Susan Crawford, a liberal judge backed by Democrats and not a fan of performative plutocracy, just defeated at Elon Musk’s latest attempt to play kingmaker.
Crawford won Tuesday’s election to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, beating conservative candidate Brad Schimel—who had Musk’s money and MAGA power on his side.
???? Congratulations @crawfordforwi on a hard-won victory! pic.twitter.com/UIPe68pB8G
— Wisconsin Democrats (@WisDems) April 2, 2025
The race was widely considered a slam dunk for Republicans after Musk dove in with piles of cash and some legally dubious voter “incentives,” in the form of million-dollar checks, as boldly promoted via his X social media platform, X. In response, Musk, a self-proclaimed “free speech advocate,” was called out for trying to buy Supreme Court influence, but his efforts were thwarted.
According to CBS News, Crawford racked up a whopping 54% of the vote, and Schimel had around 45%.
Judge Susan Crawford's victory is a victory for working people in Wisconsin. She will take her seat on the bench and continue to uphold the rights and protect the freedoms of all people in her state.
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) April 2, 2025
Last night, I joined the @WisDems team to thank them for their hard work in… pic.twitter.com/MPciWFdZMR
Despite being officially “nonpartisan,” Schimel—an ex-GOP attorney general with Trump’s endorsement steeped in anti-abortion and anti-labor rhetoric with a few Jan. 6 justifications thrown in for good measure.
Crawford, with the backing of prominent Democrats, made the case that the courts shouldn’t be playgrounds for billionaires. Her win preserved the liberal majority on Wisconsin’s highest court.
“As a former prosecutor and a judge, I know we need Supreme Court justices who understand what it takes to keep communities safe, who are impartial and fair, who will use common sense, and who won’t politicize the constitution to undermine our most basic rights,” Crawford said in a statement published on her website. “I also believe people in Wisconsin deserve to feel safe as they go about their lives – in their homes, driving down the road, or walking to the grocery store. My top priority in making decisions is always to make our communities safer.”
For now, at least, the state remains a place where elections can’t simply be bought by a man with presidential-level influence, despite never having held elected office.
Congratulations to Judge Susan Crawford on her victory, and to the people of Wisconsin for electing a judge who believes in the rule of law and protecting our freedoms.
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) April 2, 2025
“Today, Wisconsinites fended off an unprecedented attack on our democracy,” Crawford said in a speech at her victory night event. “Wisconsin stood up and said loudly that justice does not have a price. Our courts are not for sale.”
