Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 2026

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Maria S. Lazar and Chris Taylor are running in the general election for Wisconsin Supreme Court on April 7, 2026. Incumbent Rebecca Bradley is not running for re-election.

Wisconsin’s Supreme Court elections are officially nonpartisan, but candidates often take stances on specific issues and receive backing from the state's political parties. Lazar's campaign website says she is not a member of a political party. Media outlets have identified her as a conservative, and she worked in the state's attorney general's office under J.B. Van Hollen (R). Taylor is a former Democratic member of the Wisconsin Assembly.

According to the Associated Press' Scott Bauer, "The winner is elected to a 10-year term on the state’s highest court, with several hot-button issues pending including challenges to congressional district maps and the future of a state law that effectively ended collective bargaining for most public workers. The next justice will be on the court in the lead-up to the November midterm election where Wisconsin voters will elect a new governor and decide who controls the state Legislature."

Lazar is a judge for District II of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals. She was a judge on the Waukesha County Circuit Court from 2015 to 2021 and an assistant attorney general for the Wisconsin Department of Justice from 2010 to 2015. Before that, she worked in private practice.

On her campaign website, Lazar describes her judicial philosophy: "First, our written laws are a fundamental pillar in our democracy, and a judge must be independent of agendas, parties, and bias. Next, the law is to be a level playing field: no person is above or beneath the law."

Taylor is a judge for District IV of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals. She was a judge on the Dane County Circuit Court from 2020 to 2023 and a Democratic state legislator from 2011 to 2020. She also previously worked as the public policy director for Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin.

Taylor's campaign website said, "Her judicial philosophy is people-centered, grounded in making sure individuals get a fair chance in our courts, and that their Constitutional rights are protected. ... She is a strong advocate for maintaining the independence of the judiciary, which must also serve as a check on the other branches of government."

Liberals are expected to have a majority on the court until at least 2028. Bradley is a member of the court's conservative minority. If Lazar wins, the court would maintain its 4-3 liberal majority. If Taylor wins, the liberal majority would increase from 4-3 to 5-2.

Liberals first won a 4-3 majority in the April 2023 election, when Protasiewicz won an open seat, defeating Daniel Kelly 55.4% to 44.4% and shifting ideological control of the Court for the first time in 15 years. In April 2025, liberals retained their 4-3 majority, when Susan Crawford defeated Brad Schimel 55.0% to 44.9%. The last time a conservative won an election for Wisconsin Supreme Court was in 2019, when Brian Hagedorn defeated Lisa Neubauer 50.2% to 49.7%.

Campaign finance reports covering the second half of 2025 show that Taylor raised $2 million, and Lazar raised $198,000 by Dec. 31. The 2023 and 2025 races broke records as the most expensive judicial races in U.S. history. According to WisPolitics, the candidates and satellite groups spent more than $100 million in the 2025 election and more than $56 million in the 2023 election.

The 2025 election also had record voter turnout for a Wisconsin spring election in a non-presidential election year at 50%. The previous record was in 2023, when turnout was 39.7%. Turnout in Wisconsin’s November 2024 general election was 73% and turnout in November 2022 was 57.2%.

Wisconsin is also holding elections for three intermediate appellate court judges in April 2026. In November 2026, the state will hold elections for U.S. House and governor, as well as various other state executive and state legislative offices.

On this page, you will find:

• Voting dates and deadlines
• Information about the court
• The political composition of the court
• The judicial selection process
• A brief history of elections to the court

Recent updates

This section includes a timeline of events leading up to the election, such as debates, polls, and noteworthy endorsements. Know of something we missed? Let us know.

• January 15, 2026

  In their mid-January campaign finance reports filed with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission, which cover activity between July 1, 2025, and December 31, 2025, Taylor reported raising $2 million, and Lazar reported raising $198,000.

• January 6, 2026

  The filing deadline passed and the primary was cancelled.

Candidates and results

Rebecca Bradley's seat

General election

General election for Wisconsin Supreme Court

Maria S. Lazar and Chris Taylor are running in the general election for Wisconsin Supreme Court on April 7, 2026.

		Candidate
		Maria S. Lazar (Nonpartisan)
		Chris Taylor (Nonpartisan)

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	There are no incumbents in this race.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. Maria S. Lazar and Chris Taylor advanced from the primary for Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Voting information

See also: Voting in Wisconsin

Election information in Wisconsin: Aug. 11, 2026, election.

