On April 7, Wisconsin voters will choose a new justice for the state Supreme Court in a race that will determine who holds one of the most powerful judicial seats in Madison. Conservative state Court of Appeals Judge Maria Lazar will face liberal state Court of Appeals Judge Chris Taylor for a 10-year term on the state's highest court; the winner will help decide some of the biggest legal questions that come before Wisconsin’s judiciary.
The race is appearing on every ballot statewide and is one of several contests voters will encounter next Tuesday. Ahead of the election, Wisconsin Public Radio solicited questions from its audience about the issues they wanted the candidates to address, then put those topics directly to Lazar and Taylor in a candidate survey that forms the core of its Voter Guide.
Each candidate received the same set of survey questions and provided responses that are now available for side-by-side comparison in WPR’s guide. WPR said it reviewed submissions for inappropriate language but otherwise did not edit the answers, giving voters access to the candidates’ unvarnished positions as they campaign for the bench.
Both Lazar and Taylor are judges on the state Court of Appeals, and the contest has drawn attention because a seat on the Supreme Court can shape rulings on matters that affect Wisconsin law and policy for years. The winner’s decade-long term underscores the long-term stakes of this statewide judicial election.
In addition to the high-profile Supreme Court race, local and municipal contests are scheduled across Wisconsin on April 7. Voters who want to confirm which races, referenda or candidates appear on their individual ballots are encouraged to enter their address at myvote.wi.gov to view personalized ballot information and polling-place details.
WPR’s Voter Guide collection of the candidates’ survey responses is intended to help voters compare answers on the issues they prioritized. The public-facing guide, available through WPR, compiles the responses so voters can review how Lazar and Taylor addressed topics submitted by the news outlet’s audience in the lead-up to next week’s election.