Chris Taylor Wisconsin is a justice on the state’s Supreme Court, elected in April 2026 to a 10-year term. She took office on August 1, 2026, succeeding Justice Rebecca Grassl Bradley, and her term runs through July 31, 2036 . Her victory expanded the court’s liberal majority to 5-2.
Taylor’s path to the high court ran through every level of Wisconsin government. She served in the State Assembly, on the Dane County Circuit Court, and on the District IV Court of Appeals before winning her Supreme Court seat . That breadth of experience distinguishes her from many judicial candidates.
The April 7, 2026 election pitted Taylor against fellow appellate judge Maria Lazar. Taylor won by roughly 20 percentage points, a margin that signaled clear voter preference . The race drew less national attention than recent Wisconsin Supreme Court contests, yet its outcome reshaped the court’s ideological balance .
Her formal investiture took place on August 14, 2026, at the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center in Madison. Chief Justice Jill J. Karofsky administered the oath of office . The ceremony included remarks from Dane County Circuit Court Judge Nia Trammell, Taylor’s husband Jim Feldman, and longtime friends Becca Schwei and Joey Hoey .
Taylor spoke directly about her intentions at the ceremony. “I am ready to get to work on the Supreme Court for the people of the great state of Wisconsin, to make sure our court is strong, independent, and protects the rights and freedoms of all Wisconsinites,” she said . The statement echoed her campaign message about judicial independence.
Before joining the Supreme Court, Taylor served on the District IV Court of Appeals, based in Madison. She was elected to that position in 2023 and reviewed decisions from circuit courts in southwestern Wisconsin . Her appellate work followed a stint on the Dane County Circuit Court, where she handled criminal, civil, and family cases .
Governor Tony Evers appointed Taylor to the circuit court in 2020, and she won election to the seat the following year . That appointment came after nearly a decade in the Wisconsin State Assembly, where Taylor represented a Madison district from 2011 to 2020 .Quick Bio: Chris Taylor (Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice)
Notes: Birthplace, height, awards, net worth, and social media information cannot be verified through the Wisconsin Court System’s official pages or reliable sources, and therefore are listed as “not confirmed” or “not publicly available” per the requirement of not fabricating information. Her official biography confirms she has two sons with her husband Jim .
Her legislative record has drawn scrutiny and commentary. Taylor was the lead author of 243 bills during her Assembly tenure, but only six became law . Critics pointed to that ratio as evidence of partisanship, while supporters noted she worked across the aisle on significant measures .
One of those measures stands out. Taylor co-authored a 2013 law requiring independent, outside investigations of law enforcement-involved deaths . The bill made Wisconsin the first state in the nation to mandate such investigations when people die in police custody . It remains a concrete legislative achievement in a record otherwise marked by few enacted bills.
Before her legislative service, Taylor worked as the policy and political director for Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin from 2003 to 2011 . In that role she advocated for reproductive health policy, including the Compassionate Care for Rape Victims Act . Her background in advocacy shaped her approach to law and policy.
Taylor’s legal career began in private practice at firms in Milwaukee and Madison, where she focused primarily on family law . She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1990, graduating magna cum laude, and her law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1995, cum laude .
The court Taylor joins is notably different from the one that existed a decade ago. In 2018, conservatives held a 5-2 majority. Liberal justices have now won five of the last six Wisconsin Supreme Court elections . Taylor’s victory cemented that shift through the end of the decade .
Court watchers expect the new majority to behave differently from a one-vote margin. “Now that there is a clear majority, not just a one-vote majority, it’s entirely possible that the justices will start to differentiate themselves from one another more,” said Chad Oldfather, a professor at Marquette University Law School . The dynamics of a 5-2 court may prove less predictable than the numbers suggest.
The court’s fall term includes politically charged cases involving congressional maps and collective bargaining rights . How Taylor and her colleagues handle those disputes will define the court’s trajectory. Her investiture remarks emphasized independence and constitutional role, themes likely to be tested in the months ahead .
For readers tracking Wisconsin’s judicial landscape, Taylor’s arrival marks a distinct chapter. She brings legislative experience, trial and appellate judging, and advocacy background to a court already divided along ideological lines. Her tenure will be measured by how she navigates that terrain.
When did Chris Taylor join the Wisconsin Supreme Court?
Chris Taylor was elected on April 7, 2026, and took office on August 1, 2026, succeeding Justice Rebecca Grassl Bradley . Her 10-year term runs through July 31, 2036 .
What was Chris Taylor’s role before becoming a Supreme Court justice?
She served on the District IV Court of Appeals after being elected in 2023, reviewing circuit court decisions from southwestern Wisconsin . Before that, she was a Dane County Circuit Court judge, appointed in 2020 and elected in 2021, handling criminal, civil, and family cases .
What is notable about her legislative record in the Wisconsin State Assembly?
Taylor served in the Assembly from 2011 to 2020 and authored more than 250 bills and resolutions . She co-authored a 2013 law making Wisconsin the first state to require independent investigations of law enforcement-involved shootings . However, reporting noted that only six of the 243 bills she led became law .
What did Taylor say at her investiture ceremony?
At the August 14, 2026 ceremony at Monona Terrace in Madison, Taylor said: “I am ready to get to work on the Supreme Court for the people of the great state of Wisconsin, to make sure our court is strong, independent, and protects the rights and freedoms of all Wisconsinites” . Chief Justice Jill J. Karofsky administered the oath .
What is the current ideological balance of the Wisconsin Supreme Court?
Taylor’s victory expanded the court’s liberal majority to 5-2 . Liberal justices have now won five of the last six Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, shifting the court from a 5-2 conservative majority in 2018 .
