Liberal Candidate Wins Wisconsin Supreme Court Election, Protecting Progressive Majority

In a highly contested and record-breakingly expensive election, the liberal-leaning candidate, Dane County Circuit Court Judge Susan Crawford, emerged victorious in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race on Tuesday, Fox News reports.

The win secures a progressive majority on the court, which is poised to rule on key issues including congressional redistricting, voting and labor rights, and abortion.

Crawford defeated Brad Schimel, a former state attorney general and current Waukesha County circuit court judge. Schimel, who was considered the conservative-aligned candidate in the race, received an endorsement from President Donald Trump.

The election transformed into the most expensive judicial race in the nation’s history, fueled by massive infusions of money from Democrat-aligned and Republican-aligned groups outside of Wisconsin. This influx of cash partially turned the contest into a referendum on Trump’s policies during the opening months of his second term.

Beyond the two candidates, the influence of billionaire Elon Musk, a major donor and advisor to President Trump, also loomed large. Musk reportedly contributed approximately $20 million through aligned groups to support Schimel’s campaign.

In a controversial move, Musk handed out $1 million checks at a rally in Green Bay on Sunday evening to two Wisconsin voters who had already cast their ballots and had signed a petition to oppose “activist judges.” While Wisconsin’s Democrat state attorney general attempted to block the payments, the state Supreme Court declined to intervene.

Musk wasn’t the only wealthy conservative donor involved. Shipping magnates Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein, prominent conservative contributors nationwide, also provided millions in support of Schimel and the Wisconsin GOP. The conservative organization Americans for Prosperity further bolstered Schimel’s campaign, claiming its grassroots network had connected with nearly 600,000 Wisconsin voters since last November’s election.

Schimel conceded the race shortly after the Associated Press called it for Crawford, telling supporters in suburban Milwaukee that he had spoken with Crawford and acknowledged the numbers would not shift in his favor. “We’ll get up to fight another day. But this wasn’t our day,” he said.

In contrast, Crawford, addressing her critics, pledged to “be a fair, impartial, and commonsense justice on the Wisconsin Supreme Court.”

President Trump, who narrowly won Wisconsin in both of his White House victories, emphasized the significance of the state and its Supreme Court’s role in resolving election disputes.

“Wisconsin’s a big state politically, and the Supreme Court has a lot to do with elections in Wisconsin,” the president stated on Monday. “Winning Wisconsin’s a big deal, so, therefore, the Supreme Court choice … it’s a big race.”