Liberal judge Susan Crawford won the Wisconsin Supreme Court election, gaining a major win for Democrats. The election was framed as a referendum on the influence of tech billionaire Elon Musk and former President Donald Trump. Crawford, a Dane County judge, defeated conservative candidate Brad Schimel, a former Republican attorney general from Waukesha County, in what was the most expensive judicial race in the history of the United States.
Crawford’s victory came after a tidal wave of campaign finance backing from Musk and his affiliated organizations, which spent millions to aid in financing Schimel’s run. With over 84% of the votes counted, Crawford was leading Schimel by almost 10 percentage points, guaranteeing her a spot on the state’s highest court.
This victory is a show of defiance against the first-ever attack on our democracy,” Crawford stated at her celebration party. “Wisconsin has sent a clear, loud message: Our courts aren’t for sale.” The campaign became a high-stakes game as Democrats rallied around Musk’s involvement, using it to energize their base voters. Contributions from ordinary citizens surged as Musk’s funding of Schimel became a public concern, with voters across the state becoming angry about billionaire influence.
Crawford’s win maintains a 4-3 liberal majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, one that will be the deciding vote in future cases regarding abortion, collective bargaining rights, and potentially redrawing congressional maps. Milwaukee saw a record turnout, and election officials were unable to keep up with demand, with multiple polling stations running out of ballots.
Schimel, in his concession speech, accepted the outcome, conceding that the race was out of reach. His supporters, however, were disappointed. Nevertheless, Schimel requested that they accept the outcome.
Crawford’s victory is a milestone for the political landscape of Wisconsin, with mounting dissatisfaction about the influence of external money on elections. The outcome will prove to have paramount significance for Wisconsin’s future, particularly in the context of legal challenges to abortion policy and redistricting. Democrats have created a gap for themselves in the judiciary of Wisconsin with this win, something that has the power to shape national politics in the short term.
