The only television debate before voters choose a new Wisconsin Supreme Court justice is on hold after Judge Chris Taylor was diagnosed with kidney stones.
Taylor went to urgent care this morning, sidelining her for Wednesday night's scheduled debate against Judge Maria Lazar.
"This afternoon, Judge Taylor was diagnosed with kidney stones and will rest and recover for the next couple days before returning to the campaign trail, the Taylor campaign said. "We are committed to rescheduling today’s debate next week."
Watch: Wisconsin Supreme Court debate postponed due to a candidate's medical issue
Lazar's campaign sent well wishes to Taylor following the announcement.
"We wish Chris Taylor a speedy recovery and look forward to a robust debate as soon as possible for the voters of Wisconsin," the Lazar campaign said.
The race between Taylor and Lazar is to fill an open seat vacated by conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley. The campaign has taken on a much lower profile with far fewer commercials compared to the back-to-back record spending in the previous two Supreme Court races, which were won by liberal-leaning candidates.
Lazar serves on the appeals court in Waukesha and is seen as the conservative candidate as she makes her final push to the finish line. Taylor serves on the appeals court in Madison, is backed by Democrats, and is seen as the liberal-leaning candidate. Taylor jumped into the race early last year.
A debate is important to both candidates as the race settles into its final 13 days. A Marquette Law School poll released Tuesday shows 46 percent of likely voters are undecided.
That number is high, given Election Day is less than two weeks away, and early voting has already begun.
The poll shows Taylor with 30 percent of the vote and Lazar with 22 percent.
TMJ4's Chief Political Reporter Charles Benson recently asked Lazar what she will be at peace knowing when watching election results, regardless of whether she wins or loses after entering the race late.
"I think that on election day, April 7th, when I full well intend to have a great victory night, I think the key for me is that I will know that whichever way it goes, I have been honest, I've been transparent, I've talked about my record," Lazar said.
"I've talked about the facts, and I have put everything in me. Everything about me on the table, I have left nothing out," Lazar said.
Charles also asked Taylor how she would view her effort to win the 10-year term, depending on the outcome.
"I've tried to do everything that I can to reach the voters and to communicate my vision for this court and to listen to them," Taylor said.
"At the end of the day, it's not about me, and it's not about my opponent; it's about the voters and who do they want sitting on that court. I hope it's me, obviously, given my lifetime commitment to protecting people's rights," Taylor said.
This story was reported on-air by Charles Benson and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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