OPINION:
President Trump’s outstanding State of the Union address was the focus of the media this week.
The president did an excellent job highlighting the impact of his work on the lives of Americans all across the country. He set up a real contrast on major issues between conservatives and liberals.
Although these issues will play a significant role in the midterm elections, something that was overlooked by most media outlets might play an even larger role in future elections.
On April 7, there is an election for the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Liberal activists currently hold a 4-3 majority on the high court. Seats held by conservative justices are up in 2026 and 2027. We have to play defense before we can regain the majority by defeating the next radical jurist up in the spring of 2028. That date is important.
Although voters in Wisconsin amended the state constitution to require official photo identification and proof of citizenship to vote, the radical justices have shown disregard for the rule of law. In fact, the current liberal candidate for the state Supreme Court has made her positions well known on this and other issues.
As a radical politician from Madison, Chris Taylor opposed the legislation I signed requiring photo identification to vote. If she and the other four radicals on the court ignore the will of the people, then it could have a major impact on the November 2028 elections.
During the past three presidential elections, the winner of Wisconsin has won the presidency. My state is the swing state in America. Getting rid of photo ID to vote opens the door to those who want to cheat.
That’s why the news that broke Wednesday is so important. The Marquette University Law School Poll, one of the most reliable public polls in the country, found that 66% of Wisconsin voters say they have not decided whom they will vote for in the Supreme Court race.
Seventeen percent say they will vote for radical politician Chris Taylor, and 12% say they will vote for the constitutional conservative, Maria Lazar. That was after the Taylor campaign spent about $1 million on ads.
Results from the survey show that 84% of voters want the candidates to talk about the issues so they know where the candidates stand. That too is good news.
Radical politician Chris Taylor has said she does not want a requirement to provide official photo ID or proof of citizenship to vote in Wisconsin. Judge Maria Lazar will uphold the state constitution’s requirement that voters provide an official photo ID and proof of citizenship to vote.
Ms. Taylor wants abortion on demand until birth. Ms. Lazar will uphold the law I signed that protects a baby about halfway through a pregnancy.
Ms. Taylor wants no limits on property taxes in Wisconsin. Ms. Lazar will uphold the precedent set by the state Supreme Court that upheld our reforms and saved hardworking taxpayers more than $30 billion.
Chris Taylor is so radical that she introduced legislation to eliminate the words “mother” and “father” from state laws. She wants to allow men in women’s bathrooms and in women’s sports.
Maria Lazar is a commonsense prosecutor who was elected to serve on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, where she has served with distinction. She will uphold laws that protect women as well as mothers and fathers.
The poll results announced this week, and the contrast in the issues, point to one important fact: Maria Lazar can win. So far, she has been outspent. Ms. Lazar got in the race late after constitutional conservative star Justice Rebecca Bradley decided not to seek reelection.
Ms. Taylor, on the other hand, has been running for some time and has raised a very large amount of money from political donors who want her to put Wisconsin out of reach for future conservative candidates for president, governor and senator.
Alarm bells must be going off in the offices of liberal billionaires Reid Hoffman, J.B. Pritzker and George and Alex Soros. Watch for millions of dollars from them to flow into the state party and then be funneled to the Taylor campaign to bail her out in the last month.
For Judge Lazar to win, she will need support from conservatives across the country who understand this race is about far more than Wisconsin. It may well decide the next few presidential elections.
In 2024, Kamala Harris won only in states without laws requiring a photo ID to vote. Despite massive public support, radicals want to repeal that requirement in Wisconsin before the 2028 election. We cannot allow that to happen if we want to save our republic.
• Scott Walker is a columnist for The Washington Times. He was the 45th governor of Wisconsin and launched a bid for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. He lives in Milwaukee and is the proud owner of a 2003 Harley-Davidson Road King. He can be reached at swalker@washingtontimes.com.
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