Susan Crawford won a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, maintaining a liberal majority. Her victory came despite over $15 million in opposition funding from Elon Musk and other sources. The election is significant as it could influence upcoming rulings on abortion rights, gerrymandering, and collective bargaining.
Susan Crawford has successfully won a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, ensuring that liberals retain a slim majority amid considerable campaign spending by influential backers, including Elon Musk. With the victory projected by NBC News, Crawford, a Dane County circuit judge, secured a 10-year term against fellow judicial candidate Brad Schimel, a former Republican attorney general from Waukesha County.
This election marked the first major battleground during President Donald Trump’s second term, garnering national attention and setting the record as the most expensive state Supreme Court race in U.S. history. Post-election analysis indicates that despite Musk and related groups investing over $15 million to sway outcomes, Democratic-aligned efforts slightly outweighed this expenditure.
Musk’s involvement in the race became a focal point for Democrats, who weaponized his financial influence against him. The Democratic Party of Wisconsin even organized events labeled “People v. Musk,” where prominent figures voiced opposition to his campaign efforts. Additionally, Musk’s recent legal challenges with Wisconsin laws further drew negative attention to him during the race.
The campaign’s closing days saw Trump endorsing Schimel as part of an effort to mobilize conservative voters. Schimel ran ads featuring Trump’s backing and participated in campaign events alongside Donald Trump Jr. The candidates aimed to position their opponents as weak on crime, despite the state Supreme Court rarely ruling on such matters.
Crawford’s campaign emphasized her commitment to reproductive rights, an issue expected to surface prominently in upcoming court decisions. Cases regarding the state’s 1849 abortion ban and its underlying constitutional implications are anticipated to arise soon after Crawford takes her seat in August.
In addition to abortion-related matters, the court may revisit significant legislation passed during Scott Walker’s governorship aimed at limiting collective bargaining rights for public workers through Act 10. Furthermore, the future of congressional maps favoring Republicans hinges on potential challenges that the court may address.
Crawford’s victory, extending the liberals’ majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court to 4-3, signifies a pivotal shift in state judicial dynamics, particularly concerning cases impacting abortion rights and gerrymandering. As judicial elections continue in the coming years, this result will serve as a critical precedent for future contests and the Democratic strategy against affluent adversaries like Musk.
In summary, Susan Crawford’s victory in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race fortifies the liberal majority, counteracting substantial financial opposition from high-profile figures such as Elon Musk. The election’s outcome is critical for upcoming legal debates concerning reproductive rights, collective bargaining, and gerrymandering. The ongoing shifts in the court’s composition underscore the importance of these future judicial elections in shaping state policy.
Original Source: www.nbcnews.com
