A letter in the March 2026 NEWSMAX Magazine titled “Voting Crucial” by a citizen from Monroe, Michigan caught my eye. The opening sentences were “Be careful when you vote for any Democrat, as they say one thing but mean another. Democrats like to get elected, then reveal their true thoughts and motives.”

A couple of sentences later the letter concluded “To all voters, voting is not an option. Not voting only lets bad people of all sorts assume power.” This letter was in response to the article “Federal Election Commission Under Fire” which had appeared in the December issue of the NEWSMAX Magazine.

The coming Spring Elections on April 7th is probably “the most important election in a generation” which has been heard somewhere or sometime in every recent Wisconsin election cycle. This April’s election is no different and it is the most important due to the race for the open State Supreme Court seat.

Much has been written – or broadcast – about the two candidates for Supreme Court. Judge Maria S. Lazar is a current Appeals Court Judge (District II) and former Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge. Judge Lazar has experience as a Wisconsin Assistant Attorney General and in private practice. Judge Chris Taylor is also a current Appeals Court Judge (District IV) and former Dane County Circuit Court Judge. She is a former State Legislator and lobbyist for Wisconsin Planned Parenthood. A geo-political concern is that of the remaining six justices, four have judicial experience in Dane or Milwaukee County and only one has experience in one of the other 70 counties. Given the geography, and the work experiences, the conservative judge Maria Lazar is the better candidate.

The Supreme Court is non-partisan, as is the entire spring election. Most knowledgeable Wisconsin citizens know that that the current court has a 4 – 3 split with the liberals in the majority. The retiring Justice is considered conservative, so the best the conservative citizens of the state can hope for is the continuance of the 4 – 3 split. But, it is much more crucial than this as it requires three votes from sitting justices to bring a case before the Supreme Court. If the split of the sitting justices becomes 5 – 2, citizens of Wisconsin may not see a conservative-based issue before the Supreme Court for years. For this reason and for the future of Wisconsin, the conservative Judge Maria Lazar is the better candidate.

Endorsements should be considered when picking a candidate. Judge Chris Taylor is endorsed by four current Supreme Court Justices, numerous judges from the state’s circuit courts and appeals court, and only one elected official (Senator Baldwin). The closeness of the four sitting justices should not be considered a plus but be a concern for debate. Judge Maria Lazar has been endorsed by Wisconsin’s four Republican Congressmen, a few justices past or present, several circuit courts judges, sheriffs and district attorneys. Four of the sheriffs are from the Coulee Region (La Crosse, Grant, Vernon, and Monroe).

Campaign finance is another factor to consider, especially after how expensive the comparable race was last time. A recent article pointed out that Judge Lazar has raised less than $400,000 while Judge Taylor has raised nearly $3.5 million giving her an almost 9 to 1 advantage. Judge Lazar’s top 15 donors (the source I had stopped there) include 12 (80%) from within Wisconsin. Of the top 15, 6 donated $20,000 each while the other nine each contributed $10,000.

While Judge Taylor gathered many more funds, there are many more points to ponder. Her biggest donor is the Democratic Party of Wisconsin ($260,000) and one union affiliated group contributed $20,000. Considering the top twenty individual donors, 11 (55%) are from outside Wisconsin. Of note, six seemed to be from the same extended family. “Chris Taylor’s mother, retired teacher, now deceased” was identified as a donor. A little further down the list Justice Susan Crawford’s campaign fund was also listed. All these donors were listed at $20,000 each. While the money is nice, considering the sources and the interests of Wisconsin’s citizens, Judge Lazar is the better choice considering campaign funds.

With many considerations made, and there are more that could be made, Judge Maria S. Lazar seems to be the best choice for Wisconsin’s next Justice on the Supreme Court.

Going back to the letter I cited originally, voting by Conservatives is not an option, it is a requirement! And, extremely careful consideration should be given before voting for a candidate with a $260,000 donation from the Democrats (and then not vote). Get informed, get involved, and then vote for Judge Maria S. Lazar for Wisconsin Supreme Court on or before April 7th. Your vote will be crucial!