Voices of UWM Voters: Students Weigh in on the State Supreme Court Race

What motivates younger Wisconsin voters?

A team of student journalists fanned out across the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee campus to investigate the state Supreme Court race. They found that abortion, immigration, and general concern about “values” helped drive Gen Z voters to Judge Chris Taylor, the eventual victor over Judge Maria Lazar.

Here’s the voices of UWM voters:

Focused on ‘Human Rights’

Abram Zell is a 22-year-old student at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, studying economics. He is from Stevens Point, Wisconsin, and works part-time as a barista at Colectivo Coffee in Riverwest. He is interning for the office of Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson this spring semester.

On election day for the 2026 Wisconsin Supreme Court race on April 7, 2026, Zell said that he was aware of the election and had already voted early.

He voted at the UW-Milwaukee Zelazo Center for the Performing Arts on Thursday, April 2.

“Before the election, I didn’t know anything about either candidate, but during the race, I learned about their positions by doing my own personal research online through articles,” said Abe.

He said that his opinion of Chris Taylor, the Wisconsin Court of Appeals judge in the Madison-based 4th district court, was that he regarded her positions as aligned with his own. His opinion of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals judge in the Waukesha-based 2nd district court, Maria Lazar, was that she stands for “taking away a lot of people’s human rights.”

“She advocates for more religious extremism, in my opinion,” said Zell, when giving his view on Maria Lazar’s campaign.

The issues that are most important to Zell are the integrity of elections, the threat of gerrymandering and what he sees as the deliberate manipulation of electoral maps in Wisconsin and reproductive rights.

As Zell is focused on the issue of reproductive rights, he said he did not want to give his support to Maria Lazar as he views her as in favor of taking away abortion rights.

He did not watch the debate between the two candidates, and instead, he said that he did not see a lot of news about the race, and did his own personal research online, reading articles that gave information about their positions, so that he could establish a stance.

In comparison with the 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court election, Zell thinks that this race has received less media attention because of the difference of what is at stake in this election this year.

“The progressive judges already have the majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and the majority is not being contested right now, as it is only a matter of the majority being expanded or not,” said Zell.

Despite the fact that the ideological majority will remain liberal leaning whether either candidate wins, Abe still thinks that it is important to vote in every election, and he has voted in every single election that he has encountered since he reached the voting age of 18.

“Since this race is a state-wide election in Wisconsin, which is such an important swing-state, the results of this race will show us what party will have the advantage going into November,” said Zell.

Zell views his generation as young people who have grown up in an extremely politically polarized time and says that “growing up in a time where far-right politicians and corporate money have such a big effect on the political system” influences his political beliefs and motivates him to stay involved and aware of elections.

-By Annabelle Hershelman

Helped With a Voter Information Card

Elijah Westrate, a 21-year-old who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee while working as a manager at Panera Bread in Glendale, Wisconsin, voted today on Election Day.

He was born in Michigan and grew up in Chicago, Illinois.

His roommate, for his job, was tasked with putting together a voter information card, and Elijah helped him research both candidates’ positions. “I knew a lot about Chris Taylor’s belief systems because they were non-ambiguous,” said Elijah.

He says that he knows that judges try not to foreshadow what decisions they make in future cases, but he does not like this and felt more comfortable giving his support to Chris Taylor with her clearer policy positions.

“I think it is important to show my support for someone that aligns with my values when it comes to a topic like immigration,” Elijah said.

However, Elijah said that he wishes that Wisconsin Court of Appeals judge in the Madison-based 4th district court Chris Taylor took a hard line when it comes to labor issues and defending unions.

He did not watch the debate between the candidates but first heard about the 2026 Wisconsin Supreme Court race on Twitter. He also reads the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel often and read the daily morning broadsheet’s coverage of the race.

In comparison with the 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court election, since that election last year was “immediately following the presidential election and Elon Musk was more involved in the federal government at that point with the Department of Government Efficiency imitative in full swing, Musk’s footprint was a huge part of the race,” said Elijah, and that has not been the case for this state election.

“A lot more attention is brought to how much money is being poured into the politics when one person has that much influence over our state politics,” said Elijah.

He thinks that more national attention was put into the race last year that he was heavily investing in, and without the presence of a controversial figure investing in the race, there is less attention being directed at it.

Elijah Westrate does predict that the results of this election may signify a canary in the mine situation, as he thinks that “Wisconsinites do align more with social liberal values when it comes to the theoretical, supporting legal cannabis usage and being pro-choice, but they also have more conservative free market stances when it comes to the economy.”

“Wisconsinites tend to trust liberals more to interpret the laws, but trust Republicans more to handle the economy,” said Elijah.

