(The Center Square) – The difference in fundraising in Wisconsin’s race for the supreme court continues to grow.
The latest fundraising numbers show Judge Chris Taylor once again out-raised her opponent, Judge Maria Lazar.
Democrats in Wisconsin on Monday announced they, and Taylor’s campaign, raised $3.3 million in total.
Taylor’s campaign raised $820,000 on its own, while the WisDems state effort raised $1.7 million. The WisDems federal fundraising effort raised another $388,000. Democrats also reported a $319,000 72-hour fundraising haul.
Both Taylor’s campaign and state Democrats used the report to bash Lazar.
“We’ve seen right-wing billionaires pour money into Wisconsin Supreme Court races before, and there’s no question Maria Lazar will turn to those same donors to buy a seat on the Court. We’re prepared for that fight,” Taylor campaign manager Ashley Franz said.
Lazar also released her fundraising numbers Monday. They were much smaller.
“Judge Lazar is building a new style of campaign focused on the voters who feel left behind by a polarized system,” campaign spokesperson Nathan Conrad said. “Raising nearly $200,000 in a single month, with an average donation of $525 among the 357 new campaign donors, proves that we are winning on the ground with people who want a justice who follows the law, not a political agenda.”
State Democratic Chair Devin Remiker called Lazar’s fundraising numbers underwhelming.
“We know right-wing mega donors could invest and throw tens of millions into this race if they think they even have a slight chance of winning, but the ability for them to make a difference has nearly evaporated. They know Maria Lazar will be a rubber stamp for their extreme political agenda that hurts Wisconsinites, and they’ll spend whatever it takes to put her on the Court,” Remiker said in a statement. “That’s why we’re running like we’re 2 points down and are ready to put even more resources behind Judge Taylor’s candidacy.”
Wisconsin’s past two supreme court races set spending records.
The 2023 race between Janet Protasiewicz and Dan Kelly cost more than $50 million. The 2025 race between Susan Crawford and Brad Schimel cost more than $100 million. Both were the most expensive judicial races ever at one point.
