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Maria Lazar
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Maria Lazar

Wisconsin conservative judge who lost the 2026 Supreme Court race by 20 points.

Last refreshed: 12 April 2026

Key Question

What does Lazar's 20-point loss tell us about 2026 midterm momentum?

Timeline for Maria Lazar

#28 Apr

Defeated Appeals Judge candidate

US Midterms 2026: Wisconsin Liberals Lock 5-2 Court Majority
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Common Questions
Who lost the 2026 Wisconsin Supreme Court race?
Conservative candidate Maria Lazar lost to liberal incumbent Chris Taylor by approximately 20 points on 7 April 2026, flipping 29 Trump-voting counties and expanding the liberal court majority from 4-3 to 5-2.Source: Wisconsin election results, April 2026
What does the Wisconsin Supreme Court result mean for 2026 midterms?
The 20-point margin was FAR larger than expected and interpreted as a leading indicator of strong Democratic enthusiasm. It came alongside a national 8.8-point generic ballot swing toward Democrats, reinforcing the view that Republican incumbents in swing districts face serious risk.Source: Election analysts, April 2026
What power does the Wisconsin Supreme Court have after the 2026 election?
The 5-2 liberal majority controls redistricting litigation, abortion rights cases, and election law disputes. It is positioned to approve Democratic congressional maps and uphold state abortion protections.Source: Wisconsin court jurisdiction

Background

Maria Lazar was the conservative candidate in Wisconsin's 7 April 2026 Supreme Court election, losing to liberal incumbent Chris Taylor by approximately 20 percentage points. The margin was unusually large for a Wisconsin Supreme Court race, which has historically produced narrow results. Taylor's victory flipped 29 Trump-voting counties and expanded the liberal bloc's majority from 4-3 to 5-2, securing liberal control of the court until at least 2030.

Lazar ran as a former Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge and was backed by conservative legal organisations and the state Republican Party. Outside spending in the race reached record levels for a Wisconsin judicial contest. The result was interpreted by election analysts as a leading indicator of Democratic enthusiasm ahead of the November 2026 midterms, particularly given the concurrent 20-point generic ballot swing nationally.

Wisconsin's Supreme Court controls redistricting litigation, abortion rights cases, and election law disputes. With a 5-2 liberal majority, the court is positioned to hear and likely approve a Democratic congressional gerrymander if the legislature produces one, and to uphold the abortion protections enshrined in the state constitution after Roe v. Wade was overturned.