Wisconsin Supreme Court candidates Maria Lazar and Chris Taylor meet in their lone debate tonight after a reschedule from last week due to Taylor’s kidney stone diagnosis.
Liberal Appeals Court Judge Chris Taylor and conservative Appeals Court Judge Maria Lazar face off tonight in the only scheduled debate before next week’s Wisconsin Supreme Court election, an event postponed after Taylor cited a sudden kidney stone diagnosis that conveniently resolved just in time for her campaign activities.
The rescheduled 7 p.m. debate at the WISN-TV studeio comes less than a week before the April 7 election to replace retiring conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley. Taylor, backed by liberal interests, has outraised and outspent Lazar by wide margins, pouring millions into efforts to expand the court’s existing 4-3 liberal majority.
Lazar, a Waukesha County appeals judge, has positioned herself as a strict constructionist committed to impartial application of the law rather than activist rulings.
The original March 25 debate was abruptly postponed after Taylor’s campaign announced she woke up unwell, visited urgent care and was diagnosed with kidney stones. She was discharged that afternoon and said she would rest for a couple of days. Remarkably, Taylor’s campaign soon reported the stone had passed, allowing her to launch a statewide “Protecting Our Rights & Freedoms Final Tour” just days later with stops across Wisconsin.
Critics have noted the timing, questioning whether a painful medical episode that sidelined a high-stakes debate could resolve so swiftly to accommodate campaign travel.
Lazar’s campaign expressed hopes for Taylor’s quick recovery at the time but highlighted the inconvenience to voters, who now get their sole direct comparison of the candidates just five days before Election Day.
