As early voting kicks off, the Wisconsin Supreme Court race heats up with significant support from national political figures.
Fox News reported that this judicial contest, slated for April 1, 2025, is now the costliest in U.S. history, spotlighting the intense national interest and funding funneling into Wisconsin.
The race features two prominent legal figures: Waukesha County Circuit Judge Brad Schimel and Dane County Circuit Judge Susan Crawford.
This pivotal election will determine who secures a 10-year term on the court, an outcome that could potentially tip the balance of power in the state’s judiciary.
Donald Trump Jr. and Charlie Kirk, representing Turning Point Action, made their voices heard at a town hall event in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, on March 17, 2025, throwing their support behind Judge Brad Schimel.
Their involvement underscores the election's high stakes, emphasizing its potential impact not just locally but on the national stage as well.
Kirk's message was particularly potent, framing the race as critical not only to the state but to the nation: "We understand that these kinds of races that people don't always hear about, they could tip the scales of the entire future of the Republic... We have to save our court to save this great state of Wisconsin."
In response to the GOP's mobilization, the Democratic National Committee announced a robust campaign on March 18, 2025, to back Susan Crawford.
This plan includes deploying thousands of volunteers and hosting numerous text and phone banks. DNC Chair Ken Martin expressed the urgency of countering billionaire influence, criticizing the involvement of figures like Elon Musk in the election.
"When I went to Wisconsin to knock doors last month, folks told me they don’t want billionaires like Elon Musk running our federal government, and they certainly don’t want him buying our elections," remarked Martin, highlighting a grassroots strategy aimed at overcoming what many Democrats see as undue financial influence swaying voter opinion.
The financial landscape of this election features significant contributions from billionaires, with Elon Musk backing Schimel, and George Soros supporting Crawford. These investments have escalated the race to unprecedented financial heights, making it the priciest judicial contest in U.S. history.
Further illustrating the gravity of the race, Bernie Sanders vocalized his concerns during a tour stop in Altoona, Wisconsin, emphatically denouncing Musk's political contributions: "'HE CANNOT BUY AN ELECTION HERE IN WISCONSIN': SANDERS SLAMS MUSK IN STATE TRUMP WON BY LESS THAN 1%," read the headline capturing his critique.
Americans for Prosperity-Wisconsin has also been active in campaigning for Schimel. Megan Novak, the State Director for AFP-WI, stated, "Wisconsinites know that radical Susan Crawford would not protect the rule of law, our public safety, or preserve our constitutional rights. AFP-WI remains laser-focused on supporting Brad Schimel through April 1st because the future of our state, and our country, depends on it."
This political endorsement is part of a broader conservative effort to maintain influence in Wisconsin’s judicial system, particularly after setbacks in previous elections.
"We remember back in 2023, a couple of years ago, the off-election year, where we should have won that Supreme Court seat, and we didn't. And now the balance of power is slipping in one direction. And we did not want to be taken by surprise again," Kirk added, reflecting on past conservative losses and the importance of this election.
As the campaign trail blazes ahead, both sides remain committed to swaying voters. Trump Jr. emphasized the broader national implications of the race during his speech in Oconomowoc, highlighting it as a fight against a perceived threat to political balance and fairness in Wisconsin.