The spring election arrive Tuesday, April 7.
With absentee voting now in progress, the Chippewa Valley has two judge benches to fill. One is on the State Supreme Court, the other is for Chippewa County Circuit Court.
As for Chippewa County Circuit Court, Ben Lane is seeking reelection as Branch 3 Judge. Lane was first elected in 2020 to replace retiring Justice Steve Cray in 2020, defeating opponent Sharon McIlquham. Lane was born and raised between Bloomer and Cornell, graduating from Chi Hi before going on to earn two degrees from UW-Eau Claire as well as a law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School. Lane served as a special prosecutor for the State of Wisconsin before joining Wiley Law in Chippewa Falls. Prior to being elected as judge in 2020 he was Chippewa County Small Claims Court Commissioner. Lane is running uncontested for Branch 3 in Chippewa County.
As for the State Supreme Court, the race is contested, with Chris Taylor and Maria Lazar both seeking the post. Neither is an incumbent, with the race winner elected for a 10 year term to the state bench, pursuant to Article VII, Section 4 of the state constitution. Lazar has a campaign website at www.judgemarialazar.com, while Taylor keeps a campaign website at www.chrisforjustice.com.
Starting with Taylor, the Supreme Court candidate is currently a Wisconsin Court of Appeals judge, elected in 2023. Prior to this she was appointed to Dane County Circuit Court in 2020, following work as an attorney and 10 years of activity in the Wisconsin State Assembly. Married with two sons, she lives in Madison, where she can be found cheering on her kids at sporting events, running through Madison’s parks, and enjoying live music. Her education as listed at wicourts.gov includes a bachelor of arts magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania in 1990 along with a degree cum laude from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1995.
As to mindset, Taylor describes her judicial philosophy as people centered and grounded in making sure that individuals get a fair chance in the court sand their Constitutional rights are protected.
“As an attorney, public servant, and now as a judge, I’ve always been committed to making sure everyone is able to access our justice system,” she says. “Justices on the Wisconsin Supreme Court must be fair, independent, and impartial. Everyone who comes before the court deserves to be heard, respected, and treated equally – that’s exactly what I’ll do as a Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice.”
She professes to be a strong advocate for maintaining the independence of the judiciary, in order that it might serve as a check on the other branches of government. Judicial endorsements of Taylor include Supreme Court justices Rebecca Dallet, Jill Karofsky, Janet Protasiewicz, and Susan Crawford, as well as former Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Ann Walsh Bradley. Taylor is also endorsed by U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, several labor unions, Planned Parenthood.
With these facts, Taylor asks your vote April 7.
Also running for Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice is Maria Lazar,
“As far back on Elementary School I knew I wanted to become a lawyer,” she says. “This realization came in fourth grade after I realized archaeology wasn’t a possibility for me. Through high school, college, and law school, I participated in drama and various musicals, as well as editing a poetry magazine and serving as a school newscaster.”
Meeting her husband Tom while both were competing in One-Act Play competitions, Lazar went on to Mount Mary College (now University) where she was an honors student, obtaining Bachelor of Arts in history in 1986 before attending Georgetown University Law Center where she earned her law degree. In 1989. Lazar also attended Long Island University - United Nationals Semester prior to attending Mount Mary in Milwaukee. Lazar is currently presiding judge of the Waukesha County Juvenile Division, becoming circuit court judge there in August of 2020. Additional judicial experience includes time as a State of Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge and Branch 7 Waukesha County Court, serving on several state boards and committees as well as being a former president of the Milwaukee Bar Association.
Married to husband Tom for more than 35 years with two children, Lazar describes her judicial philosophy in a few key points. Among them are the principles that written law is a fundamental pillar of democracy and also that a judge must be independent of agendas, parties, and bias. Also along them is that the law is to be a level playing field, with no one above or beneath it. A judge must remember there are three branches of government and cognizant of their role, neither too timid to declare and interpret the law, nor be an activist. Judges must exercise appropriate restraint, stating what the law is without stating what they think it should be. Lazar pledges to stand for women and the law, stating the campaign is about restoring fair and impartial justice to the Court, above politics.
With several legal opinions posted to her campaign website for review, Lazar asks for your vote April 7.