Judge Susan Crawford wins Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice race. (Photo/PBS Wisconsin)
By Karen Stokes
After an expensive and closely watched race, Wisconsin voters headed to the polls on Tuesday to elect a new state Supreme Court justice.
Judge Susan Crawford defeated Waukesha County Judge Brad Schimel giving liberals a majority on Wisconsin’s highest court as it prepares to rule on cases involving abortion and reproductive rights, public sector unions, voting rules, and congressional district boundaries.
Crawford, an attorney, prosecutor, and Circuit Court judge will replace Justice Ann Walsh Bradley, who announced her retirement a year ago. She officially takes office on August 1.
What was a nonpartisan race quickly turned into a high-stakes political battle. Donald Trump endorsed Schimel in the race, while Elon Musk injected himself into the race, offering a $1 million incentive to voters. Some claims may have possibly been illegal.
“To the people of Wisconsin, thank you for trusting me to serve you on the Wisconsin Supreme Court,” Crawford said. “As a little girl growing up in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, I never could have imagined that I’d be taken on, the richest man in the world for justice in Wisconsin and we won.”
Donors from both sides poured millions into the contest, making it the most expensive Supreme Court race in history. Crawford raised more than $25 million as of March 25, including $5.5 million from the state Democratic Party since early February. Her financial backing included contributions from billionaire Democratic donor George Soros and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker.
Crawford received 55% of the vote to Schimel’s 45% with 99% of the vote in, according to results.
An unprecedented high turnout for a Spring election demonstrated that Wisconsin is not for sale. According to CNN, there were 1.8 million votes cast in the state’s last Supreme Court race in 2023. More than 2.3 million people voted in Tuesday’s contest. Compared with that 2023 race, turnout is higher in every single county.