- Defeated Musk-backed opponent in most expensive judicial race in U.S. history
- 20+ years defending abortion access and public sector union protections
- Key architect of legal challenges to Wisconsin's 1849 abortion ban
- Expected to shift court balance on voting rights cases through 2031
Madison-based jurist Susan Crawford made history this week by flipping Wisconsin's Supreme Court majority through a record-breaking $42 million campaign. The 60-year-old judge’s victory signals a seismic shift for midwestern politics, coming 13 years after Republican-led Act 10 legislation gutted public union power in this critical battleground state.
Crawford’s legal career reveals a pattern of progressive advocacy. During her tenure at Pines Bach law firm, she successfully delayed implementation of Wisconsin’s voter ID law for 23 months through strategic litigation – a case study in using state constitutions to counter restrictive federal rulings. Her 2019 ruling declaring parts of Act 10 unconstitutional restored collective bargaining rights for 90,000 teachers until the Supreme Court stay.
Three unique factors fueled Crawford’s success: 1) Unprecedented youth voter turnout in college towns like La Crosse 2) Strategic framing of the race as corporate interference vs. judicial independence 3) Mobilization of suburban women through clinic defense network partnerships. This blueprint could inform judicial races in Michigan and Pennsylvania through 2026.
The incoming justice now faces immediate pressure to rule on Wisconsin’s pre-Civil War abortion ban before August. Legal analysts predict Crawford will invoke the state constitution’s privacy protections to invalidate the statute – a decision that would automatically restore abortion access up to 20 weeks across 72 counties.
Regional impacts extend beyond reproductive rights. Crawford’s majority could revisit 2011 gerrymandered district maps that gave Republicans 63% of legislative seats with 49% of votes. Her dissent in 2022’s Johnson v. Wisconsin Elections Commission argued current maps violate Article III’s “free and equal elections” clause – a position now likely to become precedent.
National observers warn of renewed conservative challenges. The Federalist Society has already pledged $1.8 million to support judicial recusal motions against Crawford regarding Act 10 cases. Meanwhile, Musk’s X Corp filed an FEC complaint alleging coordinated campaigning through the “People v. Musk” town hall series.