Previous elections were between conservatives and progressives, but Taylor says it’s now a case of independent courts vs. an authoritarian president.
This year’s race for a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court looked like it was going to be a blockbuster, then the initial drama fizzled out — but candidate and Appeals Court Judge Chris Taylor says the April 7 election is even more important than previous races because of President Donald Trump’s willingness to attack Americans’ basic legal rights and disregard the US Constitution.
Taylor, a former Democratic state representative, has been a judge on circuit and appeals courts since 2020 and sees the need to defend an independent judiciary.
“It’s so important,” Taylor said, “because we are in a situation now where we’re seeing the erosion of our rights and freedoms at the federal level. We see the federal government attempting to come into our state and infringe on our independence. And so I don’t think it’s ever been more important in my lifetime to have a strong court to stand up for the people of Wisconsin, to defend their rights, to make sure that our elections are respected, and to make sure that we hold the other branches of government accountable when they act unconstitutionally and unlawfully, including the overreach of the federal government.”
WATCH: Live online forum with Judge Taylor and Rep. Greta Neubauer
Taylor spoke during an UpNorthNews virtual forum about the upcoming election to fill the seat of retiring conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley, who surprised many with her decision last August not to defend her seat from his challenge. Instead, Taylor will compete with Appeals Court Judge Maria Lazar, who has not shied away from her conservative approach to the law, seemingly in line with what Trump and other Republicans want — including on abortion rights.
Taylor and Lazar differ on reproductive freedom
“My opponent has said that the overturning of Roe v. Wade was very wise,” Taylor said of Lazar. “She is running an ad currently where she actually says her agenda is to defend abortion restrictions. She has indicated that a six week abortion ban, before women even know they’re pregnant, would be A-OK with her. And she’s been supported by groups that not only oppose abortion in every instance, in the most tragic instances, but oppose fertility treatment and contraception. That’s how extreme my opponent is.”
Before becoming a legislator and a judge, Taylor was the law and policy director for Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin and said she would “protect women’s ability to make their own personal, private healthcare decisions.”
Taylor seeks to defend freedom of speech
Where Lazar sees the public protests against the Trump administration’s violent arrests of immigrants and protesters as a federal issue, Taylor sees state courts as necessary to protect the freedoms of speech and due process.
“I think that we have seen a real attack on our rights to raise our voices and peacefully protest,” Taylor said. “That is as American as apple pie. And in the state of Wisconsin, we have a really robust provision in our state constitution, which protects our right to peacefully protest and raise our voices. We have seen the erosion of rights to just walk down the street and not be subjected to unreasonable government intrusion.”
Free and fair elections in Wisconsin are threatened
Taylor understands the critical role the Wisconsin Supreme Court could play in protecting voting rights and the state’s primary role in conducting elections, especially given Trump’s ongoing effort to use the federal government to coerce states and Congress into taking actions that threaten free and fair elections. Trump nearly convinced the conservatives justices who controlled the court in 2020 to halt Wisconsin’s reporting of a win for President Joe Biden.
“I am passionate about making sure every eligible citizen can vote and that vote is counted,” Taylor said. “Those are things I’ve worked on in the Legislature and in my law practice. And let me also add, I am running against someone who has been supported in the past by the same people that led the charge to overturn our 2020 election. She [Lazar] is not going to protect our democracy, our rights, or the valid results of our elections, and I am running to do just that.”
