Money doesn't always win. Honestly, if you followed the absolute madness that was the April 2025 supreme court wisconsin vote, you know exactly what I mean. We saw Elon Musk and Donald Trump pouring their influence into the state to back Brad Schimel, yet Susan Crawford still walked away with a double-digit victory. It was a massive moment for the state.
Now, we're staring down 2026, and the stakes haven't really lowered. Even though the "ideological balance" isn't technically up for grabs this time—liberals have the 4-3 majority on lock until at least 2028—the upcoming fight between Chris Taylor and Maria Lazar is basically a proxy war for the soul of Wisconsin's legal future.
People are exhausted. They’ve seen record-breaking spending. They’ve seen $100 million dumped into a single judicial seat. But if you think the 2026 race is going to be a quiet affair, you're kidding yourself.
The 2025 Fallout: Why Crawford Won So Big
The April 1, 2025, election was a bloodbath for the conservative wing. Susan Crawford pulled 55% of the vote. Brad Schimel, the former Attorney General, trailed with 44.9%.
Why did it happen?
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Basically, the Democratic base in Wisconsin is on a heater. Ever since Janet Protasiewicz won in 2023, the liberal turnout machine in places like Dane County and Milwaukee has become a juggernaut. Crawford leaned hard into the abortion rights messaging that worked so well in previous cycles. She wasn't shy about her past work with Planned Parenthood.
Schimel tried to counter-punch by calling her "soft on crime." His campaign ran ads focusing on her sentencing record in child sexual assault cases. It didn't stick. Voters seemed more concerned about the 1849 abortion ban—which the court actually struck down in July 2025—and the looming redistricting battle.
Musk’s involvement was a weird wildcard. He showed up in Green Bay, handed out $1 million checks, and used X (formerly Twitter) to blast Crawford. For some voters, like a 68-year-old vet named Jim Hazelton, that "pushy billionaire" energy was actually the reason they flipped to Crawford.
What’s On the Line for the 2026 Supreme Court Wisconsin Vote
We aren't done. The 2026 race is for the seat currently held by Justice Rebecca Bradley.
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Important distinction here: Rebecca Bradley is a conservative powerhouse. She’s retiring. If a liberal wins her seat, the court moves from a 4-3 liberal majority to a 5-2 liberal majority. If a conservative wins, it stays 4-3.
The Candidates for 2026
- Chris Taylor (Liberal-aligned): She’s currently a Court of Appeals judge. She used to work for Planned Parenthood and served in the State Assembly. She’s very much the "pro-rights" candidate in the eyes of her supporters.
- Maria Lazar (Conservative-aligned): Also a Court of Appeals judge. She talks a lot about "judicial restraint"—the idea that judges should say what the law is, not what it should be.
The primary scheduled for February 17, 2026, was actually canceled because only these two filed. They are heading straight to the April 7, 2026, general election.
The Redistricting Nightmare
One reason the supreme court wisconsin vote matters so much right now is the congressional maps. Wisconsin is a 50-50 state. Yet, Republicans hold 6 of the 8 congressional seats.
Democrats filed a pair of lawsuits in late 2025 to fix this. They want new maps for the 2026 midterms. But here's the kicker: the court recently appointed three-judge panels to hear these cases, and it looks like a trial might not happen until 2027.
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Republican lawyers argued that changing maps now would be "unfair." The liberal majority on the Supreme Court—including Crawford and Protasiewicz—refused to recuse themselves from these cases despite massive GOP pressure.
If you live in the 1st District (Bryan Steil) or the 3rd District (Derrick Van Orden), your ballot might look very different depending on how these legal fights play out over the next 12 months.
Practical Next Steps for Wisconsin Voters
If you're trying to keep your head above water with all these legal shifts, here is how you should actually prepare for the next round:
- Check your registration now. Wisconsin's "MyVote" portal is the gold standard for this. Since the 2025 turnout was a record 52%, expect long lines or mail-in delays if you wait until the last minute.
- Watch the 2026 "swing" districts. Even if the Supreme Court doesn't redraw the maps in time for the 2026 midterms, the 1st and 3rd districts are the most likely to flip if the court signals a change is coming.
- Monitor the 5-2 vs 4-3 math. A 5-2 majority for the liberals would make the court virtually "bulletproof" against conservative challenges for nearly a decade. If Lazar wins for the conservatives, they keep a fighting chance at flipping the court back in 2028 when Justice Rebecca Dallet’s term is up.
- Ignore the "nonpartisan" label. It’s a joke. Everyone knows which side these judges are on. Look at who is funding them—the Democratic Party of Wisconsin or the Republican Party—to get the real story.
The 2026 election on April 7 is the next big date. Mark it. This isn't just about one seat; it's about whether the liberal "streak" in Wisconsin is a permanent shift or just a temporary reaction to specific issues like abortion.
The data from the 2025 supreme court wisconsin vote suggests the shift is real, but Maria Lazar is banking on "voter fatigue" to claw back a win for the conservatives.
Actionable Insight: Keep an eye on the three-judge panels currently reviewing the congressional redistricting lawsuits. Their rulings in early 2026 will dictate whether your November 2026 vote happens under the old GOP-leaning maps or a new, more competitive set of boundaries.