Wisconsin Supreme Court Candidate Maria Lazar Talks Abortion, Impartiality at GOP Event

Lazar joined College Republicans at UW-Madison to discuss importance of judicial integrity ahead of April 7 election.

Published on Mar. 11, 2026

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Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Maria Lazar joined a group of less than 15 students at an event hosted by College Republicans of UW-Madison to discuss the importance of integrity on the bench. Lazar, who has worked as a Wisconsin Court of Appeals judge for four years and a Circuit Court judge for seven years prior, said she is running as a judge, not a politician. She criticized her opponent Chris Taylor's background with Planned Parenthood and a bill she proposed to remove Wisconsin's 20-week abortion term limit, saying Taylor is running a campaign to be a "legislator on the bench." Lazar said she stands firm in upholding the 20-week compromise unless Wisconsinites tell their legislators they would like that to change.

Why it matters

Wisconsin Supreme Court elections have seen mounting political influence in recent years, with last year's supreme court election becoming the most expensive judicial race in the nation's history. Lazar's comments highlight the ongoing debate over the role of politics in the judiciary and the importance of judicial impartiality.

The details

Lazar said she has worked as a Wisconsin Court of Appeals judge for four years and was a Circuit Court judge for seven years before that. She said she looked at the race and decided she could "do better" in terms of the integrity and face of the judiciary. Lazar aligned with the Republican Party of Wisconsin, while her opponent Chris Taylor aligned with the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. Lazar criticized Taylor's background with Planned Parenthood and a bill she proposed to remove Wisconsin's 20-week abortion term limit, saying Taylor is running a campaign to be a "legislator on the bench." Lazar said she stands firm in upholding the 20-week compromise unless Wisconsinites tell their legislators they would like that to change.

  • The April 7 election is coming up.

The players

Maria Lazar

A Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate who has worked as a Wisconsin Court of Appeals judge for four years and a Circuit Court judge for seven years prior.

Chris Taylor

Lazar's opponent, who has been working as a judge for the last six years, splitting time between the Dane County Circuit Court and her current position on the Court of Appeals. Prior to her judgeship, Taylor worked as the policy director for Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin and was a Democratic state representative for the city of Madison from 2011 until she joined the court of appeals in 2020.

College Republicans of UW-Madison

The group that hosted the event where Lazar spoke.

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What they’re saying

“If you have judges who act like legislators and say what the law is, you are going down a path toward tyranny.”

— Maria Lazar, Wisconsin Supreme Court Candidate

“It doesn't really matter if [Taylor] was a Democrat or Republican or Independent. She was a party member, and she's running a campaign to be a legislator on the bench, and that's what our court doesn't need.”

— Maria Lazar, Wisconsin Supreme Court Candidate

“I'm not an anti-abortion candidate. I recognize this issue is so difficult. I found out one of my close dear friends had an abortion during high school, and I never knew ... There's no way I would have told her not to do it. The only thing I would have done is held her hand.”

— Maria Lazar, Wisconsin Supreme Court Candidate

What’s next

The April 7 election is coming up, where voters will decide between Lazar and Taylor for the Wisconsin Supreme Court seat.

The takeaway

This race highlights the ongoing debate over the role of politics in the judiciary and the importance of judicial impartiality. Voters will have to weigh the candidates' backgrounds and views on issues like abortion as they decide who should serve on the state's highest court.