Wisconsin

Wisconsin voters built a 5-2 liberal Supreme Court supermajority by winning four straight court races since 2020. That court has already struck down the state’s abortion ban and upheld a 400-year school funding veto.

Governor Tony Evers is term-limited. The 2026 open-seat race will decide whether that court’s rulings survive or get undermined by a hostile executive. Republicans control both legislative chambers. The veto pen is the last line of defense.

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Supreme court

Chris Taylor won her April 2026 Supreme Court seat by 20 points over conservative Maria Lazar, 905,157 votes to 600,044. The AP called the race less than 40 minutes after polls closed. It was the largest margin in a contested Wisconsin Supreme Court race since 2000.

The 5-2 liberal majority has already reshaped Wisconsin law. The court ruled the 1849 near-total abortion ban unenforceable in July 2025. It upheld Evers’ 400-year school funding veto as a legal use of executive authority. Justice Jill Karofsky wrote for the majority that people must be “personally aggrieved” to bring election lawsuits, raising the bar for frivolous challenges.

One major case remains. The challenge to Act 10’s collective bargaining restrictions is working through the Court of Appeals after the Supreme Court declined immediate jurisdiction. A decision is not expected until late 2026 or later.

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Public schools

Wisconsin invented the school voucher program. Now taxpayers spend more than $700 million per year on it, funding roughly 60,000 students in private schools. Nearly half of Wisconsin’s private school students receive a taxpayer-funded voucher.

The enrollment cap on the statewide voucher program expires after 2025-26. Starting in 2026-27, there is no limit on how many students can receive vouchers unless the legislature acts. Democratic lawmakers including State Rep. Christian Phelps and Sen. Kelda Roys introduced legislation to extend the caps. Republicans have not moved it.

Meanwhile, state data shows general aid decreased for public school districts even as voucher enrollment climbed. Evers vetoed a Republican bill in March 2026 that would have opted Wisconsin into a federal tax credit program rewarding taxpayers for contributions to private voucher schools.

$10,877 to $13,371 per-student voucher amount (K-8 and 9-12), paid by Wisconsin taxpayers

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Reproductive rights

The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled in July 2025 that the state’s 1849 law does not ban abortion. The majority found the legislature had “functionally repealed” the 176-year-old near-total ban through 50 years of subsequent legislation regulating abortion.

That ruling made Wisconsin the only state to have a pre-Roe ban struck down by its own Supreme Court. Clinics that had stopped providing abortions after the Dobbs decision resumed services.

The 2026 governor’s race is the hinge. The liberal court majority is secure, but a governor who signs new restrictions or appoints an aggressive attorney general could reopen the fight from a different angle.

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Federal cuts

UW-Madison lost 375 federal grants and roughly $27 million in research funding in 2025. About 145 grants were ended or paused. Some were cut specifically for researching gender identity or coronavirus strains.

The Trump administration froze $715 million in adult education funds nationwide, with Wisconsin’s share at $7 million. The proposed FY2026 budget would eliminate Community Development Block Grants entirely, cutting funding that Wisconsin communities use for park repairs, library upgrades, road improvements, and housing assistance.

Wisconsin still has not expanded Medicaid under the ACA. The federal reconciliation bill adds work requirements that further complicate coverage for the gap population. The 2025-27 state budget was signed in a single day partly because lawmakers needed to secure $1.5 billion in federal Medicaid funding for rural hospitals before a federal deadline.

Federal cut	Wisconsin impact	Source
Research grants	375 fewer grants, ~$27M lost at UW-Madison	WPR
Adult education	$7M frozen statewide	Wisconsin Watch
Block grants	Full program elimination proposed	WI Independent
Non-defense discretionary	22.6% base spending cut proposed	BizTimes

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2026 elections

Evers is term-limited. The August 11 primary will narrow a crowded Democratic field of seven or more candidates, including former Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes, State Rep. Sara Rodriguez, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, State Rep. Francesca Hong, and Sen. Kelda Roys. On the Republican side, Trump-endorsed U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany is the dominant candidate after Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann dropped out.

Democrats are seeking a trifecta for the first time in over a decade. The redrawn legislative maps give them a path that did not exist before. But the governor’s race is the floor. Without the veto pen, the court’s rulings on abortion, school funding, and election law face legislative override attempts.

Evers sent a formal letter urging Congress to “reject Trump’s reckless cuts hurting Wisconsin’s kids, families, and schools.” A $1.8 billion surplus deal between Evers, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, and Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu collapsed in May 2026 when the state Senate rejected the compromise. The next governor inherits those fights.

Wisconsin’s congressional map remains gerrymandered despite the liberal court majority. Two lawsuits challenging the map were dismissed in 2026. Republicans hold 6 of 8 congressional seats in a state that is essentially 50-50 in statewide elections. Districts 1 (Bryan Steil) and 3 (Derrick Van Orden) are on the DCCC target list.

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Protect yourself right now

1. Check your voter registration. Wisconsin allows same-day registration, but confirming early avoids lines and problems. Start at myvote.wi.gov.

2. Know the August 11 primary. The governor’s race will be decided by primary turnout. Look up every candidate’s position on vouchers, abortion, and federal funding before you vote.

3. Call your state legislators about voucher caps. The enrollment cap expires after this school year. Ask your representative whether they support extending it. Find yours at legis.wisconsin.gov.

4. Verify your Medicaid status. If you receive benefits, keep your contact information current. Wisconsin has not expanded Medicaid, and federal work requirements are coming. Call ForwardHealth at 1-800-362-3002.

5. Show up for school board and county clerk races. State fights land on local desks. The people who run your schools and elections are on the ballot too.