What is the voter registration deadline?

• In-person: Aug. 11, 2026
• By mail: Postmarked by July 22, 2026
• Online: July 22, 2026

Is absentee/mail-in voting available to all voters?

N/A

What is the absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline?

• In-person: Aug. 9, 2026
• By mail: Received by Aug. 6, 2026
• Online: Aug. 6, 2026

What is the absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline?

• In-person: Aug. 11, 2026
• By mail: Received by Aug. 11, 2026

Is early voting available to all voters?

Yes

What are the early voting start and end dates?

July 28, 2026 to Aug. 9, 2026

Are all voters required to present ID at the polls? If so, is a photo or non-photo ID required?

N/A

When are polls open on Election Day?

7:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. (CT)

About the Wisconsin Supreme Court

See also: Wisconsin Supreme Court

The Wisconsin Supreme Court is the highest appellate court in the state of Wisconsin. Seven justices, selected in nonpartisan elections for 10-year terms, sit on the state's court of last resort. The court has jurisdiction over all other Wisconsin courts and can also hear original actions.

Political composition

This is the political composition of the court heading into the 2026 election.

■ Susan Crawford		Elected in 2025
■ Rebecca Bradley		Appointed by Gov. Scott Walker (R) in 2015
■ Rebecca Dallet		Elected in 2018
■ Brian Hagedorn		Elected in 2019
■ Jill Karofsky		Elected in 2020
■ Janet Claire Protasiewicz		Elected in 2023
■ Annette Ziegler		Elected in 2007

Selection

The seven justices of the Wisconsin Supreme Court are elected in statewide nonpartisan elections. Judges serve ten-year terms, and to remain on the court, they must run for re-election after their term expires. Only one seat may be elected in any year, and more than two candidates for each seat must file to have a primary.

Qualifications

To serve on the supreme court, a judge must be:

• licensed to practice law in Wisconsin for a minimum of five years immediately prior to election or appointment
• under the age of 70.

Chief justice

The chief justice of the court is selected by peer vote for a term of two years.

Vacancies

See also: How vacancies are filled in state supreme courts

In the event of a vacancy on the court, the governor has the power and duty to appoint an individual to the vacancy. The governor screens judicial applicants using an advisory council on judicial selection. The council recommends three to five candidates to the governor, although the governor is not bound by their recommendations. The appointed justice must then stand for election in the first subsequent year in which no other justice's term expires.

The map below highlights how vacancies are filled in state supreme courts across the country.

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Maria S. Lazar

Incumbent: No

Political Office: 

• Waukesha County Circuit Court (2015-2021)
•  Wisconsin Court of Appeals, District II (Assumed office: 2022)

Biography:  Lazar earned a B.A. in history from Mount Mary University in 1986 and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 1989. She worked in private practice from 1989 to 2010 and was an assistant attorney general for the Wisconsin Department of Justice from 2010 to 2015.

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Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

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Lazar said she was running to "stop the destruction of our courts" and that "judicial ethics have been thrown out the window and candidates have openly campaigned on how they would rule in future cases." She also said, "As I campaign, I will tell you how I’ve ruled on important issues, how I make my decisions, and promise to never be swayed by political considerations."

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Lazar's campaign website said, "A judge must remember that there are three separate branches of government, and she should be cognizant of the judiciary’s role. ... It is the judiciary’s role to say what the law 'is' not what we believe it should be."

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Lazar's campaign website said she adhered to the following judicial principles: "First, our written laws are a fundamental pillar in our democracy, and a judge must be independent of agendas, parties, and bias. Next, the law is to be a level playing field: no person is above or beneath the law."

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Show sources

Sources: Maria Lazar 2026 campaign website, "Why I am running," accessed January 23, 2026;Maria Lazar 2026 campaign website, "Judicial Philosophy," accessed January 23, 2026; Wisconsin Court System, "Judge Maria S. Lazar," accessed January 23, 2026

Chris Taylor

Incumbent: No

Political Office: 

• Wisconsin State Assembly, District 76 (2011-2020)
• Dane County Circuit Court (2020-2023)
• Wisconsin Court of Appeals (Assumed office: 2023)

Biography:  Taylor earned a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1990 and a J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1995. Her career experience included working as the public policy director at Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin from 2011 to 2020. Previously, she worked at the firms Associate, Adelman, Adelman & Hynes; Associate, Relles, Meeker & Borns; and Associate, Balisle & Roberson.

