Wisconsin Conservative Justice Steps Down, Liberals Could Gain Stronger Court Control

Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Annette Ziegler announced she won't seek reelection in 2027, marking the second consecutive conservative justice to retire. Her departure gives liberal candidates another opportunity to strengthen their court majority, which could impact major cases on redistricting, labor rights, and education funding.

MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Annette Ziegler revealed Monday she will not pursue another 10-year term when her current position expires, creating another opening for liberal candidates to strengthen their control of the state’s highest court as major cases involving redistricting, labor laws, education funding, and other contentious issues loom ahead.

The 62-year-old conservative justice, who first won election in 2007, represents the second right-leaning member in consecutive years to forgo reelection after liberals gained majority control of Wisconsin’s Supreme Court in 2023. Liberal justices maintained their advantage last year in an election that shattered national spending records and featured billionaire Elon Musk visiting Wisconsin to distribute $1 million payments to conservative voters.

An upcoming election scheduled for April 7 will fill the vacancy left by conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley’s choice not to pursue another term. Liberal candidate Chris Taylor, an Appeals Court Judge, has collected more campaign funds than her conservative rival, Appeals Court Judge Maria Lazar, enabling Taylor to purchase additional television advertising in what has remained a relatively quiet contest since the court’s majority isn’t at stake.

Liberal candidates are working to secure their fourth consecutive Supreme Court victory since 2020 and cement their dominance on the bench.

Ziegler’s retirement announcement means voters will face another contested race next year. Should liberals prevail this year, their advantage would grow to 5-2, with the potential to reach 6-1 in 2027. If the conservative candidate succeeds this year, the liberal majority would stay at 4-3, and next year conservatives could at best maintain that 4-3 split.

Ziegler regularly aligned with her conservative colleagues, including during 2020 when the court narrowly failed to overturn President Donald Trump’s electoral defeat that year. Ziegler found herself in the minority when a conservative swing justice joined with liberal members.

Upcoming cases likely to reach the court include disputes over congressional district boundaries, the fate of legislation that essentially eliminated collective bargaining for most government employees, and efforts to boost public school spending.

Since gaining court control, liberal justices have eliminated a state abortion prohibition and mandated new legislative maps, boosting Democratic hopes of winning a majority this November.

Ziegler, who held the chief justice position from 2021 to 2025, previously worked as a circuit court judge in Washington County for a decade.

“Now is the right time for me to step away to spend more time with my husband, kids and grandkids,” she said in a statement.

“I am incredibly proud that in all my elections I had support from a broad spectrum of legal, civic, law enforcement and political leaders — both Democrats and Republicans — who believed in my commitment to fairness, ethics and the rule of law,” Ziegler said.

The election to replace Ziegler is April 6, 2027.