Early voting began this week in the race to fill an open seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court - a race being touted as the first big post-inauguration measurement of partisan enthusiasm.
The race pits Republican Brad Schimel against Democrat Susan Crawford for an election on Tuesday, April 1. The docket awaiting the winner includes cases on election rules, congressional distrciting, the power of public sector unions, and abortion.
And given Wisconsin's now-perennial "swing state" status, the disposition of the court is going to be vital for future statewide and national elections. The court had a 4-3 Democrat majority:
The sides, as reported by PBS, are...not unpredictable:
Retired electrician Maggie Freespirit, 58, was among the first to vote at a polling site in downtown Madison, the heavily Democratic state capital. She said she voted for Crawford because she knows the Democratic-backed candidate will support abortion rights. But she is nervous about Crawford’s chances.
“I’m still amazed at how many people are supporting what the Republicans are doing,” she said.
Steve Ravely, a 72-year-old conservative voter in heavily Republican Waukesha, said the economy and immigration were the most important issues to him — and why he decided to vote for Schimel.
“He’s in line with everything I believe with the border, following the Constitution,” Ravely said March 18 after voting at city hall.
The race is seen as a bellwether by both parties - and their fundraisers. it's already the most expensive state court race in US history, and with both sides bringing in their proverbial big guns. George Soros is making his presence felt in the race:
Ahead of the 2023 Wisconsin Supreme Court race, Soros gave $1 million to the Wisconsin Democratic Party. He made a donation in the same amount ahead of the 2025 race, prompting Schimel and his supporters to invoke Soros in campaign messaging and ads.
“Susan Crawford takes her marching orders from George Soros, (Illinois Gov.) JB Pritzker, anti-ICE sheriffs, and Defund the Police radicals,” Schimel’s campaign wrote on X earlier in March. “Which side are you on?”
And on the GOP side, Elon Musk is weighing in; Tesla is currently suing Wisconsin over a ltate law barring automakers from running dealerships; the case could wind up in front of Wisconsin's high court. Musk is indirectly contributing to the race, which is either free speech or an imminent threat to democracy, depending on who you cite.
Musk’s America PAC is the biggest outside spender in the supreme court race so far, doling out more than $3.2 million to benefit Crawford’s Republican opponent, former Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel, according to state records. Building America’s Future has invested some $2 million in the race, records show.
The world’s richest man and top adviser to President Donald Trump also has sought to broaden his political influence. Federal Election Commission filings show Musk spent nearly $300 million supporting Republican campaigns in 2024. And in December, he threatened to fund congressional primary opponents for Republican federal lawmakers who stand in the administration’s way.
Hear the dog whistles for the pubic broadcast audience?
I'll be following this one over the next week.
