By Joseph Ax and Daniel Trotta
April 1 (Reuters) – Wisconsin voters elected Susan Crawford to the state Supreme Court on Tuesday, the Associated Press projected, maintaining the court’s 4-3 liberal majority in a setback for President Donald Trump and his billionaire ally Elon Musk, who had backed her conservative rival.
The election was widely seen as an early referendum on Trump’s presidency. The campaign easily became the most expensive judicial contest in U.S. history with more than $90 million spent by the candidates, the state parties and outside groups, according to a tally from New York University’s Brennan Center.
Elon Musk wears a cheesehead hat as he speaks during a rally in Green Bay, Wisc. on March 30, 2025. An election to choose a new state Supreme Court justice took place Tuesday and Musk has contributed millions to the race, hoping to secure a win for the conservative candidate. Robin Legrand/AFP via Getty Images
Crawford, a county judge, defeated conservative Brad Schimel, a former Republican state attorney general and also a county judge.
With the balance of the court at stake, Musk and political groups tied to him spent more than $21 million to support Schimel.
Reuters