Wisconsin voters have elected a liberal justice to the state’s Supreme Court, with Susan Crawford defeating Elon Musk-backed Brad Schimel in the most expensive judicial election in American history and one of the first major electoral tests of Donald Trump’s presidency.
Her projected victory in a closely watched race for control of the court — serving as a proxy battle over the nation’s political future in the wake of Trump’s chaotic first few months back in the White House — will preserve a 4-3 liberal majority on the state’s highest court, which could decide on litigation involving abortion access and voting rights, among other critical issues.
Tuesday’s results in the swing state are expected to serve as an early litmus test for Americans’ response to Trump’s agenda at the ballot box, and they deliver a massive blow to Trump’s billionaire adviser, who has spent more than $20 million to support Schimel’s campaign.
A similarly high-stakes Wisconsin State Supreme court race in 2023 set a national spending record of $56 million for a state supreme court election. This year’s race crushed that record, with more than $100 million, according to WisPolitics.com. Unprecedented turnout this year also led to ballot shortages in Wisconsin’s largest city as voters cast ballots in “historic” numbers, according to Milwaukee officials.
Musk and his political action committee are pouring money into elections across the country to support Republican and conservative candidates, including with legally dubious pledges to “personally” hand voters $1 million checks and give out $50 to anyone who takes a picture of themselves outside a voting booth after voting for the candidate he supports.
His efforts mirrored a similar scheme in November’s general election, in which he spent at least $288 million to help Trump win. Musk’s America PAC paid registered voters $100 each for signing petitions and awarded several petition signers $1 million each.
Democratic Party of Wisconsin chair Ben Wikler called Musk’s offer a “blatant felony” and an “illegal election bribery scheme” that amounts to a “chainsaw attack on democracy and the rule of law in Wisconsin and our nation,” urging law enforcement officials to intervene. The Democratic National Committee blanketed Wisconsin newspapers with ads accusing Musk of “trying to buy” a state supreme court seat.
Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul sued Musk and America PAC to stop Musk’s scheme, though the state’s highest court ultimately declined to take up a case.
Crawford will replace retiring Justice Ann Walsh Bradley, who served on the court for 30 years. Crawford’s 10-year term will begin in August.
“This campaign has been an incredible, life-altering experience, in so many ways, and I’m so grateful to have earned the trust and support of voters across this great state,” Crawford told supporters on Tuesday. “I never could have imagined that I would be taking on the richest man in the world.”
Musk has characterized the election in apocalyptic terms with the “destiny of humanity” and future of “the world” at stake, noting that the court could redraw Wisconsin’s congressional maps while Republicans have only a razor-thin majority in the House of Representatives.
“If you lose control of the House, there will be nonstop impeachment hearings, there will be nonstop hearings and subpoenas, they’re gonna do everything possible to stop the agenda the American people voted for,” Musk told Fox News Channel’s The Five on Tuesday before polls closed.
This is a developing story
