Democratic-backed candidate Chris Taylor won a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court on April 7, expanding the court’s liberal majority.

Taylor, who serves on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, defeated conservative-backed Maria Lazar, a fellow appellate judge, in the race for the seat held by Rebecca Bradley, who did not seek reelection.

“Once again, Wisconsin showed the entire nation that we believe that the people should be at the center of government and the priority of our judiciary, not the billionaires, not the most powerful and privileged, but the people,” Taylor said in her victory speech.

With Taylor’s victory, the liberal majority on the court will grow to 5-2, securing control until at least 2030. Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee President Heather Williams said the win signals “changing tides in Wisconsin.”

“For over a decade, Republicans weaponized a comfortable court majority to enable extreme GOP gerrymandering, but through concerted efforts over multiple elections, we have shifted the balance of power on this court to win the largest liberal majority in modern history,” Williams said in a statement.

“Our next step is taking this same strategy to the state legislature, where we are poised to flip both chambers blue this November.”

Taylor previously served on the Dane County Circuit Court in 2020 before being elected to the Wisconsin Court of Appeals in 2023, according to her campaign website.

Her campaign largely centered on abortion rights. Prior to entering legislative work, Taylor worked as an attorney and policy director for Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin.

Lazar previously served as an assistant attorney general and spent two decades in private practice, which focused mostly on complex litigation and bankruptcy matters, according to her campaign page.

Following the result, Wisconsin Republican Party Chair Brian Schimming called for Republicans to “stay united and continue fighting for our conservative values.”

Justice Annette Ziegler, a conservative first elected to the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2007 and reelected in 2017, said on March 30 that she will not seek reelection after her term ends in 2027.

“After three decades on the bench, now is the right time for me to step away to spend more time with my husband, kids and grandkids. I will, therefore, not be seeking reelection to the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2027,” Ziegler said in a statement. “I look forward to finishing out the rest of my term on the court and handing the baton to a new justice in 2027.”

Ziegler’s decision to step down means there will be another open race in April next year.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.