Conservative Wisconsin Supreme Court justice is retiring, giving liberals chance to expand majority

Wisconsin’s Conservative Justice Ziegler Declines Third Term, Opening Door for Liberal Court Expansion

Conservative Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Annette Ziegler announced Monday she will not seek a third 10-year term in 2027, creating another opportunity for liberals to strengthen their majority on the state’s highest court as significant cases on redistricting, union rights, and education funding loom on the horizon.

Ziegler, 62, is the second conservative justice in two years to decline reelection after liberals secured majority control of the court in 2023. Her decision comes as Wisconsin’s judicial landscape continues to shift amid increasingly politicized and expensive court races.

“Now is the right time for me to step away to spend more time with my husband, kids and grandkids,” Ziegler said in a statement. She emphasized her pride in garnering bipartisan support throughout her judicial career, noting she 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 has served on the Wisconsin Supreme Court since 2007, including four years as chief justice from 2021 to 2025. Before her time on the state’s highest court, she spent a decade as a circuit court judge in Washington County.

The announcement comes against the backdrop of Wisconsin’s upcoming April 7 judicial election, which pits liberal Appeals Court Judge Chris Taylor against conservative Appeals Court Judge Maria Lazar for the seat being vacated by conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley. Taylor has established a fundraising advantage, allowing for greater television advertising in what has thus far remained a relatively low-profile contest since the court’s ideological majority isn’t immediately at stake.

Wisconsin’s Supreme Court elections have gained national prominence in recent years, particularly after the 2023 race shattered spending records and drew attention from billionaire Elon Musk, who visited the state to personally distribute $1 million checks to conservative voters in a failed attempt to influence the outcome.

The court’s ideological composition has significant implications for Wisconsin’s political landscape and policy direction. Since gaining majority control, liberal justices have already made consequential rulings, including striking down the state’s 1849 abortion ban and ordering new legislative districts that could potentially help Democrats gain ground in the state legislature after decades of Republican-drawn maps.

Looking ahead, the court is expected to hear cases that could reshape Wisconsin’s political and social framework. These include potential challenges to congressional district boundaries, the future of Act 10 — the controversial 2011 law that effectively ended collective bargaining for most public employees in the state — and efforts to increase public education funding.

The current liberal majority stands at 4-3. If liberals win this year’s contest, their advantage would expand to 5-2, with the potential to reach 6-1 if they also secure Ziegler’s seat in 2027. Should conservatives win in April, the liberal majority would remain at 4-3, with conservatives hoping to at least maintain that narrow margin in next year’s election.

During her tenure, Ziegler has consistently aligned with her fellow conservative justices on key issues. In 2020, she was among the minority who would have overturned President Donald Trump’s election loss in Wisconsin, though the effort fell short when a conservative swing justice sided with liberals.

The election to replace Ziegler is scheduled for April 6, 2027, giving both liberal and conservative forces ample time to prepare for what will likely be another high-stakes, high-spending contest in this crucial battleground state. Wisconsin’s Supreme Court races have increasingly become proxy battles reflecting the state’s and nation’s deep partisan divides, with significant implications for governance, voting rights, and social policy.