In a closely watched election, Democratic-backed Judge Susan Crawford defeated Republican-endorsed Brad Schimel on Tuesday, securing a liberal majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court for at least three more years.
Crawford, a Dane County judge known for her legal battles in support of unions and abortion rights, overcame Schimel, a former state attorney general backed by President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk. The race, which set spending records and was on track for historic voter turnout, became a national political battleground.
While Democrats, including former President Barack Obama and donor George Soros, threw their support behind Crawford, Republicans, led by Trump and Musk, rallied behind Schimel. Musk, whose Department of Government Efficiency has been a driving force in federal agency restructuring, personally campaigned in Wisconsin and distributed $1 million checks to voters on Sunday in support of Schimel.
Crawford made abortion rights a central issue in her campaign, highlighting Schimel’s opposition to the procedure and his connections to Musk, whom she referred to as “Elon Schimel” during a debate. Schimel countered by painting Crawford as soft on crime and a partisan operative intent on redrawing congressional district maps to favor Democrats and undoing conservative policies on public-sector unions.
Crawford’s victory ensures the court remains under a 4-3 liberal majority, with no liberal justices facing re-election until 2028. This means the court will likely play a key role in upcoming cases related to abortion, labor rights, voting regulations, and redistricting—issues that could have national political implications, especially in the swing state of Wisconsin.
