Chris Taylor, the Democratic-backed candidate for Wisconsin’s state Supreme Court, is projected to defeat Maria Lazar, the Republican-backed candidate, expanding the Court’s liberal majority, per CNN and NBC News. As NBC notes, Taylor’s win represents the fourth straight victory for Democratic-backed candidates in the state’s high court elections.
The outcome is in keeping with polls over the last few months, which consistently showed Taylor running ahead of Lazar, as well as Taylor’s fundraising and ad spending advantage over Lazar throughout the campaign cycle. That, coupled with liberal candidates’ double-digit victories in the last three state Supreme Court races, had Wisconsin Democrats feeling hopeful ahead of Tuesday night’s election.
Taylor spent the last week of the campaign barnstorming around the state and secured an endorsement from former President Barack Obama. Former Attorney General Eric Holder also stumped for the liberal candidate this last week. Taylor — an appeals court judge and former state legislator who previously worked for Planned Parenthood — campaigned on her support for reproductive rights and her opposition to recent cuts to safety net programs. Lazar, also an appeals court judge who worked for former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s (R) administration, campaigned on an anti-abortion position and tried to criticize Taylor’s political career, despite having one herself.
