Susan Crawford Wins Historic Wisconsin Supreme Court Election
Date: April 1, 2025
The Candidates and their Campaigns
Crawford, a judge from Dane County, faced off against Brad Schimel, a judge from Waukesha County, who was backed by the Republican Party. The campaign saw significant involvement from national political figures, including endorsements and events featuring personalities such as Elon Musk and Senator Bernie Sanders.
With 91% of the ballots counted, Crawford led Schimel with approximately 54% of the votes compared to Schimel’s 45%, translating to a victory margin of around 184,000 votes.
Significance of the Election
This election was viewed as a key indicator of voter sentiment in swing states, especially in relation to the performance of former President Trump during his term. It also held significant implications for the ideological alignment of Wisconsin’s Supreme Court, which prior to this election held a 4-3 liberal majority.
Upcoming cases that may be influenced by the court’s new composition include topics on abortion rights, congressional redistricting, labor unions, and voting regulations.
Voter Turnout and Campaign Dynamics
As of Monday morning, approximately 644,800 advance ballots had been returned—an increase of about 40% compared to the previous judicial race in 2023, which had also set turnout records. Notably, a significant portion of the early ballots came from Democratic strongholds like Milwaukee and Dane County.
Conversely, 19% of advance ballots were cast from the WOW counties, which include Waukesha, Ozaukee, and Washington, suggesting an upswing in Republican voter engagement compared to past elections.
Controversies and Last-Minute Maneuvers
Musk’s involvement attracted scrutiny when he was sued over his proposal to distribute 1 million dollars to voters during a campaign event. However, the state’s Supreme Court unanimously declined a last-minute plea from the Democratic attorney general to block these actions. Following this, Musk distributed oversized checks to attendees as part of his campaign strategy.
During the campaign, Schimel notably represented conservative values, even appearing in a “Make America Great Again” hat.