- Most expensive judicial race in U.S. history exceeds $90M in combined spending
- Outcome impacts abortion access cases and potential congressional redistricting
- Musk-affiliated groups contribute $20M to conservative candidate Brad Schimel
- 644,000+ early voters signal high engagement in battleground state
Wisconsin’s Supreme Court election has become a national political battleground, with unprecedented campaign expenditures surpassing $90 million. The technically nonpartisan race between Republican-backed Brad Schimel and Democratic-supported Susan Crawford now serves as a referendum on President Trump’s second-term agenda and Elon Musk’s growing political influence.
This judicial contest broke spending records three years after Wisconsin’s previous $56M Supreme Court race, reflecting a 61% increase in campaign investments. Nearly 60% of advertisements focus on Musk’s financial involvement, with the tech mogul hosting rallies featuring controversial $1M cash giveaways to supporters. Political analysts note this marks a new era where state judicial elections now attract national donor networks typically reserved for presidential campaigns.
Regional impact studies show 83% of Milwaukee County voters list abortion rights as their top concern, with the court expected to hear a constitutional challenge to Wisconsin’s 1849 abortion ban. Meanwhile, rural voters in Marathon County emphasize election security reforms tied to the concurrent ballot initiative seeking to constitutionalize photo ID requirements – a measure already supported by 67% of residents according to Marquette University polling.
Campaign finance disclosures reveal Musk-linked organizations account for 22% of Schimel’s $49M war chest, while national Democratic committees contribute 18% to Crawford’s $41M budget. This influx has transformed local judicial candidate forums into proxy battles over federal issues, with 74% of campaign ads analyzed by UW-Madison researchers featuring national political figures rather than legal qualifications.
Industry experts warn the spending surge creates dangerous precedents for judicial independence. Former Wisconsin Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson noted in a recent Law Review article: When justices owe their seats to billionaire backers and partisan machines, public trust in impartial jurisprudence erodes.The Brennan Center reports judicial election spending has grown 294% nationally since 2020, with Wisconsin leading this troubling trend.
As polls close, election officials report turnout matching 2024 presidential primary levels. Over 35% of voters under 35 participated early – a demographic that favored Crawford 58-42% in exit surveys. Senior voters (65+) lean 54-46% toward Schimel, particularly in Musk-visited regions like Green Bay where the billionaire wore a cheesehead hat during campaign stops.
The winner will tip Wisconsin’s Supreme Court balance during pivotal cases on voting rights, environmental regulations, and labor laws. With Musk pledging continued election integrityinvestments and national parties eyeing 2026 redistricting, analysts predict this record-breaking race marks just the beginning of intensified state judicial battles.