The second of two Wisconsin Supreme Court candidates made a campaign stop in Manitowoc County.
2nd District Court of Appeals Judge Maria Lazar spoke to the Manitowoc County Republican Party at the newly opened Inspire Coffeehouse on 10th Street yesterday.
Lazar first thanked the crowd gathered for their support before saying that this election is not only important, but different.
She said last year was not about the candidates.
“It was a straight-up politician political race, and the two candidates weren’t even the ones on the ballot,” she exclaimed. “It was all something else.”
Now to Lazar, the race is more important than ever, especially after the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling upholding Governor Tony Evers’ 400-year veto for school funding.
She was also concerned about a case involving Catholic Charities seeking tax exemptions, and the Wisconsin court denying them because they were not “religious enough.”
She told the crowd, “The U.S. Supreme Court, with the six conservatives and three liberals, voted 9-0 that Wisconsin was, and they didn’t say this, but this is kind it down from the legalize, completely crazy. And they sent it back to them, and they said, ‘Stop it, give them the tax exemption.”
She then claimed that the current liberal-majority Supreme Court is taking the cases they want to hear and not letting them come through the courts.
After Justice Jill Karosky spoke about her, she told the audience that her opponent, Judge Chris Taylor, is the best person to run against.
Lazar talked about Taylor’s work for Planned Parenthood and being a Wisconsin State Legislator.
She also called her opponent the most liberal member in the legislature and opposed policies like Marcy’s Law.
She also said that Taylor’s campaign is being funded by billionaire George Soros and other groups.
“Groups that want to defund the police, defund ICE, and the bigger group, and the more important group that you should worry about, is allowing boys to compete in girls’ sports,” she stated. “That is a problem.”
Lazar finished by saying that Taylor will rule on values, not the law.
She then took some questions from residents about gun rights, the issue of abortion, and the ethics of Supreme Court justices talking about race.
After her speech, we asked her about the politicization of the Supreme Court races.
She says she wants to try to bring Wisconsin back to how races used to be run.
“As in who has more judicial experience, who has been in different rotations, who is a better writer,” she explained. “As of right now, I have seven years on the circuit court, compared to her (Taylor’s) two. I was in four rotations, presiding judge in two of them. And on the court of appeals, I’ve issues, as of Wednesday, it will be nineteen opinions that have been published and over 800 appeals.”
Lazar has a tough battle ahead as the Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate who’s been supported by the Democrats has won the last two elections.
Taylor and Lazar will also have their first and only debate tomorrow (March 25th) in Milwaukee.
The Spring 2026 General Election is Tuesday, April 7th.
