Chris Taylor (Wisconsin politician)

{{About|the 21st century Wisconsin politician and judge|the 19th-century Wisconsin politician|Christopher L. Taylor|others of the same name|Chris Taylor (disambiguation){{!}}Chris Taylor}}

{{Infobox officeholder

|name = Chris Taylor

|image = Chris Taylor 05-12-2012 075 (7196909078) (3x4).jpg

|caption = Taylor in 2012

|office = Judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals
for the 4th district

|term_start = August 1, 2023

|term_end =

|predecessor = Michael R. Fitzpatrick

|successor =

|office1 = Judge of the Dane County Circuit Court
Branch 12

|appointer1 = Tony Evers

|term_start1 = August 1, 2020

|term_end1 = July 31, 2023

|predecessor1 = Jill Karofsky

|successor1 = Ann Peacock

|office2 = Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly

|term_start2 = January 3, 2013

|term_end2 = July 31, 2020

|predecessor2 = Terese Berceau

|successor2 = Francesca Hong

|constituency2 = 76th district

|term_start3 = August 9, 2011

|term_end3 = January 3, 2013

|predecessor3 = Joe Parisi

|successor3 = Melissa Agard

|constituency3 = 48th district

|birth_name = Christine Lyn Taylor

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1968|1|13}}

|birth_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S.

|death_date =

|death_place =

|party = Democrat

|spouse = James Feldman

|children = 2

|education = University of Pennsylvania (BA)
University of Wisconsin, Madison (JD)

}}

Christine Lyn Taylor (born January 13, 1968) is an American lawyer and former politician from Madison, Wisconsin. Taylor is a judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals in the Madison-based District IV court, since August 1, 2023. She previously served three years as a Wisconsin circuit court judge and served nine years as a Democratic member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing downtown Madison.{{cite news|url= https://madison.com/ct/news/local/govt-and-politics/evers-appoints-chris-taylor-to-replace-karofsky-in-dane-county-circuit-court/article_46075522-8d0c-5567-bc93-8bd5d1abc957.html |title= Evers appoints Chris Taylor to replace Karofsky in Dane County Circuit Court |last=Reilly |first= Briana |date= June 11, 2020 |newspaper= The Capital Times |accessdate= June 13, 2020 }}{{cite report| url=https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/misc/lrb/blue_book/2019_2020 |title= Wisconsin Blue Book 2019-2020 |author= Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau |isbn= 978-1-7333817-0-3 |publisher= State of Wisconsin |year= 2019 |location= Madison, Wisconsin |chapter-url= https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/misc/lrb/blue_book/2019_2020/040_state_legislators.pdf |chapter= Elected officials: Legislature |page= 101 |accessdate= June 13, 2020}}{{cite web |title=Taylor campaign: Announces candidacy for court of appeals |url=https://www.wispolitics.com/2022/taylor-campaign-announces-candidacy-for-court-of-appeals |website=Wispolitics|date=17 November 2022 }}

Background

Taylor and her older sister were raised by her parents in Southern California. She graduated from Birmingham High School in Van Nuys, California, and received her bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1990. She then attended the University of Wisconsin Law School, earning her J.D. in 1995. She remained in Wisconsin, was admitted to the State Bar of Wisconsin, and worked as a private practice attorney in Milwaukee and Madison from 1996 to 2002. She then became the public policy director for Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin.

Wisconsin state legislature

In 2011 a vacancy occurred in the Wisconsin State Assembly due to the resignation of Joe Parisi, who had been elected to serve as Dane County Executive. Taylor had not held any public office before, but topped the crowded six-person Democratic primary with 31% of the vote. She faced no Republican opponent in the general election, and won 5,459 votes; there were 591 write-in votes against her.{{cite news|url= http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/elections/article_848ae76a-c308-11e0-b940-001cc4c03286.html#ixzz1VgvpPg3M |title= Taylor wins uncontested race for 48th Assembly District |last= Rose |first= Devin |newspaper= Wisconsin State Journal |date= August 9, 2011 |accessdate= June 13, 2020 }}

The heavily Democratic 48th District included parts of the east and far east sides of Madison, parts of Monona and McFarland and the towns of Blooming Grove and Dunn. But this would be the final year for these district boundaries, as new districts had already been passed by the Republican Legislature. In 2012, she would run for re-election in the redrawn 76th district, which contained parts of downtown Madison and northeast Madison—including the Wisconsin State Capitol.

In 2017, after Representative Peter Barca announced he would step down from his role as Democratic minority leader in the Assembly, Taylor was considered a strong candidate to replace him. However, she supported Gordon Hintz for the role and was appointed to the budget-writing Joint Finance Committee shortly thereafter.{{cite news|url= https://lacrossetribune.com/news/state-and-regional/madison-democrat-chris-taylor-named-to-legislature-s-budget-committee/article_8748fb77-3b37-5c7a-a7f3-eef0f47cd21d.html |title= Madison Democrat Chris Taylor named to Legislature's budget committee |newspaper= La Crosse Tribune |date= October 3, 2017 | last= Sommerhauser |first= Mark |accessdate= June 13, 2020 }} In addition to Joint Finance, Taylor served on the Joint Legislative Council and the Assembly committees on Federalism and Interstate Relations, on Finance, and on Public Benefit Reform.