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Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

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Taylor's campaign website said, "Her judicial philosophy is people-centered, grounded in making sure individuals get a fair chance in our courts, and that their Constitutional rights are protected."

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On judicial independence, Taylor's campaign website said, "She is a strong advocate for maintaining the independence of the judiciary, which must also serve as a check on the other branches of government."

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Taylor's campaign website highlighted her time in the state Assembly and at Planned Parenthood, saying she "used her legal training to protect and enhance people’s rights, strengthen our democracy, and ensure access to affordable health care and fair wages" and advocated "for each individual to make their own personal, private health care decisions."

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Show sources

Sources: Chris Taylor 2026 campaign website, ''Meet Chris," accessed January 26, 2026; Wisconsin Court System, "Judge Chris Taylor," accessed January 26, 2026

Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

No candidate in this race completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign ads

Maria Lazar

"Judge Maria Lazar launches campaign for Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice"  – Lazar campaign ad, released October 1, 2025

"Maria's Path"  – Lazar campaign ad, released December 19, 2025

View more ads here:

• YouTube
• Facebook

Chris Taylor

Ballotpedia did not come across any campaign ads for Chris Taylor while conducting research on this election. If you are aware of any ads that should be included, please email us.

Debates and forums

If you are aware of any debates, candidate forums, or other similar events where multiple candidates in this race participated, please email us.

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

We provide results for polls that are included in polling aggregation from RealClearPolitics, when available. We will regularly check for polling aggregation for this race and add polls here once available. To notify us of polls available for this race, please email us.

Noteworthy endorsements

Click the links below to see endorsement lists published on candidate campaign websites, if available. If you are aware of a website that should be included, please email us.

• Chris Taylor

Campaign finance

Satellite spending

See also: Satellite spending

Satellite spending describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.

If available, satellite spending reports by the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and OpenSecrets.org are linked below. FEC links include totals from monthly, quarterly, and semi-annual reports. OpenSecrets.org compiles data from those reports as well as 24- and 48-hour reports from the FEC.

Details about satellite spending of significant amounts and/or reported by media are included below those links. The amounts listed may not represent the total satellite spending in the election. To notify us of additional satellite spending, email us.

Election history

Overview

General election vote margins

2025

2023

Earlier results

Conservatives gained a 4-3 majority on the court in 2008 following the election of Michael Gableman. Conservatives held an expanded 5-2 majority from 2016-2018 and again from 2019-2020. Liberals gained a majority on the court in 2023 following the election of Janet Claire Protasiewicz.

The chart below details Wisconsin Supreme Court elections between 2005 and 2023.

Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 2005-2025

Year	Winning candidate	Ideological lean	Percent share of vote	Losing candidate	Ideological lean	Percent share of vote	Margin of victory	Majority on court	Turnout	Other statewide elections on ballot
2025	Susan Crawford	Liberal	55.0%	Brad Schimel	Conservative	44.9%	10.1%	4-3	50.1%	State Superintendent of Public Instruction
2023	Janet Claire Protasiewicz	Liberal	55.4%	Daniel Kelly	Conservative	44.4%	11.0%	4-3	39.3%	None
2020	Jill Karofsky	Liberal	55.2%	Daniel Kelly	Conservative	44.7%	10.5%	4-3	45.8%	Primary election - U.S. President
2019	Brian Hagedorn	Conservative	50.2%	Lisa Neubauer	Liberal	49.7%	0.5%	5-2	26.6%	None
2018	Rebecca Dallet	Liberal	55.8%	Michael Screnock	Conservative	44.2%	11.5%	4-3	22.2%	None
2017	Annette Ziegler (incumbent)	Conservative	97.2%	Write-in	--	2.8%	94.4%	5-2	~16%	State Superintendent of Public Instruction
2016	Rebecca Bradley (incumbent)	Conservative	52.4%	JoAnne Kloppenburg	Liberal	47.5%	4.9%	5-2	47.4%	Primary election - U.S. President
2015	Ann Walsh Bradley (incumbent)	Liberal	58.1%	James Daley	Conservative	41.9%	16.2%	4-3	18.3%	None
2013	Patience Roggensack (incumbent)	Conservative	57.5%	Ed Fallone	Liberal	42.5%	15%	4-3	20.5%	State Superintendent of Public Instruction
2011	David T. Prosser (incumbent)	Conservative	50.2%	JoAnne Kloppenburg	Liberal	49.7%	0.5%	4-3	34.3%	None
2009	Shirley Abrahamson (incumbent)	Liberal	59.6%	Randy Koschnick	Conservative	40.2%	19.4%	4-3	18.2%	None
2008	Michael Gableman	Conservative	51.1%	Louis Butler (incumbent)	Liberal	48.5%	2.6%	4-3	19.3%	None
2007	Annette Ziegler	Conservative	58.6%	Linda M. Clifford	Liberal	41.1%	17.5%	4-3	19.4%	None
2006	N. Patrick Crooks (incumbent)	Liberal	99.4%	Write-in	--	0.6%	98.8%	4-3	11.8%	None
2005	Ann Walsh Bradley (incumbent)	Liberal	99.6%	Write-in	--	0.4%	99.2%	4-3	17.1%	State Superintendent of Public Instruction

