Susan Crawford, a Dane County judge known for her legal battles defending union rights, abortion access, and opposing voter ID laws, defeated Elon Musk-backed Brad Schimel in a record-breaking Supreme Court election.
Crawford’s win is being considered crucial in preserving the liberal majority on the state’s court in a key battleground state, where Crawford’s supporters worked to frame the election as a referendum on Elon Musk, a close Trump ally, who contributed millions of his personal wealth to Schimel’s campaign.
This made the race the most expensive judicial contest in US history, further intensifying its national significance.
Crawford defeated conservative judge Brad Schimel from Waukesha County, who was supported by Trump in the final stretch of the race. While the race was officially nonpartisan, the outcome is being viewed as a key victory for Democrats both in Wisconsin and nationally, marking the first major political challenge of the second Trump era and ending in defeat for the president’s preferred candidate.
Wisconsin’s largest city saw unprecedented voter turnout on Tuesday, leading to ballot shortages as residents headed to the polls in record numbers to vote in a high-stakes Supreme Court race. This election, which featured one candidate backed by President Donald Trump and another supported by Democrats, set the stage for what could be the highest-turnout Wisconsin Supreme Court race in history.
The contest, a proxy battle for the nation’s political divisions, shattered spending records and became a focal point for national political battles. On one side, Republicans, including Trump and the world’s richest individual, Elon Musk, supported Brad Schimel, the former state attorney general. On the other, Democrats, including former President Barack Obama and billionaire George Soros, rallied behind Susan Crawford, a Dane County judge known for her legal challenges to defend union power, abortion rights, and fight against voter ID laws.
This election was viewed as a critical test of public sentiment regarding Trump’s first few months in office, as well as the influence of Musk and his controversial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has been central to his cost-cutting initiatives. Musk even visited Wisconsin on Sunday to support Schimel, making waves by personally handing out $1 million checks to two voters.
