Despite Musk and Republicans spending tens of millions of dollars on a MAGA candidate for Wisconsin’s Supreme Court, the Democrat prevailed in a race that will prove consequential for years to come in the Badger State.
At a packed union hall turned victory stage, newly elected Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Judge Susan Crawford stepped up to the microphone, a humble smile beneath steady eyes.
“Growing up in Chippewa Falls, I never imagined I’d be taking on the richest man in the world,” she said, referring to Elon Musk’s efforts to buy a victory for her MAGA-supporting opponent.
“And we won.”
Crawford’s victory preserved a 4-3 liberal majority on Wisconsin’s high court, a critical firewall as the state gears up for decisions on abortion rights, labor protections, and possibly a redrawing of its Republican-skewed congressional maps.
Crawford clinched her decisive victory over conservative Brad Schimel. Musk spent a lot of money on Schimel’s candidacy, including handing out million-dollar checks to those who pledged loyalty to the MAGA agenda, a clear violation of election law, if there ever was one.
In all, more than $80 million poured into the contest, much of it from Musk and affiliated groups, which had tried to flip Wisconsin’s Supreme Court to a conservative majority for the first time in years.
Crawford’s campaign had started small, fueled by grassroots energy and local donations. But when Musk’s involvement became public, everything changed. Volunteers flooded in, small-dollar donations surged, and voters who hadn’t engaged in years showed up.
As the confetti fell in Madison, Crawford turned to the cameras with one final message: “Happy birthday, Mom. I know how glad you are to see the TV ads end.”
And just like that, a quiet revolution in America’s heartland sent shockwaves across the nation.
Democrats had cast it as a national referendum and a battle over the influence of billionaires like Musk and the return of Trump’s brand of politics.
Musk, attempting to replicate his controversial tactics from the fall, traded in hyperbolic rhetoric and scare tactics while asserting he was “saving civilization.”
Fortunately for democracy in Wisconsin and America writ large, Musk’s blatant efforts to buy the race backfired.
Turnout in Milwaukee shattered records for a spring election. Seven polling stations ran out of ballots as volunteers raced to deliver more.
In a surprising moment of grace rare in today’s political climate, Schimel quieted his own booing supporters. “The numbers aren’t gonna turn around,” he said. “You gotta accept the results.”
That moment – quiet, principled, clear – mirrored Crawford’s message. “Justice does not have a price,” she declared. “Our courts are not for sale.”
Whether Trump and Musk will do likewise remains to be seen. The president has yet to comment on the outcome, though if history is any indicator, he will likely drum up some drama by asserting the election was “rigged.”