This balancing scale then will inform the results of different kinds of elections, as a judicial race may have results that lean liberal, but a governmental position like the role of the governor may swing back to a more conservative voting response.

-By Annabelle Hershelman

Too Focused On Her Own Life To Stay In The Loop

Eliana Rettler, a 21-year-old Design and Visual Communication major from West Bend, feels that she needs to make a more conscious effort to be politically active and aware.

“I feel like compared to some people, I am more passionate, but I could definitely put more passion into caring more about the government,” said Rettler.

Rettler did not know about the upcoming State Supreme Court Election and wishes she had heard more about the election to make her vote heard. 

“I’m more focused on my own life,” said Rettler. “I feel like on the news there is not a lot of coverage of the election.”

She further discussed how she believes that political media needs to shift to more modern modes of communication, as watching news on cable or live TV feels outdated.

“I feel like we should integrate [political news] in a more modern way,” said Rettler.

-Alexis Knecht

A Need To Pay Closer Attention

Maddie Wolfe, a 20-year-old Architecture major from Illinois, was unaware of the upcoming State Supreme Court Election and has not voted since the 2024 presidential election.

“I thought that that one was really important, since it was such a big election,” said Wolfe.

“The outcome of it, you know, was very important and unfortunately did not go the way that I was expecting it to or hoped it would, but that’s okay. I mean, not really.”

Wolfe explained that because she is not a Wisconsin resident, she had been too busy to sign up to vote for the State Supreme Court Election, and now it was too late to make that choice.

Wolfe feels that she should take a more direct approach to getting her political news, instead of getting it second-hand through social media apps like Instagram.

“A lot of people are on Instagram or TikTok, and aren’t watching a lot of TV with the news and whatnot,” said Wolfe. “So, it’s easy for information to get lost along the way.”

Wolfe does have plans to take a more direct approach in getting her political news, so that she can be better prepared for future elections.

“I keep saying that I’m going to start watching the news and start paying attention to everything that’s happening more,” said Wolfe

-By Alexis Knecht

First-Time Voters Drawn To Personal Values in Wisconsin Supreme Court Race

Jazlyn Avina, a 20-year-old anthropology major from Sheboygan, cast her first-ever vote in Tuesday’s state Supreme Court election.

She had been registered for the presidential election in 2024 but elected not to vote due to distance and safety concerns.

Avina said she was aware of the election and made her decision based largely on how closely a candidate’s views aligned with her own. She expressed support for candidate Chris Taylor, noting her agreement with Taylor on key issues. Taylor’s stance on abortion was a deciding factor in Avina’s support for her as a candidate.

Her political beliefs had been shaped by values she has held for a long time, particularly her concern for environmental issues. She has been advocating for environmental protection since middle school and sees it as a major role in her political engagement.

“We need to take care of Earth,” she said. “It’s snowing in April, and it’s not supposed to snow in April.”

For Avina, voting is ultimately rooted in what she described as “basic human decency” and maintaining strong moral principles.

“Chris Taylor, her views are more aligned with mine than Maria Lazar,” Avina said. “Most of the campaign ads I saw were about Chris Taylor, and everything they said, I liked.”

Much of Avina’s understanding of the race came from campaign advertisements and her own independent research. Rather than relying on social media platforms like TikTok or Instagram, she said she chose to look up information herself. She did not watch the official debate between candidates.

When asked about why this year’s elections received less press compared to last year’s, she admitted she did not follow last year’s as closely. However, she had her own speculations on why such a thing occurred.

“I think it’s because that there were two women running this time,” Avina said.

Avina believes that the outcome of the election could influence political trends in Wisconsin. She suggested that Taylor’s victory might contribute to stronger Democratic representation in
future races, especially the election for the governor in November.

-By Deegan Norris

Voters Rely on Party Alignment in Wisconsin Supreme Court Election

Slone Koellen, a 20-year-old marketing major from Watertown attending UW-Milwaukee, said his decision in the state Supreme Court election came down largely to party alignment and
personal values. A second-time voter, Koellen participated in Tuesday’s election with a preference already in mind.

Koellen said he was aware of the election and chose to vote for Chris Taylor, as alignment with his beliefs as the main reason behind his decision. Rather than doing research on both candidates, he focused on the one he felt best represented his views.

“Honestly, Chris Taylor just sided with my beliefs, so that’s why I voted for her,” Koellen said. “I didn’t really look too much into the other candidate because I knew that they did not align with my beliefs.”

For Koellen, party affiliation played a significant role in his vote. He identified himself as leaning Democratic and said that supporting a candidate that was aligned with the party was a key reason for voting for Taylor.