Taylor was re-elected in 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2018, but only faced an opponent in 2016, when she won 83% of the vote. On March 26, 2020, Taylor announced she would not be a candidate for re-election in 2020.{{cite news|url= https://madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/rep-chris-taylor-will-not-seek-another-term-after-nearly-10-years-in-state-assembly/article_0b1764ec-43c9-54d8-8754-53eed18cc184.html |title= Rep. Chris Taylor will not seek another term after nearly 10 years in state Assembly |newspaper= Wisconsin State Journal |last= Schmidt |first= Mitchell | date= March 27, 2020 |accessdate= June 13, 2020 }}{{cite press release |url= https://legis.wisconsin.gov/assembly/76/taylor/media/press-releases/statement-from-rep-chris-taylor-on-not-running-for-re-election-to-the-state-legislature-in-2020/ |title= Statement from Rep. Chris Taylor on Not Seeking Re-election to the State Legislature in 2020 |date= March 26, 2020 |work= Office of Rep. Chris Taylor |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200327083555/https://legis.wisconsin.gov/assembly/76/taylor/media/press-releases/statement-from-rep-chris-taylor-on-not-running-for-re-election-to-the-state-legislature-in-2020/ |url-status= live |archive-date= March 27, 2020 |accessdate= June 13, 2020 |via= Wayback Machine }}

Wisconsin circuit court

On June 11, 2020, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers announced he was appointing Taylor to the Wisconsin circuit court in Dane County. Taylor replaced Judge Jill Karofsky, who had been elected to the Wisconsin Supreme Court in the April 2020 General Election. Taylor was subsequently elected to a full term as judge in the April 2021 election.

In 2023, she was elected to the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, running without opposition in the election to succeed outgoing judge Michael R. Fitzpatrick.

Electoral history

=Wisconsin Assembly (2011)=

{{Election box begin | title=Wisconsin Assembly, 48th District Special Election, 2011{{cite report|url= https://elections.wi.gov/sites/elections.wi.gov/files/Results%20Summary%20Assm%2048%20Special%20Primary.pdf |title= Canvass Results for 2011 Special Primary Election Assembly 48 - 7/12/2011 |date= July 18, 2011 |publisher= Wisconsin Elections Commission |accessdate= June 13, 2020 |page=1}}{{cite report|url= https://elections.wi.gov/sites/elections.wi.gov/files/AD%2048%20Canvass%20Results.pdf |title= Canvass Results for 2011 Special Election Assembly 48 - 8/9/2011 |date= August 11, 2011 |publisher= Wisconsin Elections Commission |accessdate= June 13, 2020 |page=1}} }}

| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| Special Democratic Primary, July 12, 2011

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Chris Taylor

|votes = 3,383

|percentage = 31.40%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Vicky Selkowe

|votes = 2,452

|percentage = 22.76%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Fred Arnold

|votes = 1,507

|percentage = 13.99%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Andy Heidt

|votes = 1,190

|percentage = 11.05%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Bethany Ordaz

|votes = 1,149

|percentage = 10.67%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Dave De Felice

|votes = 1,086

|percentage = 10.08%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party =

|candidate = Scattering

|votes = 6

|percentage = 0.06%

|change =

}}

{{Election box plurality

|votes = 931

|percentage = 8.64%

|change =

}}

{{Election box total

|votes = 10,773

|percentage = 100.0%

|change =

}}

| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| Special Election, August 9, 2011

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Chris Taylor

|votes = 5,453

|percentage = 93.50%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party =

|candidate = Scattering

|votes = 379

|percentage = 6.50%

|change =

}}

{{Election box plurality

|votes = 5,074

|percentage = 87.00%

|change =

}}

{{Election box total

|votes = 5,832

|percentage = 100.0%

|change =

}}

{{Election box hold with party link no swing|

|winner = Democratic Party (United States)

}}

=Wisconsin Assembly (2016)=

{{Election box begin | title=Wisconsin Assembly, 76th District Election, 2016{{cite report|url= https://elections.wi.gov/sites/elections.wi.gov/files/Statewide%20Results%20All%20Offices%20%28post-Presidential%20recount%29.pdf |title= Canvass Results for 2016 General Election - 11/8/2016 |date= December 22, 2016 |publisher= Wisconsin Elections Commission |accessdate= June 13, 2020 |page=26}} }}

| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| General Election, November 8, 2016

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Chris Taylor

|votes = 33,628

|percentage = 82.77%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Jon Rygiewicz

|votes = 6,877

|percentage = 16.93%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party =

|candidate = Scattering

|votes = 124

|percentage = 0.31%

|change =

}}

{{Election box plurality

|votes = 26,751

|percentage = 65.84%

|change =

}}

{{Election box total

|votes = 40,629

|percentage = 100.0%

|change =

}}

{{Election box hold with party link no swing|

|winner = Democratic Party (United States)

}}

References

External links

[https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2019/legislators/assembly/1870 Representative Chris Taylor] at Wisconsin Legislature ([https://web.archive.org/web/20200504195432/https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2019/legislators/assembly/1870 Archived version])
{{CongLinks |votesmart= 134761 }}
{{Ballotpedia|Chris_Taylor_(Wisconsin)|Chris Taylor (Wisconsin)}}
{{C-SPAN|75904}}
Follow the Money - Chris Taylor
[https://www.followthemoney.org/show-me?dt=1&c-t-eid=6513515&c-t-id=242778 2018] [https://www.followthemoney.org/show-me?dt=1&c-t-eid=6513515&c-t-id=211228 2016] [https://www.followthemoney.org/show-me?dt=1&c-t-eid=6513515&c-t-id=176689 2014] [https://www.followthemoney.org/show-me?dt=1&c-t-eid=6513515&c-t-id=136782 2012] [https://www.followthemoney.org/show-me?dt=1&c-t-eid=6513515&c-t-id=76570 2011] campaign contributions