Main article: Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 2025

Susan Crawford defeated Brad Schimel in the nonpartisan general election for a 10-year term on the Wisconsin Supreme Court on April 1, 2025. Incumbent Justice Ann Walsh Bradley did not run for re-election. The filing deadline was January 7, 2025. The primary scheduled for February 18, 2025, was canceled after only two candidates filed to run.

Wisconsin’s Supreme Court elections are officially nonpartisan, but candidates often take stances on specific issues and receive backing from the state's political parties during their campaigns. The state’s Democratic Party endorsed Crawford, and Schimel was the former Republican attorney general.

With Crawford's win, liberals retained a 4-3 majority on the court. Liberals first won a 4-3 majority in the April 2023 election, when Judge Janet Protasiewicz won an open seat, defeating Daniel Kelly 55.4% to 44.4% shifting ideological control of the court for the first time in 15 years.

Crawford was a judge on the Dane County Circuit Court. She previously worked as an attorney for the state attorney general’s office and as legal counsel to former Gov. James Doyle (D). Crawford said she ran to "protect the basic rights and freedoms of Wisconsinites under our constitution." She said she would focus on safety when making decisions: "I believe people in Wisconsin deserve to feel safe as they go about their lives . . . My top priority in making decisions is always to make our communities safer." Crawford campaigned on keeping the current balance on the court intact, and said, "For the first time in years, we have a majority on the court focused on getting the facts right, following the law, and protecting our constitutional rights. We can’t risk having that progress reversed." In addition to the state Democratic Party, Justices Ann Walsh Bradley, Rebecca Dallet, Jill Karofsky, and Janet Protasiewicz — who local media outlets described as the court’s four liberal justices — also endorsed Crawford.

Schimel was a judge on the Waukesha County Circuit Court and was the state’s attorney general from 2015 to 2019. Schimel said he ran to "restore confidence in the people of Wisconsin that the justice system will be fair and impartial. I will be honest about my principles, but will never prejudge a case." Schimel’s website said he "dedicated his career to defending victims, supporting law enforcement, and ensuring that criminals are held accountable." Schimel criticized the court for "impos[ing] on the people of this state their will, rather than impartial judgment based on the law." He campaigned on changing the balance of the court and said, "There is no check on this new liberal Supreme Court majority. . . . The only check on them is to take back the majority by winning in 2025.” President Donald Trump (R) and the Wisconsin Professional Police Association received Schimel.

According to WisPolitics, the candidates and satellite groups spent more than $100 million on the race.This surpassed the 2023 election as the most expensive judicial race in U.S. history. According to WisPolitics, candidates and satellite groups spent more than $56 million in the 2023 election. As of March 24, Crawford raised $21.8 million and spent $21.4 million, and Schimel raised $10 million and spent $9.5 million. Click here to learn more about spending in this race.

Media outlets covering the race wrote that the outcome could affect rulings on issues such as the state’s abortion laws, union rules, and the redistricting process. University of Wisconsin-Madison professor Barry Burden said, "I think the Supreme Court races have become as important as any other race in the state. It’s become the one election that really decides the direction of the state."

