Wisconsin’s political landscape was shaken on August 29, 2025, when conservative Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Bradley announced she would not seek reelection in the pivotal 2026 race. Her decision, delivered via a pointed public statement, opens the door to a fiercely contested battle for the state’s highest court, which has seen a dramatic shift in recent years from conservative to liberal control.
Bradley’s announcement comes at a time of mounting tension and record-breaking spending in Wisconsin’s judicial elections. For conservatives, her departure is more than just the loss of a prominent figure—it’s a signal that the movement is at a crossroads. “I will not seek reelection to the Wisconsin Supreme Court because I believe the best path for me to rebuild the conservative movement and fight for liberty is not as a minority member of the Court,” Bradley declared, according to The Daily Cardinal and multiple regional outlets.
Bradley’s decision did not come out of the blue. Earlier in the year, following liberal Justice Susan Crawford’s decisive victory in April 2025, Bradley had indicated she expected to seek another term. However, as the months passed, doubts crept in. She raised no campaign funds in the first half of 2025, fueling speculation about her intentions. Ultimately, she chose to step aside, citing the need for conservatives to “take stock of its failures, identify the problem, and fix it.”
Her statement was as much a diagnosis as a farewell. “For years I have warned that under the control of judicial activists, the court will make itself more powerful than the legislature, more powerful than the governor,” Bradley said in a message shared with WISN 12 News and WisPolitics. “That warning went unheeded, and Wisconsin has seen only the beginning of what is an alarming shift from thoughtful, principled judicial service toward bitter partisanship, personal attacks, and political gamesmanship that have no place in court.”
Bradley’s concerns about the tone and direction of the court echo a broader national debate about the politicization of state supreme courts. In Wisconsin, the stakes are especially high. The Supreme Court, though technically nonpartisan, has become a battleground for issues like abortion, redistricting, and voting rights. The court’s decisions have far-reaching consequences, shaping not only state policy but also the national political climate in this perennial swing state.
The numbers tell a story of shifting tides. Liberals have won four of the last five Supreme Court races in Wisconsin, ending a 15-year conservative majority. The 2023 victory of Janet Protasiewicz flipped the court to a 4-3 liberal majority for the first time in over a decade. That margin was solidified in April 2025, when Susan Crawford defeated conservative Brad Schimel by about ten points—a race that shattered spending records, with more than $75 million poured in from both sides. Tech billionaire Elon Musk, a former advisor to President Donald Trump, spent over $12 million through a super PAC to support Schimel, according to The Daily Cardinal and national news outlets.
Despite this flood of outside money, conservatives suffered back-to-back double-digit defeats. Bradley’s decision to step aside, some observers say, reflects both the difficulty of reversing this trend and the exhaustion of waging high-stakes campaigns in an increasingly polarized environment.
With Bradley’s departure, the 2026 race is now wide open. On the liberal side, Appeals Court Judge Chris Taylor is the only announced candidate so far. Taylor, who has the backing of EMILY’s List—a national group supporting Democratic women who favor abortion rights—has spent the past three months traveling the state, building support and making her case to voters. Her campaign manager, Ashley Franz, underscored the importance of the upcoming race: “The incredible support for Judge Taylor shows how important this race is. No matter who Republicans and right-wing special interests recruit to run against her, Wisconsinites will once again have a clear choice between a candidate who believes in stripping rights away and Judge Taylor, who has always been on the side of the people.”
On the conservative side, the field is still taking shape. Appeals Court Judge Maria Lazar has indicated she is considering a bid and will make her decision in the coming weeks. This leaves open the possibility of a competitive, high-profile contest, with national groups and donors likely to play an outsized role once again.
Bradley’s exit marks the end of a significant era. Appointed to the court in 2015 by former Republican Governor Scott Walker, she was elected to a full 10-year term in 2016. Her tenure has been defined by vocal criticism of what she sees as the court’s drift toward activism and partisanship. “As a justice, I do not share my personal beliefs about anything that is political. I can’t say the same for the recent races. I’m dismayed that issues are being talked about under the guise of values, and it’s just signaling the political alignment,” Bradley remarked in one of her final public statements as a sitting justice.
Her term will officially end on July 31, 2026, giving conservatives just under a year to regroup and rally behind a new candidate. Meanwhile, liberals are poised to expand their majority to 5-2 if Taylor or another liberal candidate secures the seat. That would cement liberal control of the court until at least 2028, barring any unforeseen developments.
For Wisconsin voters, the 2026 Supreme Court race will be another test of the state’s political identity—a referendum not just on individual candidates, but on the role and future of the judiciary itself. The outcome will likely reverberate far beyond Madison, influencing debates about the independence of the courts, the influence of money in politics, and the delicate balance of power between the branches of government.
As the dust settles on Bradley’s announcement, both sides are gearing up for what promises to be another bruising campaign. The stakes are clear, the battle lines are drawn, and the nation’s eyes—once again—are on Wisconsin.
