A conservative justice on the Wisconsin Supreme Court on Monday announced plans to retire, which could further tilt the balance of power in favor of the court’s liberal majority.
Justice Annette Ziegler, 62, said she would not seek a third 10-year term in 2027, citing a desire to spend more time with her family. The development comes as Republicans are already at risk of losing ground on the court as conservative appellate Judge Maria Lazar is in a tight battle with Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge Chris Taylor to replace retiring conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley.
Ziegler issued a bipartisan message this week to round out her announcement, saying she is “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.”
“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.
Liberals already hold a 4-3 advantage on the court. Should Lazar lose in November, they would gain further momentum, while Ziegler’s retirement update adds a new twist to Wisconsin’s judicial outlook.
State Democrats swiftly took the offensive on Monday, touting Ziegeler’s announcement as a victory for liberals and an opportunity to expand the party’s agenda. The election to replace Ziegler is on April 6, 2027.
“Wisconsin Republicans know a resounding rejection of their war on working people in service of their billionaire owners is coming this November and are heading for early retirement,” Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Devin Remiker said.
“Ziegler’s retirement is more proof that this is a five-alarm fire for the GOP and is a testament to the incredible work that WisDems and our grassroots leaders across Wisconsin have done to organize everywhere and take no election for granted,” he continued.
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Lazar is at a fundraising disadvantage to Taylor ahead of the November election, and has focused her message on judicial independence as she seeks to peel voters from her Democrat-backed opponent.
“I am the one on my court that sort of solves the disputes, and I think that on the Supreme Court I would be the same way,” she said at a February forum hosted by the Marquette University School of Law. “I know that it would be 3-4, and I know that I’d be in the minority with the more conservative leaning than liberal leaning, and I get that. But the decisions aren’t all 4-to-3. I mean, sometimes they’re 7-0 or 6-1, and I just think that I would bring a level of collegiality, a level of really hard dedication and work.”