Main article: Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 2023

Janet Protasiewicz defeated Daniel Kelly in the nonpartisan general election for Wisconsin Supreme Court on April 4, 2023. Protasiewicz's election meant the balance of the court would switch from a 4-3 conservative majority to a 4-3 liberal majority for the first time in 15 years.

The election determined who would succeed retiring conservative Justice Patience Roggensack, whose term expired in July 2023. While supreme court elections are officially nonpartisan, justices and candidates are considered to be liberal or conservative. With Roggensack—a member of the court's conservative majority—retiring, the general election determined the ideological control of the court.

Wisconsin media identified abortion, election administration, and legislative redistricting as legal issues the court could address following the election. For media analysis and commentary on this election, click here.

At the time of the election, Protasiewicz, a former assistant district attorney, had served on the Milwaukee County Circuit Court since 2014. After the primary, Protasiewicz said, "We're saving our democracy in the state of Wisconsin. … I'm talking about the ability to vote, to have a vote that counts about women's rights, reproductive freedoms, the fact that the 2024 presidential election results could likely come into our Supreme Court chamber, just everything people care about."

Kelly previously served on the supreme court from 2016, when Gov. Scott Walker (R) appointed him to fill a vacancy, to 2020, when he lost re-election to Jill Karofsky 55.2% to 44.7%. As a result of that election, the supreme court went from a 5-2 conservative majority to a 4-3 conservative one. Ahead of the 2023 election, Kelly said, "If an activist were to win next April, Wisconsin's public policy would be imposed by four lawyers sitting in Madison instead of being adopted through our constitutional processes. I won't let that happen on my watch.

At a March 21 debate, Protasiewicz criticized Kelly for accepting the endorsements of organizations that opposed abortion and said Kelly would support keeping in place an 1849 state law that prohibited abortion in most cases. She also accused Kelly of advising state Republican officials who planned on sending an alternate slate of electors to Washington D.C. after the 2020 election.

Kelly criticized Protasiewicz for accepting contributions from the state Democratic Party and said those contributions might influence her actions as a member of the court. Kelly also criticized Protasiewicz for publicly stating her views on issues that could come before the court, including abortion and legislative redistricting. To view recordings and summaries of the debate, click here.

The three liberal justices on the court—Rebecca Dallet, Ann Walsh Bradley, and Jill Karofsky—endorsed Protasieweicz. EMILY's List, a political action committee dedicated to electing Democratic women who support abortion, also endorsed Protasiewicz.

Conservative justices Roggensack, Rebecca Bradley, and Annette Ziegler endorsed Kelly. The groups Wisconsin Right to Life, Wisconsin Family Action, and Pro-Life Wisconsin also endorsed Kelly.

The election set a new record for campaign spending in state judicial elections. According to WisPolitics, candidates and satellite groups spent more than $56 million in the 2023 election. This was more than three times the $15 million spent in the previous record holder, a 2004 Illinois Supreme Court race.

Voters also decided a state constitutional amendment that would increase the discretion judges have to impose cash bail on people accused of violent crimes. According to NBC's Sam Edelman, the amendment could affect the turnout for the supreme court election. Click here to learn more.

Protasiewicz and Kelly were the top two vote-getters among the four candidates who ran in the February 21 nonpartisan primary.. Protasiewicz received 46.5% of the primary vote, and Kelly received 24.2%. Waukesha County Circuit Judge Jennifer Dorow, a conservative candidate, and Dane County Circuit Judge Everett Mitchell, a liberal candidate, received 21.9% and 7.5%, respectively. Together, Protasiewicz and Mitchell received 53.9% of the vote to Kelly and Dorow's combined 46.1%.

As of 2023, Wisconsin had a divided government. The governor was Democrat Tony Evers, while the Republican Party controlled both chambers of the state legislature.

To view the electoral history dating back to 2008 for the office of Wisconsin Supreme Court, click [show] to expand the section.

