United States: Wisconsin voters have delivered a major win for Democrats. Liberal judge Susan Crawford secured a seat on the state’s supreme court, beating conservative candidate Brad Schimel in the most expensive judicial contest in U.S. history.
Crawford, a judge from Dane County, won by nearly 10 percentage points with over 84 percent of votes counted. Her victory confirms that liberals maintain a 4-3 majority on the court, which is expected to hear critical cases on abortion, collective bargaining, and congressional redistricting.
Crawford stated that, “Wisconsin stood up and said loudly that justice does not have a price. Our courts are not for sale.” The race drew national attention after Elon Musk and affiliated groups spent more than $20 million to back Schimel, utilising tactics such as offering financial incentives to voters. Democrats framed the election as a referendum on Musk and Donald Trump, driving grassroots mobilization and record turnout, particularly in Milwaukee.
Schimel conceded the race, telling supporters, stating that, “The numbers aren’t gonna turn around. They’re too bad, and we won’t pull this off.” Meanwhile, Musk responded on social media, calling the outcome part of a broader “corruption of the judiciary.”
With turnout historically high for a spring election, some Milwaukee polling places ran out of ballots, further highlighting the race’s significance.
Democratic leaders celebrated the outcome, highlighting that Wisconsin voters had rejected billionaire influence in their courts. Ken Martin, chair of the Democratic National Committee stated that, “Stay out of our elections and stay away from our courts.”
Crawford, reflecting on her journey, noted the uphill battle against one of the world’s richest men. Crawford stated that, “Growing up in Chippewa Falls, I never thought I would be taking on the richest man in the world for justice. And we won.”
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