, who previously served as legal and policy director for the Wisconsin Planned Parenthood Act, supported last year’s state Supreme Court decision that struck down an 1849 Wisconsin law that prohibited abortion in almost all circumstances. Although Lazar personally opposes abortion, she said she supports Wisconsin’s current 20-week abortion ban.
Why will judicial elections matter in 2026?
Wisconsin is one of dozens of judicial elections this year. According to the Center for Politics, this year’s judicial elections will be closely watched in Michigan, Montana, North Carolina and Ohio. These elections may not garner as much national attention as Senate, House, and gubernatorial races, but they can impact the lives of ordinary Americans. According to Ballotpedia, judicial elections are divided into retention elections, partisan elections, and nonpartisan elections, and judges are selected in different cycles in each state. There is also the possibility that the retirement will lead to the election of additional judges.
Recent court elections in Wisconsin show that these are not races that can be ignored. The 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court election drew record fundraising and significant national attention as the court solidified a liberal majority. The new court could address issues such as the 2027 state legislative map after the midterm elections.
The political composition of state supreme courts in battleground states like Wisconsin could be crucial in future elections as the Trump administration seeks to crack down on election practices at the state level.
Contributed by: Milwaukee Sentinel Journal
