Poll Shows Taylor Leads Lazar in WI Supreme Court Race

Judge Chris Taylor (left) and Judge Maria Lazar (right) are running for the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2026. Courtesy of the campaigns

With two weeks to go until the Wisconsin Supreme Court election, a new poll shows liberal Appeals Court Judge Chris Taylor maintains her lead over conservative Appeals Court Judge Maria Lazar, though a majority of voters said they remain undecided.

And while the race is officially nonpartisan, the survey also found Democrats are far more enthusiastic than Republicans about voting in the April 7 election.

The Marquette University Law School surveyed 850 registered voters this month, and 23 percent of respondents said they’d vote for Taylor while 17 percent said they’d vote for Lazar. Another 53 percent said they haven’t decided who they’ll vote for.

After record breaking spending in the 2023 and 2025 Supreme Court races, the Marquette survey has found this year’s contest has largely flown under the radar. Two weeks out from the election, the poll found only 12 percent reported hearing or reading a lot about the race for the state’s highest court, a slight drop from last month. Another 57 percent said they’d heard a little.

During a Tuesday presentation, Marquette University Law School pollster Charles Franklin said there were more respondents this month who said they’ve heard something about the Supreme Court race, “but it’s still a sort of stunningly low number.”

At the same point in last year’s nationalized Supreme Court race, nearly 40 percent of Marquette respondents said they’d heard a lot about the election.

Unlike Wisconsin’s last two Supreme Court elections, ideological control of the court isn’t up for grabs. However, the Marquette survey found three-quarters of all registered voters incorrectly believe the court’s liberal majority can be flipped.

Liberals currently hold a 4-3 majority on the court. If Lazar wins, that margin will remain the same. If Taylor wins, it will grow to 5-2.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, at the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison, Wis. Angela Major/WPR

Democratic voters far more excited to vote on April 7 than Republicans

Across three metrics, the Marquette poll found Democrats are notably more excited about voting in the Supreme Court election.

Among respondents identifying themselves as Democrats, 77 percent said they’re certain to vote on April 7. Among Republicans, that was 59 percent, which represents a slight decline from February.

When asked how important the outcome of the Supreme Court race is, 65 percent of Democrats said it’s very important, while 46 percent of Republicans said the same.

The survey also showed 51 percent of Democrats are very enthusiastic about voting in April, compared to just 32 percent of Republicans.

Francesca Hong leads Democrats running for governor, but most voters aren’t paying attention yet

The Marquette survey this month found the vast majority of voters have heard little to nothing about the race for governor and most are unfamiliar with the bulk of an expansive field of candidates. Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany and former Democratic Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes were the only two with name recognition surpassing 50 percent.

The seven Democratic candidates for governor participate in a forum Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, at the Cooperage in Milwaukee, Wis. Angela Major/WPR

But Among Democrats who have made up their mind in the August primary, state Rep. Francesca Hong of Madison was the first choice, with 14 percent supporting her. Barnes came in a close second with 11 percent.

The rest of the Democratic primary candidates polled in the low single-digits. Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley and current Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez each received 3 percent; former Department of Administration Secretary Joel Brennan received 2 percent; while state Sen. Kelda Roys of Madison and former Wisconsin Economic Development Director Missy Hughes each received 1 percent.

President Donald Trump’s net approval hits record low in Wisconsin

President Donald Trump’s approval ratings were deeply underwater in Marquette’s latest poll. Overall, 56 percent of respondents disapproved of the job he’s doing, while 42 percent approved. That led to a net approval of -14, a record low for Trump in in first or second terms.

The survey showed the ongoing trend of Republicans standing firmly behind him and Democrats being nearly universally opposed. Trump’s net approval rating among independent voters was -40 percentage points.

Franklin said the findings pose potential problems for both Democratic and Republican candidates running toward the midterm election. He said Democrats need to find ways to distinguish themselves when the party is so focused on opposing Trump. For Republicans, Franklin said, seeing independent voters align with Democrats on their views of the president “is one of the bad news pieces” for the GOP.

“Holding on to Republican support is certainly a good thing for the GOP and for the president, but you need some more folks to come onboard over the next six months until Election Day,” said Franklin.

The survey was conducted from March 11-18. Its margin of error was plus or minus 4.4 percent for the whole sample and 5.3 percent for likely voters.

Poll: Chris Taylor leads Maria Lazar in Wisconsin Supreme Court race was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.