New analysis from WisPolitics.com reveals that liberal Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Chris Taylor and her allies have outspent conservative Maria Lazar and hers by an estimated 15-1 margin.
Liberal appeals court Judge Chris Taylor and supporting independent groups have outspent conservative rival Judge Maria Lazar and her backers by a 15-to-1 margin in advertising and turnout efforts, according to new analysis from WisPolitics.
Taylor, who recently canceled a debate after being hospitalized for kidney stones, has spent nearly $3.3 million on television and digital ads, according to AdImpact. When combined with independent expenditure reports filed with the state Ethics Commission, Taylor and her allies have poured more than $5.6 million into the race.
The largest outside spender has been A Better Wisconsin Together Political Fund, which reported an additional $109,375 in recent buys, bringing its total investment to $348,264. The group’s affiliated issue-advocacy arm has also run about $1.1 million in digital ads.
Lazar’s side has spent far less. AdImpact tracked $312,000 in spots for her campaign. Restoration of America PAC reported a $40,000 digital buy on her behalf, and the Dane County Republican Party spent $22,000 on radio and digital advertising in support of her. The combined total for Lazar and her backers is $373,775.
These figures exclude additional spending by the candidates’ campaigns beyond tracked advertising. Both campaigns are required to file final spending reports by Monday.
Overall spending in the contest has remained modest. WisPolitics reported combined outlays of less than $9 million, well below the $115 million tracked in the 2025 Supreme Court race. This figure does not include the $27 million spent by one of Elon Musk’s political action committees on voter outreach.
Taylor, a former Democratic state representative from the Madison area who served eight years as policy and political director for Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, has led fundraising throughout the cycle. She reported over $4.2 million in contributions as of mid-March, compared to less than $700,000 for Lazar, according to state campaign finance records and the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. Earlier reports showed Taylor raising about 10 times more than Lazar in the initial months of the race.
Lazar, an appeals court judge from Waukesha County and former assistant attorney general under J.B. Van Hollen, entered the race later and has relied mainly on her own campaign funds and limited party support. Both candidates currently serve on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals.
With early voting underway and Election Day two weeks away, the final campaign finance filings due next week will provide the most complete picture of spending before voters cast ballots.