“I honestly just wanted someone from my party to be elected,” he said. He said he aligns with Democrats because of their focus on helping others and building environments where people can succeed.

“They believe more in caring for other people and supporting others… and creating a good infrastructure,” Koellen said. “Without healthy environments for others to flourish in, very few will be successful.”

Koellen did not watch the debate between candidates and instead relied on other sources of information. He said much of what he learned about the race came from his mother, who shared
information she considered credible, along with coverage he encountered on television.

He suggested that the lower level of attention may stem from a lack of immediately pressing or high-profile issues driving public interest.

“In my opinion, I just don’t feel like there’s anything groundbreaking coming up… so I just figured that’s probably why it didn’t get as much traction,” he said.

Koellen said he wasn’t sure what the results of the election might mean for upcoming races, including the governor’s race in November, and admitted that he has not been following that
news as closely.

-By Deegan Norris

Immigration & Abortion Were Top Issues

Charlie Skrade, journalism major at UW-Milwaukee, mentioned that he has been aware of the election for a while due to ads and personal research leading up to voting. Chris Taylor was a favorite for his voting choice for many reasons such as being pro choice and pro immigration.

“Chris Taylor is more for the community from what I’ve seen,” said Skrade. “Her views align with mine, she fights for immigrants and that’s really important for me.” 

One of the reasons Lazar wasn’t a possible choice for Skrade was that she discussed possibly appealing Roe V. Wade and being pro life.

Since there has been so much news coverage due to everything happening in the world, the election hasn’t been able to be as highlighted compared to the election last year. It has been hard to be able to keep up with everything going on.

In Skrade’s opinion, these races show where people’s minds are in terms of red versus blue. Are residents actually listening? Or are people ignoring the issues that are happening? This election was not his first time voting.

Discussions with community members and overall the way Skrade was raised is what impacts his political beliefs.

-By Raquel Barajas

Influenced by Equity & Utilitarianism

Jack Laude, Journalism major with a sociology minor at UW-Milwaukee, voted early in his hometown of Fox Lake, Wisconsin. Flyers being passed around, ads and social media were how he was aware of the election and both candidates stances on topics such as abortion.

He was aware that Chris Taylor was the left-leaning candidate and Maria Lazar was the right-leaning candidate.

Laude’s vote was influenced by consideration of the state, the residents and what the candidates stand for and who more identified his values. This election won’t mean as much as the governor’s race just because that race is a bigger election and more people will participate.

Laude expressed that this is not his first time voting and has been voting since he reached the age to be able to, it allows him to feel good about himself and the choices he makes.

“What influences my political beliefs is equity, utilitarianism and the best result for the most people,” said Laude.

-By Raquel Barajas

Freshman Voter Prioritizes Fight Against Gerrymandering

Zachary Bloxham, a freshman urban studies major, said he approached this Wisconsin Supreme Court race with prior voting experience, noting, “It’s not my first time voting. I voted for the last Supreme Court Justice election as well.” He said he follows judicial races closely because of their long-term impact on state policy.

Bloxham said he supports candidate Chris Taylor over Maria Lazar, framing the race around the balance of the court. “I am more favorable towards Chris Taylor rather than Maria Lazar,” he said, pointing to concerns about fairness in the state’s political system.

A central issue informing his vote is gerrymandering, which he described as having broad consequences. “The gerrymandering of the state legislature is very skewed towards to favor Republicans,” Bloxham said, adding that he believes addressing it could lead to wider reforms.

While he acknowledged that it may not be the top issue for everyone, he argued it underpins many others. “It’s kind of like an issue that has a lot of other issues wrapped in it,” he said, explaining that fairer maps could improve representation and policymaking overall.

Bloxham said he relies on independent media to stay informed and is motivated politically by economic concerns. “I try to stay away from major news outlets,” he said, adding that income inequality is the main driver of his beliefs and that the election could have more long-term than immediate effects.

-By Zack O’Hara

Students Reluctant to Talk After Voting

After completing the initial interview, approximately 10 additional students exiting the polling place were approached to gather more perspectives on the election. Several cited time constraints after voting, while others ignored attempts to be stopped or continued walking without responding.

One student agreed to an interview but would not provide their name. Overall, no additional on-the-record interviews were secured.

-By Zack O’Hara

An Older Voter Weighs In

Ron Caplin does not mince words. The retired attorney and senior auditor had been watching the Wisconsin Supreme Court race closely, and when the results came in, he was satisfied with the outcome with the latest results of Chris Taylor winning the election.

