Wisconsin voters have elected Democratic-backed Judge Susan Crawford to the state Supreme Court, preserving liberal control in a record-shattering $100 million judicial race that became a proxy war over America’s political future.
Crawford’s victory over conservative Brad Schimel maintains a 4-3 liberal majority on the court, which will likely decide crucial cases on abortion rights, voting laws, and congressional redistricting ahead of the 2026 midterms and 2028 presidential election. The result marks a setback for Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk, who poured $20 million into Schimel’s campaign.
“Wisconsin stood up and said loudly that justice does not have a price,” Crawford declared in her victory speech, taking aim at Musk’s heavy spending. The SpaceX CEO had toured the state funding conservative causes, but conceded defeat on X: “There is value to losing a piece for positional gain.”
The race shattered spending records as Democrats highlighted Crawford’s support for abortion rights and opposition to strict voter ID laws, while Republicans framed the election as a check on “activist judges.” Turnout was so high that Milwaukee briefly ran out of ballots.
The outcome strengthens Democrats’ hand in the perennial swing state ahead of November’s presidential election, where Wisconsin’s 10 electoral votes could again prove decisive.
For more political updates, visit DC Brief.
