Wisconsin GOP suffers big blow as another conservative state Supreme Court justice flees

Republicans in Wisconsin got yet more bad news on Monday, with conservative state Supreme Court Justice Annette Ziegler announcing she will not seek re-election next year.

“Now is the right time for me to step away to spend more time with my husband, kids and grandkids,” said Ziegler, according to the Wausau Pilot and Review. “I am 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.”

Supreme Court justices in Wisconsin are nominally nonpartisan, but in practice, each party endorses a candidate in their elections. The race to replace Ziegler will take place in 2027.

Ziegler, who previously served as the state's chief justice and was one of the most consistent votes on the court for Republican Party positions, had reportedly thrown a temper tantrum behind the scenes after liberals secured a majority on the court in 2023. Since liberals achieved a majority, they have moved quickly to strike down the state's abortion ban and Republicans' legislative gerrymander in the state legislature.

This comes as the GOP is already fighting an uphill battle to hold the seat being vacated by fellow departing conservative justice Rebecca Bradley, the election for which takes place next month. If Democratic-aligned Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge Chris Taylor defeats Republican-aligned colleague Maria Lazar, the court would shift to a 5-2 liberal majority, ensuring a liberal hold until at least 2030 if all judges serve out their terms.

If liberals go on to also win Ziegler's open seat next year, the only remaining conservative justice on the court would be Brian Hagedorn, who is already considered one of the most moderate members of the conservative bloc.