Ron Caplin had been paying close attention to the Wisconsin Supreme Court race long before Election Day arrived. A senior auditor at OWRM and a retired attorney, Caplin brought a practiced eye to the contest between liberal candidate Chris Taylor and conservative Maria Lazar, and he liked what the result said about where Wisconsin is heading.

For Caplin, the race was notable from the start for its unusual clarity. Both candidates presented their judicial philosophies openly, signaling to voters exactly what kind of court they wanted to shape. “Lazar identified herself as a conservative, and Taylor identified herself as a liberal,” he said. To him, Taylor’s victory was a clear signal. “I think her election is an indication that the political tide has turned away from conservative thinking, including Donald Trump and his supporters, and toward a more liberal philosophy.”

Abortion rights loomed large in Caplin’s thinking as he headed to the polls. He noted that the issue dominated advertising on both sides of the race, and he believes it reflects something deeper about Wisconsin’s electorate. Wisconsinites, in his view, feel strongly that a woman’s right to choose should be protected, and the election results supported that belief.

His concerns about Lazar were rooted in a fear of stagnation. Having lived through a period of unified Republican control of state government alongside a conservative Supreme Court majority, Caplin had no desire to see that alignment continue. He wanted a change in direction, one that put ordinary people ahead of corporations and special interest groups.

Caplin also offered a theory for why this Supreme Court race felt quieter than previous ones. He suspects that conservative outside money, which flooded past judicial elections, stayed on the sidelines this cycle. His best guess is that well funded interests may be conserving resources ahead of the midterms and keeping a lower profile as public backlash against President Trump grows. He was careful to note that this is speculation.

Looking at the bigger picture, Caplin sees Taylor’s win as a step toward restoring the checks and balances the American system of government was built on. A more liberal court, he reasoned, could serve as a meaningful counterweight to a Republican controlled state legislature, a correction that he believes Wisconsin has needed.

He also sees implications beyond this one race. Democrats, in his view, may currently hold the upper hand heading into future contests, including the governor’s race. Though he stopped short of making firm predictions about that campaign, he noted that Lieutenant Governor Sarah Rodriguez might have a visibility advantage.

As for what drives his own politics, Caplin kept it simple. He tries to approach the world with what he calls a humane and charitable attitude. “I believe we are here to take care of each other,” he said, “and the government should reflect that.” For him, that belief was more than enough reason to show up and vote, as he always does.

-By Jeffrey Richardson

Students Face Last Minute Decisions

Hayden Neher is a biology major who just voted for the first time in this Supreme Court election; she cast her vote for Chris Taylor. Although she gets most of her news from social media, she has not seen any political ads.

She only learned about it just a couple of days before voting day, when her suitemate told her about it and shared a pamphlet with her highlighting each candidate’s focus. Before that, she had not even heard about these candidates.

Abortion rights, human rights and protection of the environment were the influencing factors in her decision. She said people should inform themselves of candidates and vote in every election.

“Just think about the future and what it’s going to be like if you really don’t pay attention to stuff like that,” said Neher.

-By Stephanie Serrano

Concerned About Abortion Rights

Ava Kleiber is an art education major at UWM. She voted for Chris Taylor because of her stance on abortion rights and because of how she gave “more concrete answers” compared to Lazar about how she would respond to issues presented to the Supreme Court

Aside from seeing some TV advertisements, Kleiber likes to do her own research on candidates before casting her ballot. She visits each candidate’s website and clicks around to learn about what views they would bring to the government.

While this election has not had many people planning to vote, she said local elections are just as important as regional ones.

“Not everybody has the right to vote,” said Kleiber. “So, I think it is always important to exercise that right because that is the most direct way to have a say in who is making policy.”

-By Stephanie Serrano

Architecture Student Navigates Supreme Court Race With Limited Information

Jevan Ramirez Santos, a 20-year-old architecture student from Waukesha, said he plans to vote in Wisconsin’s state Supreme Court election, even though he is still learning about the candidates.

Ramirez Santos said he became more aware of the race after seeing the outreach on campus near the library. “I was walking by the library and I saw there was a table there promoting the candidates and they were asking around to see if people were voting and I’m planning on it.”

He described his knowledge of the candidates, Chris Taylor and Maria Lazar, as limited, saying most of what he has seen comes from social media ads. “It’s almost always just slander,” he said. “It’s never like good things about the candidates.”

Because of that, Ramirez Santos said he remains neutral overall but is beginning to lean toward one candidate based on personal beliefs. “I’m kind of leaning on Chris Taylor,” he said. “I’m personally pro-choice, and I think she lines up more with my beliefs.”

