Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Bradley, a steadfast defender of constitutional principles, finds herself in a financial drought as she contemplates a 2026 reelection bid with zero dollars raised in the latest reporting period.
According to Washington Examiner, while Bradley remains silent on her official plans, her potential opponent, state Appeals Court Judge Chris Taylor, has already amassed a hefty $585,000 since kicking off her campaign in May, setting the stage for a lopsided financial battle in a race that won’t shift the court’s ideological tilt.
Bradley, appointed by then-Gov. Scott Walker in 2015, secured a full 10-year term in 2016 and has since been one of the court’s most vocal justices.
Her last reported fundraising effort was back in 2022, when she pocketed a mere $700, a far cry from the war chests typically needed in Wisconsin’s judicial races.
Contrast that with Taylor, whose campaign coffers are already brimming with over half a million dollars, outpacing even the early haul of Justice-elect Susan Crawford from the record-shattering 2025 race.
Bradley once declared, “I planned to run to ensure that there is a voice for the constitution and for the rule of law to preserve that in the state of Wisconsin.”
Admirable words, but without the funds to amplify that voice, one wonders if her message will be drowned out by the progressive megaphone Taylor seems poised to wield.
Taylor’s campaign manager, Ashley Franz, boasted, “The overwhelming support for Judge Taylor early in this race shows how committed Wisconsinites are to reinforcing the majority on the court.”
Such confidence might thrill the left-leaning crowd, but it glosses over whether piling cash equates to protecting rights or simply buying influence in a court already leaning 4-3 liberal after Crawford’s 2025 victory.
Speaking of 2025, that election rewrote history as the priciest judicial race in the nation, with Crawford and her conservative rival, Brad Schimel, raising a jaw-dropping $100 million combined.
It’s a stark reminder of how Wisconsin Supreme Court races, though technically nonpartisan, have become battlegrounds for ideological control, even if the 2026 contest on April 7 won’t alter the current liberal majority.
Liberal-leaning candidates have dominated recently, winning four of the last five elections by double-digit margins, a trend that could spell trouble for Bradley if conservatives can’t rally resources.
Still, Crawford’s win ensures liberal control of the high court until at least 2028, making Bradley’s potential loss in 2026 more of a symbolic blow than a seismic shift, though a 5-2 liberal majority would sting.
For conservatives, Bradley’s seat represents a chance to hold the line against an increasingly progressive agenda in the judiciary, even if the broader fight feels like an uphill slog.
While Taylor’s early money grab signals ambition, Bradley’s silence on fundraising and candidacy leaves room for speculation—will she fight to keep her seat, or has the financial disparity already tipped the scales in this technically balanced but practically polarized race?
