In a significant political development, Democrats have claimed victory in the high-profile Wisconsin state Supreme Court race.
Judge Susan Crawford, a Dane County judge supported by Democrats, triumphed over Judge Brad Schimel, thereby preserving the liberal majority on the bench. This victory also offers Democrats a chance to boast about their success in a crucial swing state.
As reported by The Washington Times, Judge Crawford, who is set to replace retiring liberal Justice Ann Walsh Bradley, led Judge Schimel by a 55.6% to 44.4% margin with 67% of the vote counted. The contest between Judge Crawford and Judge Schimel, a conservative former state attorney general from Waukesha County, was primarily about determining the court's ideological direction. It was expected that the court could handle cases related to abortion, labor unions, and election laws.
The race, however, assumed national importance as both major parties saw it as an early indicator of the national political atmosphere two months into President Trump's second term. It also presented an opportunity to control the political narrative. Ken Martin, the chair of the Democratic National Committee, stated that the "people of Wisconsin squarely rejected the influence of Elon Musk, Donald Trump, and billionaire special interests." He added, "And their message? Stay out of our elections and stay away from our courts - Wisconsin is not for sale."
President Trump endorsed Judge Schimel, informing his supporters in a "tele-town hall" that the race would have an "outsized impact on the future of the country" and that "the whole country is watching." Elon Musk, the world's wealthiest man, also played a significant role in the race. He starred in a late rally for Judge Schimel, wearing a foam "cheesehead" hat, and his allied groups contributed $20 million to Judge Schimel's campaign, making it the most expensive judicial race in the nation's history.
Musk warned that if Judge Crawford won, the state Supreme Court would likely redraw Wisconsin's congressional maps to favor Democrats. However, liberal groups argued that the result demonstrated voters' dissatisfaction with the Trump administration and Musk, whose Department of Government Efficiency is tasked with reducing government size.
Courtney Bourgoin of Evergreen Action Midwest, a group dedicated to combating climate change, said, "By defeating Elon Musk-backed Judge Brad Schimel, Wisconsin voters sent a clear message that they will not allow their elections to be manipulated by billionaires seeking to consolidate power and influence policy in their favor." John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety, echoed this sentiment, stating that the result "should send a crystal clear message to every elected official in the country that voters are rejecting the Donald Trump and Elon Musk agenda and the candidates Musk is trying to buy."
Despite the defeat, Republicans celebrated the passage of a constitutional amendment to enshrine voter ID laws in the state constitution. The Brennan Center for Justice reported that the campaigns and candidates spent over $80 million on the race, a fact that political observers believe made it challenging for Judge Crawford and Judge Schimel to define themselves independently.
Republicans had hoped to sustain the momentum from the November election when President Trump turned the state back into the GOP column, securing another four-year term. The state Supreme Court is expected to handle cases involving the state's 1849 abortion law, which bans nearly all abortions, and another case over Act 10, a law that restricted collective bargaining rights for most public sector employees. This victory for the Democrats in Wisconsin, therefore, has significant implications for the state's future political and legal landscape.
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