Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate has a history of being a reliable vote for right-wing causes

GOP-backed Appeals Court Judge Marie Lazar has announced she’s running for a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Lazar has a history of restricting abortion and voting rights, and her 2022 appeals court race was driven by a right-wing extremist billionaire.

Conservative Judge Maria Lazar has launched a campaign for the Wisconsin Supreme Court. She’s already telling voters that her race will be different from the highly politicized elections that Wisconsinites have recently seen.

But UpNorthNews has confirmed that Lazar is backed by powerful right-wing political interests, just like those Wisconsin voters witnessed in the 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court race. Elon Musk, the biggest funder in Republican politics, endorsed conservative Brad Schimel in the April election. Musk poured millions into Schimels’s unsuccessful campaign, which Wisconsin voters overwhelmingly rejected to elect Judge Susan Crawford.

Similarly, Richard Uihlein, right-wing billionaire and mega donor backed Lazar in her 2022 Court of Appeals campaign, and is expected to be a major supporter again.

The Republican Party of Wisconsin is openly backing Lazar as well.

Lazar Mirrors Bradley

Lazar is running for a seat being vacated by conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley, with Lazar mirroring Bradley’s judicial philosophies and record—especially regarding reproductive and voting rights.

In a video posted to X, Lazar said she’s running to stop the “destruction” of the state Supreme Court.

“We need to draw a line in the sand,” she said.

Lazar, a 61-year-old from Brookfield, has a history of fighting for Republican causes.

Before she was elected as an appeals judge in Waukesha, Lazar served as a judge on the Waukesha County Circuit Court.

From 2010 to 2015, Lazar was the assistant attorney general under Republican Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen in former Republican Gov. Scott Walker’s administration. In that role, she defended Republican legislation around abortion access, voter ID, legislation that largely curbed public employees’ collective bargaining rights (called Act 10), state legislative maps, and more.

Rolling back rights

As assistant attorney general, Lazar represented the state in a case filed by Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin over a state law that required physicians performing abortions to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital—a rule that would have limited access to abortion care, increased wait times, and forced some clinics to close. Current Justice Susan Crawford represented Planned Parenthood in that case.

In her 2022 campaign for the Court of Appeals, Lazar was endorsed by both Wisconsin Right to Life and Pro-Life Wisconsin, which opposes any exceptions to abortions.

Restricting workers and voters

Also under Gov. Walker, Lazar defended a law that effectively ended collective bargaining for most public workers. Known as Act 10, the statute was upheld by the state Supreme Court in 2011 when conservative justices held the majority.

Act 10 stripped most public unions of their ability to negotiate beyond wages capped at inflation, eliminating bargaining over benefits and working conditions.

For teachers, Act 10 led to lower wages for teachers and increased turnover rates.

Act 10 could return to the state Supreme Court in the near future. In December 2024, a Dane County judge overturned the law but placed his ruling on hold, keeping the law in effect for now. The case could end up before the state’s high court, raising questions about whether Lazar could hear it, given her previous involvement.

Lazar also defended voter suppression laws passed by Republicans and signed by Walker.

Denying the defeat

In her run for the appeals court, Lazar was endorsed by several Republicans who sought to overturn President Joe Biden’s 2020 win in Wisconsin.

That includes former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman, who has agreed to have his law license suspended over wrongdoing related to his discredited investigation into the 2020 presidential election.

Importance of the Court

Decisions made by the Wisconsin Supreme Court have significant policy implications for the state. Recent rulings have overturned partisan decisions on gerrymandering, invalidated the state’s 1849 abortion ban, and affirmed the governor’s partial veto power.

The last term’s productivity was historically low, but legal analysts project that a busier 2025–26 term is likely, with more cases heard.

The winner of the April 2026 election will either secure the liberal-backed majority through at least 2030, or allow conservatives to build strength on the court.

A victory for Court of Appeals Judge Chris Taylor—who is running against Lazar—would expand the liberal majority to 5–2. A Lazar victory would lock the court into a more tenuous position for progressives, leaving open the possibility of conservatives retaking the majority in 2028.

Stakes of 2026

A shift in the court’s composition could affect many issues.

Redistricting: The liberal majority on the court has already ordered new, fairer state maps for voters. New challenges regarding congressional districts are expected, and the court’s ideological makeup could determine the fairness of Wisconsin’s representation in the US House.

Abortion laws: The court previously struck down the state’s 1849 abortion ban, but a stronger liberal majority could strengthen protections for reproductive rights, while a shift toward conservatives could lead to new bans on women’s health care.

Voting rights: The court can make decisions affecting voter access and election rules, including controversies surrounding absentee ballots and drop boxes.

Labor rights: The court is expected to take up a case challenging the controversial Act 10 legislation, which significantly limited collective bargaining rights for public sector unions.

The primary election is February 17, 2026. The general election is April 7, 2026. Check your registration and voting options here.