Liberal candidate Susan Crawford’s campaign announced on Monday that she had raised over $17 million in the month leading up to the Wisconsin Supreme Court race.
The campaign said it had raised that amount of money between Feb. 4 and March 17; the campaign has hauled in over $24 million since June when she launched her candidacy. Crawford’s campaign said those figures are a record for a Wisconsin Supreme Court race and “the most of any judicial campaign in American history.”
Crawford is vying against conservative candidate Brad Schimel for a seat on the Wisconsin court to replace liberal Justice Ann Walsh Bradley. Bradley’s retirement brings partisan split of the court to an even 4-4 tie, meaning whoever wins the April 1 election will determine the partisan tilt of the court.
Musk’s super PAC America PAC and Building America’s Future, a group that has received funding from Musk in the past, have contributed millions in support of Schimel and to oppose Crawford. Musk and President Trump have both endorsed Schimel.
Meanwhile, Democrats like George Soros and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker have poured in money into the race as well. The amount of money spent in this race has easily surpassed the record set in 2023 of over $56 million – the last time there was an open seat on the state’s high court that also determined the ideological tilt of the court.
“Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, is trying to buy influence over the Wisconsin judiciary by getting Brad Schimel elected to the Supreme Court. It’s as corrupt as it is extreme, and Musk wants Schimel to do his bidding,” Crawford said in a statement.
“I’m grateful for the historic outpouring of grassroots support across Wisconsin from folks who don’t want Elon Musk controlling our Supreme Court,” she continued. “The people of Wisconsin want a fair and common sense Justice who will protect our fundamental rights and freedoms. I’m humbly asking Wisconsinites for their vote on April 1 as we fight back against Musk and Schimel’s corruption and extremism.”