2020 Main article: Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 2020 Jill Karofsky defeated incumbent Daniel Kelly in the nonpartisan April 7 election for a 10-year term on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Karofsky received 55.3% of the vote to Kelly's 44.7%. The election followed weeks of debate among state leaders over whether to postpone the election or adjust election procedure in response to the coronavirus pandemic. In-person voting took place as scheduled on April 7. The absentee ballot mail return deadline was extended from April 7 to April 13, although ballots submitted via mail needed to be postmarked by April 7 in order to be valid. Click here for more. Although the race was officially nonpartisan, Kelly was a member of the court's conservative majority and received support from conservative groups. Karofsky said she would join the court's liberal minority and received support from liberal groups. Karofsky's win reduced the size of the court's conservative majority to 4-3, meaning that the 2023 election determined control of the court, assuming no justices left the bench early. A Kelly win would have prevented control of the court from changing until the 2026 election at the earliest. Recent elections to the Wisconsin Supreme Court had been decided by narrow margins. In 2019, conservative Brian Hagedorn defeated liberal Lisa Neubauer by a 0.5 percent margin. Aside from the 2017 election in which incumbent Annette Ziegler was unopposed, the widest margin of victory in the preceding decade was liberal incumbent Ann Walsh Bradley's 16.2 percent win in 2015. Kelly was running for a full term on the court after Gov. Scott Walker (R) appointed him in 2016 to replace David T. Prosser, who retired. He said he had a broader range of experience than Karofsky, including as a prosecutor, defense attorney, and litigator. Karofsky was first elected to the Dane County Circuit Court in 2017. She said her experience as a trial court judge made her the most qualified candidate since she had firsthand experience seeing the effects of state supreme court rulings on residents. Both candidates said they were running to counter politicization on the court. Kelly said judges should decide cases based on their interpretation of the law rather than their political preferences, while Karofsky said Kelly had a record of ruling in favor of conservative groups. In the February 18 primary, Kelly received 50.1% of the vote to Karofsky's 37.2%. A third candidate, Ed Fallone, was eliminated. Click here for more on the primary. 2019 See also: Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 2019 Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge Brian Hagedorn defeated Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge Lisa Neubauer in the nonpartisan election for a 10-year term on the Wisconsin Supreme Court on April 2, 2019. Hagedorn won with 50% support. The seat was previously held by Justice Shirley Abrahamson, a member of the court's 4-3 liberal minority at the time of the election. Abrahamson did not run for re-election. Although the election was officially nonpartisan, groups associated with the Democratic Party tended to support Neubauer while groups associated with the Republican Party tended to support Hagedorn. General election General election for Wisconsin Supreme Court Candidate % Votes ✔ Brian Hagedorn (Nonpartisan)   50.2   606,414 Lisa Neubauer (Nonpartisan)   49.7   600,433   Other/Write-in votes   0.1   722 There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source Total votes: 1,207,569 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. 2018 See also: Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 2018 Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Rebecca Dallet won the nonpartisan election for a 10-year term on the Wisconsin Supreme Court against Sauk County Circuit Judge Michael Screnock on April 3, 2018. Dallet won with 56 percent support. The seat was previously held by Justice Michael Gableman, a member of the court's 5-2 conservative majority at the time of the election, who did not seek re-election. Although the election was officially nonpartisan, groups associated with the Democratic Party tended to support Dallet while groups associated with the Republican Party tended to support Screnock. Wisconsin Supreme Court, 2018 Candidate Vote % Votes Rebecca Dallet 55.72% 555,848 Michael Screnock 44.19% 440,808 Total Votes (3880/3880 precincts) 996,656 Source: Wisconsin Elections Commission 2017 See also: Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 2017 Candidates ■ Annette Ziegler (Incumbent/Unopposed) One seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court was up for election in 2017. Justice Annette Ziegler was elected to the court in 2007 for a 10-year term and needed to stand for re-election in 2017 in order to serve another term. She ran unopposed. Because she was unopposed, the seat did not appear on the ballot in Wisconsin's February primary election but instead appeared only on the ballot for the April 4 general election. 