When is the next Wisconsin Supreme Court election?

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When one election cycle ends, another begins.

The 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court election is over but the next one isn't far away. Twelve months to be exact.

On Tuesday night, Dane County Judge Susan Crawford defeated Waukesha County Judge Brad Schimel to keep liberal control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

With over $100 million spent, headlined by Elon Musk spending $20 million alone on Schimel, Wisconsin's 2025 Supreme Court race was the most expensive judicial race in U.S. history, easily beating out Wisconsin's 2023 judicial race when $45 million was spent.

What will 2026 bring?

Here's what to know about the next Wisconsin Supreme Court race:

When is the next Wisconsin Supreme Court election?

The next Wisconsin Supreme Court general election will be held on Tuesday, April 7, 2026.

It will follow a primary in February.

2026 Wisconsin Supreme Court election

Justice Rebecca Bradley's seat is up for election in 2026. She's one of three conservative justices on the court. Bradley has been on the state's highest court since 2015 when then-Gov. Scott Walker appointed her to the bench following to the death of N. Patrick Crooks.

Bradley won a full 10-year term after defeating JoAnne Kloppenburg in 2016. Bradley's win gave conservatives a 5-2 edge in Wisconsin's Supreme Court. But the court has shifted since then. Liberals hold a 4-3 edge and will look to take a 5-2 advantage come 2026.

Wisconsin Supreme Court elections

This year's Supreme Court race was the start of a six-year run of Supreme Court elections. Conservative candidates will be defending seats in three of the next four years, beginning in 2026.