He said his political views are shaped by his upbringing and the importance of government programs in his community. “Programs that assisted the people that I was surrounded by… those were very important to me growing up,” he said.

Although he did not watch the debate and has mainly seen flyers and online content, Ramirez Santos believes the election still matters. “It’s all a domino effect, especially for a swing state like Wisconsin,” he said.

By: Junior Sotelo Ramos

First-Time Voter Highlights Key Issues Influencing Her Supreme Court Election Vote

Annabelle Sansing, an 18-year-old art history major from Madison, said voting in Wisconsin’s State Supreme Court election was an important first step in her civic engagement.

Sansing said she was already aware of the election and had cast her ballot. As a first-time voter, she approached the decision with a mix of prior knowledge and personal research.

She said she knew that the candidate Chris Taylor had connections to Planned Parenthood and support from Gov. Tony Evers, while Maria Lazar had backing from some Republican leaders. Still, she admitted her knowledge of Lazar was more limited.

“I don’t know lots about her,” Sansing said.

Ramirez Santos said he became more aware of the race after seeing the outreach on campus near the library. “I was walking by the library and I saw there was a table there promoting the candidates and they were asking around to see if people were voting and I’m planning on it.”

He described his knowledge of the candidates, Chris Taylor and Maria Lazar, as limited, saying most of what he has seen comes from social media ads. “It’s almost always just slander,” he said. “It’s never like good things about the candidates.”

Because of that, Ramirez Santos said he remains neutral overall but is beginning to lean toward one candidate based on personal beliefs. “I’m kind of leaning on Chris Taylor,” he said. “I’m personally pro-choice, and I think she lines up more with my beliefs.”

He said his political views are shaped by his upbringing and the importance of government programs in his community. “Programs that assisted the people that I was surrounded by… those were very important to me growing up,” he said.

Although he did not watch the debate and has mainly seen flyers and online content, Ramirez Santos believes the election still matters. “It’s all a domino effect, especially for a swing state like Wisconsin,” he said.

-By Jorge Ruben Sotelo Ramos Jr.

As seen on YouTube: Adeline Young

Art education junior at UW-Milwaukee Adeline Young planned to vote for incoming Supreme Court Justice Chris Taylor in the April 7 election, but it slipped her mind.

About 2-3 weeks ago, videos she watched on YouTube were overrun by advertisements promoting each candidate. The political ads became her main source of news on both Taylor and Maria Lazar.

“She was for women’s rights in America and keeping Trump out,” said Young, happy that Taylor won the race.

Young said she is very passionate about women’s health care and abortion rights.

“I think that people shouldn’t have to go to Chicago or flee the state just to have a medical procedure done,” said Young. “Because I do believe it is a form of health care.”

She expressed discontent with how little she knew about the race but wants to expand her political knowledge in the future.

“I’m going to be honest, I feel very undereducated in a lot of political stuff that’s been going on,” she said. “With how much school and work I’ve been doing that, like, by the time I get home at night, I’m just so tired that I don’t want to read more.”

Although supreme court races are meant to be run in a non-partisan manner, Young says political affiliation sways votes.

“I would have voted for her because she has more liberal or Democratic beliefs,” said Young. “I didn’t want the other person because of their more Republican beliefs.”

In Young’s opinion, the outcome may have been influenced by the presidential election in 2024. She also said she wouldn’t be surprised if a Democrat was voted as Wisconsin Governor in November’s election because of it.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if people were trying to almost make amends with the vote they did last time by choosing the other option,” Young said.

-By: Skye Williams

The Student From Minnesota: Maddie Novak

Although not from Wisconsin, sophomore criminal justice major Maddie Novak would have voted for Chris Taylor if she had a Wisconsin ID.

“I know if I could have voted, I would have,” said Novak. “I’m bummed I couldn’t vote because I love being political.”

Like many other young voters, she received information about the election from social media sites such as Instagram and YouTube.

She finds herself agreeing with democratic socialist figures such as Bernie Sanders and Zohran Mamdani but doesn’t identify as a Democrat.

Many issues she fights against exist locally and nationally such as women’s and LGBTQIA+ rights. After living in Milwaukee for two years, Novak has been involved in the community in numerous ways.

“I’m very conscious about all of the issues and I like doing my part and stuff,” she said. “I try and use my privilege as a white woman to help the community as I can.”

Novak sees Chris Taylor’s win as a good sign for Democrats in the November election for governor, despite the party’s multitude of candidates.

“I do think, as people turn 18, they’re enthusiastic, they’re young, they’re angry at the decisions of past generations,” said Novak. “They want to use their voice, and they want to use it loud, I think that it could still be really promising for the Democratic Party.”

-By: Skye Williams