Democrats in Wisconsin Dominate State Supreme Court Race, Doubling Margin of Victory in Last Year’s Contest

Liberals on the Wisconsin supreme court will expand their majority to 5–2 after the Democratic Party-backed candidate won her race on Tuesday night. Her margin of victory — more than 20 points — is one of the best signs yet for Democrats’ prospects in November. The justices of the Wisconsin supreme court are elected in a statewide vote, and while the races are technically nonpartisan, the Democratic and Republican parties always line up behind a candidate. On Tuesday, Judge Chris Taylor was elected with about 60 percent of the vote over her opponent who took about 40 percent — nearly double the margin in last year’s race, which also saw the liberals win a seat on the court. Speaking to supporters on Tuesday night, Judge Taylor said she would stand up for Wisconsin’s democracy as the court’s newest justice. “Tonight, the people of Wisconsin stood up for our rights and freedoms, our democracy, our elections, and a strong state supreme court that will protect the independence of our beloved state,” she said. Judge Taylor and her conservative opponent had a more tamer campaign this year than the candidates in last year’s race had. In 2025, Elon Musk personally got involved in the race, campaigning in the state and handing out million-dollar checks to two voters who signed his pledge to stand for certain values. This year, only about $5 million was spent by the two candidates and the outside groups supporting them. Last year, it was more than $100 million. Though this year’s campaign received much less attention, it does put another important data point on the board for Democrats — their voters are much more motivated to get out and support their candidates. In the most liberal parts of the state — Dane County, which is home to Madison, and Milwaukee County, which is home to the city of the same name — turned out at much higher levels than rural areas. In Dane County, more than 365,000 voters turned out in the 2024 presidential election. On Tuesday, nearly 200,000 Dane County residents cast ballots — nearly 50 percent of the 2024 vote totals. Milwaukee County saw voter turnout reached more than one-third of 2024 levels. Judge Taylor even flipped a purple county outside of Milwaukee — Ozaukee County — where she won by just under five points. President Trump won the county by 11 points in 2024. Wisconsin wasn’t the only state where Democrats received heartening news ahead of this year’s midterms. In the race to succeed a former lawmaker, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Democratic candidate overperformed Vice President Kamala Harris’ margin by more than 20 points. The Democratic candidate in the race, General Shawn Harris, a farmer and former Army officer, took 43 percent of the vote, losing to his Republican opponent by fewer than 15 points. In 2024, Mr. Trump won Ms. Greene’s former district by 37 points.

Democrats in Wisconsin Dominate State Supreme Court Race, Doubling Margin of Victory in Last Year’s Contest

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