2016 See also: Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 2016 Wisconsin Supreme Court, Rebecca Bradley's Seat, 2016 Candidate Vote % Votes Rebecca Bradley Incumbent 52.35% 1,024,892 JoAnne Kloppenburg 47.47% 929,377 Write-in votes 0.19% 3,678 Total Votes (100% Reporting) 1,957,947 Source: Wisconsin Government Accountability Board Official Results One seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court was up for election in 2016. Following the death of Justice N. Patrick Crooks on September 21, 2015, Rebecca Bradley was appointed to the Wisconsin Supreme Court by Governor Scott Walker (R) on October 9, 2015. Earlier in September, Crooks had announced his plans to retire at the end of his term. Bradley had already announced a run for Crooks' seat before his death. Bradley and opponent JoAnne Kloppenburg received the highest number of votes for Bradley's seat in the primary on February 16, 2016, knocking Joe Donald out of the race. Bradley and Kloppenburg then faced each other in the sharply contested April general election. Bradley won. The race had the highest voter turnout for a supreme court race in Wisconsin state history, with over 1,900,000 votes cast. 2015 See also: Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 2015 See also: Wisconsin judicial elections, 2015   General election, 2015 Candidate Vote % Votes Ann Walsh Bradley Incumbent 58.1% 471,866 James Daley 41.9% 340,632 Total Votes 813,200 One seat was open for election on the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2015. Incumbent Justice Ann Walsh Bradley defeated Rock County Circuit Court Judge James Daley in the general election on April 7, 2015. Although the election was nonpartisan, Bradley is considered to be part of the liberal minority on the court. If Daley won, conservatives would have held a five-member majority on the seven-member court. Justice Bradley was elected to the court in 1995 and re-elected in 2005. She previously served as a circuit court judge for 10 years in Marathon County. Judge Daley joined the Rock County Circuit Court since 1989. 2013 See also: Wisconsin judicial elections, 2013 Candidate Incumbency Position Primary Vote Election Vote RoggensackPatience Roggensack      FalloneEd Fallone  No 29.8%A 42.47%   A MegnaVince Megna  No 6.3%   One seat was open for election on the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2013. Incumbent Justice Patience Roggensack defeated law professor Ed Fallone in the general election on April 2, 2013. Although the election was nonpartisan, Roggensack is considered to be a member of the court's conservative majority. If Fallone had won, control of the court would have gone to the liberal wing. Justice Roggensack was first elected to the court in 2003. She previously served for seven years on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals and for 16 years as an attorney in private practice. 2011 See also: Wisconsin judicial elections, 2011 Candidate Incumbency Position Primary Vote Election Vote KloppenburgJoAnne Kloppenburg     No District IV 49.70%   A ProsserDavid T. Prosser   A Yes 50.192%   A WinnigJoel Winnig     No   StephensMarla J. Stephens     No   One seat was open for election on the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2011. Incumbent Justice David T. Prosser defeated Assistant Attorney General JoAnne Kloppenburg in the general election on April 5, 2011. Although the election was nonpartisan, Prosser is considered to be a member of the court's conservative majority. If Kloppenburg had won, control of the court would have gone to the liberal wing. Justice Prosser was first appointed to the court in 1998 by Gov. Tommy Thompson (R) and was elected to a full term in 2001. He had previously served on the Wisconsin Tax Appeals Commission and in the Wisconsin State Assembly. 2009 Candidate Incumbent Seat Election votes Election % Shirley Abrahamson A Yes 473,712 59.6% Randy Koschnick No 319,706 40.2% 2008 See also: State Supreme Court elections, 2008 Incumbent Louis Butler was defeated by challenger Michael Gableman. Candidate Incumbent Seat Election votes Election % Michael Gableman A No 425,101 51.1% Louis Butler Yes 402,798 48.5%

2026 battleground elections

See also: Battlegrounds

This is a battleground election. Other 2026 battleground elections include:

• Board of Supervisors elections in San Francisco, California (2026)
• Nevada gubernatorial election, 2026
• United States Senate special election in Florida, 2026

See also

Wisconsin	Judicial Selection	More Courts
Courts in Wisconsin Wisconsin Court of Appeals Wisconsin Supreme Court Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 2025	Elections: 2026 • 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 Gubernatorial appointments Judicial selection in Wisconsin	Federal courts State courts Local courts

External links

• Search Google News for this topic
• Wisconsin Supreme Court

Footnotes

Wisconsin courts

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Federal courts:

Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Wisconsin, Western District of Wisconsin • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Wisconsin, Western District of Wisconsin

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Wisconsin Supreme Court • Wisconsin Court of Appeals • Wisconsin Circuit Courts • Wisconsin Municipal Courts

State resources:

Courts in Wisconsin • Wisconsin judicial elections • Judicial selection in Wisconsin

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