MADISON, Wis. — The Democratic-backed candidate for Wisconsin Supreme Court docket defeated a challenger endorsed by President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk on Tuesday, touting her victory as a win towards highly effective pursuits and cementing a liberal majority for at the very least three extra years.
Susan Crawford, a Dane County choose who led authorized fights to guard union energy and abortion rights and to oppose voter ID, stood on stage surrounded by the court docket’s 4 present liberal justices and celebrated her win as a victory for democracy whereas additionally taking a dig at Musk.
“Rising up in Chippewa Falls, I by no means may have imagined that I’d be taking up the richest man on the planet for justice in Wisconsin,” Crawford stated. “And we received.”
Musk and teams he backed had spent greater than $21 million in an effort to defeat Crawford. Musk even traveled to Wisconsin two days earlier than the election to personally hand over $1 million checks to 2 voters.
“At present Wisconsinites fended off an unprecedented assault on our democracy, our truthful elections and our Supreme Court docket,” Crawford stated in her victory speech. “And Wisconsin stood up and stated loudly that justice doesn’t have a value, our courts should not on the market.”
Crawford defeated Republican-backed Brad Schimel in a race that broke information for spending, was the highest-turnout Wisconsin Supreme Court docket election ever and have become a proxy battle for the nation’s political battles.
In a single day, Musk posted on his X platform that “The lengthy con of the left is corruption of the judiciary.” In one other remark, he appeared to take solace from voters’ approval to raise the state’s photograph ID requirement from state legislation to constitutional modification.
Trump, Musk and different Republicans lined up behind Schimel, a former state legal professional common. Democrats together with former President Barack Obama and billionaire megadonor George Soros backed Crawford.
The primary main election within the nation since November was seen as a litmus check of how voters really feel about Trump’s first months again in workplace and the function performed by Musk, whose Division of Authorities Effectivity has torn by way of federal companies and laid off hundreds of employees. Musk traveled to Wisconsin on Sunday to make a pitch for Schimel and personally hand out to $1 million checks to voters.
Crawford was beating Schimel by greater than 8 factors, primarily based on unofficial outcomes. Turnout exceeded 52% of the voting age inhabitants, topping the file set in 2023 of practically 40%. Spending was on its method to surpass $100 million.
Schimel advised his supporters he had conceded to Crawford, resulting in yells of anger. One girl started to chant, “Cheater, cheater!”
“No,” Schimel stated. “You’ve obtained to simply accept the outcomes.”
Schimel performed bass together with his basic rock cowl band at his election night time occasion each earlier than and after conceding defeat, masking songs by the Allman Brothers, Tom Petty and others.
A state race with nationwide significance
The court docket can determine election-related legal guidelines and settle disputes over future election outcomes.
“Wisconsin’s an enormous state politically, and the Supreme Court docket has so much to do with elections in Wisconsin,” Trump stated Monday. “Profitable Wisconsin’s an enormous deal, so subsequently the Supreme Court docket alternative … it’s an enormous race.”
Crawford embraced the backing of Deliberate Parenthood and different abortion rights advocates, working advertisements that highlighted Schimel’s opposition to the process. She additionally attacked Schimel for his ties to Musk and Republicans, referring to Musk as “Elon Schimel” throughout a debate.
Schimel’s marketing campaign tried to painting Crawford as weak on crime and puppet of Democrats who, if elected, would push to redraw congressional district boundary strains to harm Republicans and repeal a GOP-backed state legislation that took collective bargaining rights away from most public employees.
Voters in Eau Claire appeared to reply to each messages. Jim Seeger, a 68-year-old retiree, stated he voted for Schimel as a result of he was involved about redistricting.
Jim Hazelton, a 68-year-old disabled veteran, stated he had deliberate to abstain however voted for Crawford after Musk—whom he referred to as a “pushy billionaire”—and Trump obtained concerned.
“He’s slicing the whole lot,” Hazelton stated of Musk. “Folks want this stuff he’s slicing.”
What’s on the court docket’s agenda?
Crawford’s win retains the court docket underneath a 4-3 liberal majority, because it has been since 2023. A liberal justice just isn’t up for election once more till April 2028, guaranteeing liberals will both keep or enhance their maintain on the court docket till then.
Crawford thanked every of the present liberal justices and hugged every of them after her win. One of many 4 is retiring, creating the open seat she received.
The court docket possible will likely be deciding instances on abortion, public sector unions, voting guidelines and congressional district boundaries. Who controls the court docket additionally may issue into the way it may rule on any future voting problem within the perennial presidential battleground state, which raised the stakes of the race for nationwide Republicans and Democrats.
Donald Trump Jr., the president’s eldest son, campaigned for Schimel within the closing weeks and stated electing him was important to defending the Republican agenda. Trump endorsed Schimel simply 11 days earlier than the election.
Final yr the court docket declined to take up a Democratic-backed problem to congressional strains, however Schimel and Musk have stated that if Crawford received, the court docket would redraw congressional districts to make them extra favorable to Democrats.
Musk pushed that message on election day, each on TV and on X, urging individuals to solid ballots within the last hours.
Schimel, who leaned into his Trump endorsement within the closing days of the race, stated he wouldn’t be beholden to the president or Musk.
Crawford benefitted from marketing campaign stops by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the vice presidential nominee final yr, and cash from billionaire megadonors together with Soros and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.
Document-breaking donations
The competition was the most costly court docket race on file within the U.S., with spending nearing $99 million, in accordance with a tally by the Brennan Heart for Justice. That broke the earlier file of $51 million file, for the state’s Supreme Court docket race in 2023.
Musk contributed $3 million to the marketing campaign, whereas teams he funded poured in one other $18 million. Musk additionally gave $1 million every to 3 voters who signed a petition he circulated towards “activist” judges.
Schimel leaned into his assist from Trump whereas saying he wouldn’t be beholden to the president or Musk. Democrats have centered their messaging on the spending by Musk-funded teams.
“In the end I feel it’s going to assist Susan Crawford, as a result of individuals don’t need to see Elon Musk shopping for election after election after election,” Wisconsin Democratic Get together Chair Ben Wikler stated Monday. “If it really works right here, he’s going to do it all around the nation.”
Voters weigh in on Musk and causes for whom they backed
At a polling place in Waunakee close to Madison, 39-year-old Iraq Warfare veteran Taylor Sullivan stated he voted for Schimel for no causes linked to Trump or Musk, however fairly “as a result of I assist the police as a lot as Schimel does.”
In Milwaukee, 22-year-old school scholar Kenneth Gifford stated he feels that Trump has performed harm to American establishments and that Musk is making an attempt to purchase votes.
“I would like an precise, respectable democracy,” he stated.
—Related Press writers Christine Fernando in Pewaukee, Wisconsin; Ali Swenson in New York; Christina A. Cassidy in Atlanta; Thomas Beaumont in Madison, Wisconsin; and Mark Vancleave in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, contributed to this report.
